Zee Media Bureau/Shruti Saxena
New Delhi: Scientists have discovered that eating broccoli, packed with a health-boosting compound called `sulphoraphane`, helps improve some social and behavioural problems in people suffering from symptoms of autism spectrum disorders.
Broccoli is a nutritional wonder and has a wide range of therapeutic properties associated with it- it reduces the chance of developing bladder cancer, prevents osteoarthritis, keeps your heart healthy etc.
Researchers at Mass General Hospital for Children (MGHfC) and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine looked at the health of about 44 young men, ages 13 to 27, who were diagnosed with moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder and found that daily dose of sulforaphane found n broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage showed visible improvement amongst the participants.
Two thirds of the participants were less irritable, lethargic, better motivated, able to communicate and had less repetitive movements.
After 18 weeks of treatment, the average scores assessed of those who received sulforaphane had decreased to 34 and 17 percent, respectively - indicating improvement in factors such as irritability, lethargy, repetitive movements, hyperactivity, communication, motivation and mannerisms.
Assessments using the Clinical Global Impression scale indicated that 46 percent of sulforaphane recipients exhibited noticeable improvement in social interaction, 54 percent in aberrant behaviors, and 42 percent in verbal communication. After 22-week, another reassessment supported the probability that changes had been the result of sulforaphane treatment.
The report was published online in PNAS Early Edition.
(With Agency inputs)
