Researchers from MassGeneral Children’s Hospital and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, (USA) conducted a study with 40 volunteers autistic aged 13 to 27.
26 of the randomly selected participants received a daily dose of 9 to 27 milligrams of sulforaphane, depending on their weight, and the other a placebo.
They found that those who received a daily supplement of sulforaphane improved their social interactions and verbal communication, in addition to reducing their repetitive behaviors, compared to those who received a placebo.
Although these improvements were seen at the start of the study and during the 18 weeks of the research, they disappeared as soon as the participants resumed their old eating habits.
A diet rich in broccoli is not enough
“Even if our study brings interesting results, it would be very difficult to obtain the quantities of sulforaphane used in this research, even by eating large quantities of broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables” recalls Dr. Talalay, co-author of study.
“We believe that these results may constitute a preliminary approach for a first treatment of autism, explains Dr Talalay, pharmacologist. “We are far from being able to declare a victory over autism, but it gives us important information on what could help fight this disease”, adds the researcher.
“While this research is interesting and important, the study is too small to say for sure whether the compound can help with the treatment of autism,” concludes Dr. Paul Wang, director of medical research at Autism Speaks. .
Autism is a mental disability that is part of pervasive developmental disorders (PDD). It affects 600,000 people in France, most often boys. Autism always manifests before the age of three and can be diagnosed as early as 18 months.
