Sulforaphane In Broccoli Could Help Reduce The Symptoms Of Autism

Broccolli continues to be known as a superfood that holds essential nutrients. Yet recent findings published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) reveal that this vegetable could help to reduce symptoms associated with autism.

A recent study recruited 44 male participants between the ages of 13 and 27 who had moderate to severe autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The sample was randomly divided into two groups, with the first 26 participants treated with a daily dose of sulforphane that was extracted from broccoli sprouts. The other group acted as the control and was given a placebo. The participants' behavior and level of social interaction were assessed at the start of the study and at weeks four, 10 and 18.

The sulforaphane group had average scores that were better than the placebo groups throughout the study periods. Overall, 17 out of 26 patients on sulforaphane exhibited clear signs of improvements in behavior and social interaction while on the treatment. The effects of sulforaphane were noticeable as early as week four.

When the treatment ended at week 18, the sulforaphane group had improvements in certain symptoms, including irritability, hyperactivity and communication.
Furthermore, the participants on sulforaphane also had improvements in social interaction, aberrant behaviors and verbal communication. At the follow-up during week 22, the researchers found that the majority of these improvements were no longer noticeable.

"The improvements seen on the Social Responsiveness Scale were particularly remarkable, and I've 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," Andrew Zimmerman, MD, a co-corresponding author of the study, said reported in the press release. "But it's important to note that the improvements didn't affect everyone - about one third had no improvement - and the study must be repeated in a larger group of adults and in children, something we're hoping to organize soon,"