Behind the headlines

NHS choices looks at recent reports into the effect of broccoli supplement, sulforaphane, on autism following a study by the Massachusetts General Hospital for Children, the University of Massachusetts and The John Hopkins University School of Medicine.

The study found the symptoms of ASD improved in two-thirds of adolescent and young men who took a sulforaphane supplement.

In the randomised controlled trial, 26 men with moderate to severe ASD took sulforaphane, and nine took a placebo, for 18 weeks.

Improvements were seen in the majority of people taking sulforaphane in terms of irritability, lethargy, stereotypy, hyperactivity, awareness, communication, motivation and mannerisms.

The study was limited by the small number of participants, and the results may not be generalisable to all people with ASD, as it was conducted on a group of young white males.

Still, the results are both intriguing and encouraging, as there is currently no effective drug-based treatment for improving ASD symptoms.

Larger studies on more diverse groups of people will be required to assess the benefits and potential side effects of sulforaphane, which could be recommended for people with ASD.

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