Close X
Thursday, October 31, 2024
ADVT 
Health & Fitness

Did You Know? Broccoli may curb autism

Darpan News Desk IANS, 14 Oct, 2014 10:44 AM
  • Did You Know? Broccoli may curb autism
A study led by an Indian-origin researcher has found evidence that daily treatment with sulphoraphane - a molecule found in foods such as broccoli - may improve some symptoms of autism spectrum disorders.
 
Participants receiving a daily dose of sulforaphane showed improvement in both behavioural and communication assessments in as little as four weeks.
 
Two thirds of the participants were less irritable, lethargic, better motivated, able to communicate and had less repetitive movements.
 
"The average scores for each of the assessments were significantly better for the 26 participants receiving sulforaphane than for the 14 who received a placebo," said lead author, Kanwaljit Singh from the MassGeneral Hospital.
 
The study enrolled young men, aged 13 to 27, who had been diagnosed with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder.
 
Participants were randomly assigned to a daily dose of either sulforaphane - extracted from broccoli sprouts - or a placebo, with neither investigators, participants nor their care givers knowing who was receiving the study drug.
 
Overall, 17 of the 26 participants, who received sulforaphane were judged by their care givers to have improvements in behaviour, social interaction and calmness while on active treatment.
 
After 18 weeks of treatment, the average scores on two assessments - the Aberrant Behaviour Checklist and Social Responsiveness Scale (SRS) - of those who received sulforaphane had decreased 34 and 17 percent respectively.
 
"The improvements seen on the SRS were particularly remarkable" said co-corresponding author Andrew Zimmerman, a professor at the University of Massachusetts in the US.
 
"I have been told this is the first time that any statistically significant improvement on the SRS has been seen for a drug study in autism spectrum disorder," Zimmerman noted.
 
The findings appeared online in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Early Edition.

MORE Health & Fitness ARTICLES

Fat people fail to recognise abnormal weight

"The failure to recognise abnormal weight occurs more often among overweight or obese mothers and children," said lead author Tracy Paul from...

Fat people fail to recognise abnormal weight

Say cheese! Dairy products good for health

Say cheese! Dairy products good for health
Consuming dairy products is good for health and can also reduce the risk of metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes, new research shows....

Say cheese! Dairy products good for health

Long working hours bad for your heart

Long working hours bad for your heart
The longer the work hours or overtime you put in, the higher your chances of developing coronary heart disease within 10 years, says an alarming study...

Long working hours bad for your heart

Why some people can't resist unhealthy food

Why some people can't resist unhealthy food
The reason why some people cannot resist calorie-dense snacks even at the risk of gaining extra weight may be due to decreased activity in the...

Why some people can't resist unhealthy food

How to keep flu away on wedding day

How to keep flu away on wedding day
 Autumn weddings might be a rage right now, but the year end also brings along cold and flu. If you are one of those who gets sick easily, start...

How to keep flu away on wedding day

Brush teeth before sleep for healthy smile

Brush teeth before sleep for healthy smile
How often do you attend late night parties and then use plain laziness as an excuse for not brushing your teeth before sleep? Better not forget that...

Brush teeth before sleep for healthy smile