#Broccoli Extract May Reduce Autism Symptoms A chemical called sulforaphane derived from broccoli sprouts may help improve symptoms in some people with autism a small new study suggests.
and men with autism who were between ages 13 and 27. For 18 weeks 26 of the participants received between 9 and 27 milligrams of sulforaphane daily (depending on their weight)
while the remaining 14 participants received a placebo. We believe that this may be preliminary evidence for the first treatment for autism that improves symptoms by apparently correcting some of the underlying cellular problems study author Dr. Paul Talalay a professor of pharmacology
and molecular sciences at Johns hopkins university in Baltimore said in a statement. Before the trial the participants'caregivers and physicians assessed the individuals'autistic traits using two standard scales with higher scores on each scale corresponding with lower abilities in verbal communication and social interactions.
At the end of the study the average score of the participants who received sulforaphane decreased by 34 percent on one scale and 17 percent on the other scale.
Those who took the placebo experienced what the researchers called minimal change or a change of less than 3. 3 percent in their scores on the scales. 5 Things that Might Cause Autism The families friends
and medical staff reported they noticed behavior changes for half of the participants who were taking sulforaphane.
These observers correctly guessed that these participants had been taking the extract and not the placebo even though they were blinded still to
which treatment the participants were receiving said study author Dr. Andrew Zimmerman now a professor of pediatric neurology at UMASS Memorial Medical center in Worcester Massachusetts.
The parents said that those participants were calmer and more socially interactive than before the start of the trial whereas the staff said that the individuals'autistic symptoms were much
but neither the parents nor the researchers guessed that these individuals had been in the group taking the drug.
This is by no means a'cure 'but sulforaphane may ameliorate symptoms of autism Zimmerman told Live Science.
But it's important to note that the improvements didn't affect everyone about one-third had no improvement
The autism scores of the patients who took the extract went back to their original values after the patients stopped taking the compound Talalay said.
The researchers also found that based onanother measure of autism symptoms about half of the participants taking sulforaphane showed noticeable improvements in their social interactions aberrant behaviors and verbal communication.
In the placebo group none of the participants showed any improvements in social interactions or verbal communication and only 9 percent exhibited improvement in aberrant behaviors.
The causes of autism are not clear but researchers have observed certain biochemical abnormalities that are often present in the cells of people with autism the investigators said.
For instance people with autism frequently have high levels of oxidative stress which is an imbalance in cells that can lead to problems such as inflammation and DNA damage.
Previous research has shown that sulforaphane may help improve the body's defense against oxidative stress.
The compound may also strengthen what is called the heat-shock response which is a cascade of events that protects cells from the stress caused by high temperatures.
The heat-shock response occurs for instance when a person has a fever. Intriguingly about one-half of parents of autistic kids report that their children's autism symptoms get better
when the kids have said fevers Talalay. It was because sulforaphane can also trigger a heat-shock response in cells that the researchers wanted to see
if administering the compound might have the same effect on autism symptoms as fever often causes.
Sulforaphane may not have worked for everyone in the study because the causes of autism vary in different patients
and therefore a given treatment may work for one patient but not others said Dr. Thomas Frazier the director of Cleveland Clinic's Autism School in Ohio.
It is just an example of how there are different subgroups of autism Frazier said told Live Science.
Frazier said that the study was promising but he added that it needs to be redone in a more rigorous way.
Future studies should use more-objective measures to assess sulforaphane's potential effect on symptoms of autism rather than the subjective assessments of parents he said.
The study is published today (Oct 13) in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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#Humanity's Journey, from the Big bang to the Present (Op-Ed) Roger Briggs is the author of Journey to Civilization:
But photosynthesizing bacteria used up CO2 and produced poisonous to those bacteria oxygen (O2) that eventually filled the atmosphere.
#Ancient Nordic Grog Intoxicated the Elite Ancient Scandinavians quaffed an alcoholic mixture of barley honey cranberries herbs
and ancient humans were endlessly creative in their recipes for intoxicants. Studies of pollen content in northern European drinking vessels suggested the ancient residents drank honey-based mead and other alcoholic brews.
But the exact ingredients were understood not well. Ancient texts written by Greeks and Romans proved that southern Europeans were among the first wine snobs these authors dismissed Northern beverages as barley rotted in water.
Herbs and spices such as bog myrtle yarrow juniper and birch resin added flavor and perhaps medicinal qualities.
How Off-road Tech Aids Conservation Google earth and Google street view have made it possible for anyone with an Internet connection to explore some of the world's most spectacular destinations right from their computer tablet or smartphone.
Health professionals and parents appear to disagree about what determines children s food preferences. While the former often take the view that healthy foods
At the Health Behaviour Research Centre at UCL we decided to use the Gemini cohort a long-term study of 2400 pairs of twins to study food preferences.
%The findings support the assertions of health professionals that the home environment exerts a strong influence on children s liking of the high-calorie foods implicated in excessive weight gain.
and health campaigners try to encourage. We know that children are born with a liking for sweet tastes
While the genetic effects on food preferences suggested by this study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition are large it s clear that a child s actual experiences with food are very influential.
Lucy Cooke has received in the past funding from the Medical Research Council and the European union 7th Framework programme.
Kefir offers a number of established and potential health benefits. It has three times the probiotic content the healthy bacteria that block harmful bacteria from living in your gut that yogurt has.
Some health experts also claim digestive benefits for kefir but while a few studies have shown it aids in lactose digestion the research is limited.
Follow Michael Dhar@michaeldhar. Follow Livescience@livescience. We're also on Facebook & Google
#Chew on This: 8 Foods for Healthy Teeth<p>Regular brushing and flossing help keep teeth healthy by getting rid of sugars
Plaque produces acid that damages tooth enamel causes cavities and sets the stage for periodontal or gum disease.</
may keep your heart healthy for instance others may<a href=http://www. livescience. com/1492-fluoride-myths-bad-baby-teeth. html>promote oral health</a>according to Christine D. Wu
a pediatric dentistry researcher at the University of Illinois at Chicago.</</p><p>Here are eight teeth-friendly foods that show promise.</
and green teas slow the growth of bacteria associated with cavities and gum disease. Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago found that people who rinsed their mouths with<a href=http://www. livescience. com/10053-bottled-brewed-study-reveals-healthiest-teas. html>black tea</a>for one minute 10 times
</p><p>Research published in the journal General Dentistry earlier this year reported that 12-to 15-year-olds who ate cheddar cheese had lower acid levels in their mouths than those
Some compounds in raisins also affect the growth of bacteria associated with gum disease Wu has found.</
can help<a href=http://www. livescience. com/40195-oral-health-body. html>keep tooth enamel strong and healthy</a>according to the American Dental Association.</
Acidic foods and beverages may cause tiny lesions on tooth enamel" Wu said. " Calcium and phosphate help redeposit minerals back into those lesions. "
Calcium is also good for bones including your jaw.</</p><p>Pop a stick in your mouth after eating.
and her team found that drinking a a href=http://www. livescience. com/36512-experts-explain-milk-health-benefits-risks. html>glass of milk</a>after downing dry sugar-sweetened Fruit Loops
#Tobacco Plants May Contain Cure for Cancer, a New Twist in Protein Lipid Interactions This article was published originally at The Conversation.
tobacco grown to produce drugs used to treat cancers caused by tobacco. Mark Hulett Marc Kvansakul and others from the Biochemistry Department used a range of techniques to examine the structure and function of a protein called Nad1.
This protein is a type of defensin a molecule that protects the plant from fungal infections.
Of blebbing and lysis In addition to testing the action of Nad1 against various fungi including yeast the researchers tested its action on human cell lines known to come from lymphoma cervical and prostate cancer.
The leakage of ATP (a common molecule) was shown to happen within minutes of the introduction of Nadd1 to lymphoma cells.
Cervical cancers cells showed an increase in the uptake of a dye known as propidium iodide demonstrating a breach of their cell membranes.
There is unlikely to be a more satisfying experiment than one that results in the explosion of tumour cells.
One of the ways that the role of PIP2 was confirmed in this process was by testing cervical cancer cells with a mutation that strongly bind PIP2.
This research published in elife has the potential to lead to new approaches to controlling fungal infections
and cancer and certainly provides insight into mechanisms of cell death. Imagine fields of tobacco grown for their flowers instead of their leaves leading to an outburst of health conscious tobacco farming.
But don t hold your breath because many years of research will be required before any actual treatment will be available.
and permanency of real ink but the Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that temporary tattoos aren't risk free.
FDA officials cautioned that temporary tattoos can cause allergic reactions in a May 13 seminar on the agency's website.
The FDA would like temporary tattoo users to report reactions to the government said Katherine Hollinger an epidemiologist with the FDA Office of Cosmetics and Colors.
or any cosmetic product the FDA wants to know she said. 8 Weird Signs of an Allergic reaction FDA authority Cosmetics (including temporary tattoos) do not have to receive FDA approval before they go on the market
while medicines do. However the color additives in cosmetics do have to go through FDA approval.
if consumers provide voluntary reports of harm. Types of tattoos There are a number of temporary tattoos on the market said Bhakti Petigara Harp a chemist in the FDA's Office of Cosmetics and Colors.
Beyond the wet-and-press tattoos found in bubble gum machines there are several types of temporary tattoos that use plant-based and synthetic dyes.
but the dye is newer to the United states. Allergic reactions to these dyes can involve rashes and blisters.
Of course real tattoos come with their own set of risks including contaminated ink that has caused infection outbreaks.
Some people also have allergies to tattoo ink particularly if it's red. In February doctors reported the case of a man who developed an allergic reaction to his tattoo 20 years after getting inked as a side effect of a bone marrow transplant Follow Stephanie Pappas on Twitter and Google+.
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#Mini Longneck Dino Discovered in South america A long-neck relative of Apatosaurus and Diplodocus has been discovered in South america becoming the first of its kind ever found on that continent.
Like kefir yogurt probiotics and other products containing live bacterial cultures buttermilk reportedly has numerous health benefits as proponents claim.
or alleviate gastrointestinal disorders. Though some people drink buttermilk straight cooks also often add it to recipes in place of milk sour cream or other dairy products.
#Gluten-Free Diet Reduces Risk of Type 1 Diabetes in Mice Exposure to a gluten-free diet prenatally
or very early in life in the womb or through a mother's milk may reduce the risk of type 1 diabetes at least in mice a new study suggests.
In the study researchers used a type of mouse that is prone to developing type 1 diabetes.
and the time when they were nursing. When the mouse pups were four weeks old the researchers transitioned them to a regular diet.
About 50 percent of the mouse pups whose mothers were fed a regular diet developed type 1 diabetes
The researchers from the University of Copenhagen in Denmarkspeculated that the difference in diabetes risk may be related to gut bacteria.
and type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disorder in which the immune system attacks the cells of the pancreas that produce insulin. 5 Ways Gut Bacteria Affect Your Health
However it's too soon to know whether the findings apply to humans as intriguing findings in mice don't always translate very well into recommendations for people said Dr. Victoria Hsiao an assistant professor of endocrinology
and metabolism at the University of Rochester Medical center who was involved not in the study. Moreover the researchers noted that it's not clear
if the mice pups in the study that didn't develop type 1 diabetes by the time they were 30 weeks old would end up developing type 1 diabetes later in life;
it could just be that the onset of the disease was delayed the researchers said. But the findings are interesting
and warrant further study in humans Hsiao said. In general there are two groups of people who are recommended to avoid gluten:
people with celiac disease who have an immune-system reaction to glutenand people who are gluten-sensitive who feel better after they cut gluten out of their diets said Cynthia Wu a clinical dietitian at the Ohio State university Wexner Medical center.
Gluten is a protein found in many grains including wheat barley and rye. People who don't fall into either of these groups would probably not be advised to cut gluten out of their diet in pregnancy
Interestingly celiac disease is much more common in people with type 1 diabetes than in the general population:
About 10 percent of people with type 1 diabetes have celiac disease whereas 1 percent of the general population has celiac disease according to the American Diabetes Association.
The reason for the link is known not but both conditions are autoimmune diseases an dmay share similar genes as triggers Wu said.
To follow up on the mouse study a future study could look at information already collected from women who happened to followed a gluten-free diet in pregnancy
if they developed type 1 diabetes Hsiao said The study was published April 2 in the journal Diabetes.
#Stress Eaters Beware: You May Burn Fewer Calories A double-patty cheeseburger and fries may be one of the worst things to eat after a stressful argument.
whether in the past day they had experienced stress such as arguments with coworkers or spouses disagreements with friends trouble with children or work stress.
The researchers also measured the participants'levels of blood sugar triglycerides insulin and the stress hormone cortisol. 9 Snack foods:
and lower rates of burning fat suggesting they were storing more fat stated the study published today (July 14) in the journal Biological Psychiatry.
but if that happened to you every day for a year that would be almost 11 pounds said study researcher Jan Kiecolt-Glaser a professor of psychiatry and psychology at The Ohio State university.
Stress depression and the heart Previous studies have found that both stress and depression are linked with higher risk for obesity and heart problems.
In addition stress and depression have been linked to metabolic syndrome a condition that involves a number of risk factors for heart disease stroke and diabetes.
In the study the researchers also found that having had depression in the past worsened the effects of stress.
but high levels can raise the risk for developing heart disease. You don't want triglyceridesfloating around
These meal-related effects of depression and stress could help explain why depression is linked to heart problems the researchers said.
To minimize the effects of stress on weight gain Kiecolt-Glaser suggests choosing vegetables fish and chicken over a hamburger and fries.
Each of the mummies still had a distinctive neonatal line on their teeth a dark line that forms during birth because the stress of delivery temporary halts tooth development.
Lyuba's last moments The team got permission to perform computed tomography (CT) scanning as well as some limited dissection of the body.
An estimated 6 million to 12 million head lice infestations occur each year in the United states among children ages 3 to 11 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.
However there are several telltale signs that the bugs are present on the scalp according to the Mayo Clinic.
Because head lice are known not to spread disease in the United states they should not be considered a medical
or public health hazard according to the CDC. However several studies conducted in recent years in other areas of the world including Africa suggest that certain species of head lice are capable of carrying infectious disease.
One study outlined in the May 2013 issue of the journal Emerging Infectious disease found that head lice in the Democratic republic of the congo could spread plague.
And another study outlined in the same journal in May 2014 found that human body lice carrying a pathogen that can cause trench fever among other diseases can also inhabit human hair.
The best way to confirm an active lice infestation is to find a live louse on the head according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP.
Because lice move quickly and avoid light it's best to check for them after wetting the hair
In a study published in 2001 in the journal Pediatric Dermatology researchers found that using a louse comb was four times more effective than simply doing a visual check of the scalp for lice
Therefore the best person to perform a head check for lice may be trained someone to identify these parasites like a health care provider or school nurse.
The CDC recommends consulting with a doctor or pharmacist to determine what treatments are best to use.
If no resistance to insecticides is suspected the AAP recommends using products that contain pediculicides known as pyrethrins or the chemical permethrin.
However these chemicals are known to be toxic to humans and should be used with caution according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
If you choose to use a chemical treatment for lice be sure to follow dosing instructions correctly
and consult with your health care provider if you plan to use these treatments on a child under age 2 according to the CDC.
and try to avoid exposing skin (other than the skin on the scalp) to these products according to the Canadian Pediatric Society.
and the trade of arms and narcotics representatives from the World Wildlife Fund have said. In November 2013 the U s. destroyed six tons of ivory carvings jewelry and other trinkets that had been collected by the U s. Fish and Wildlife Service through smuggling busts and confiscations.
Instead only disease insects fire or accidents such as lightning will kill a tree Stephenson said.
The other eight of us sat around the dive hole staring into the vertigo-inducing dark-blue waters snacked some more (Fig Newtons this time#ou have to eat constantly in Antarctica to keep your body temperature up)
#St patrick's day Can Help Your Kids Eat Veggies (Op-Ed) Dr. Wendy Anderson-Willis is a pediatrician at Nationwide Children's Hospital.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) boys and girls in this age group should be eating a minimum of one cup of fruits and a cup of vegetables per day.
whether it is an eating disorder or obesity. Mealtime should be a chance for your whole family to sit together
#Medieval Italian Skeleton's Surprising Diagnosis: Livestock Disease A sip of unpasteurized sheep or goat's milk may have spelled doom for a medieval Italian man.
A new genetic analysis of bony nodules found in a 700-year-old skeleton from Italy reveal that the man had brucellosis a bacterial infection caught from livestock
when he died. It's not clear if the disease killed the man but he likely would have suffered from symptoms such as chronic fatigue
and recurring fevers according to the researchers who analyzed the bones. This medieval Italian man joins many other long-dead people in getting a postmortem diagnosis of brucellosis.
Signs of the disease have been found in skeletons from the Bronze age and earlier. In fact the disease predates modern humans:
In 2009 researchers reported possible signs of brucellosis in a specimen of the human ancestor Australopithecus africanus who lived more than 2 million years ago. 10 Deadly Diseases That Hopped Across Species Disease hunters
The brucellosis-infected Italian came from Sardinia. He was buried in a medieval village called Geridu
which was abandoned sometime in the late 1300s and was probably between 50 and 60 years old
when he died. Archaeologists found 32 bony nodules scattered in the man's pelvic region the largest about 0. 9 inches (2. 2 centimeters) in diameter.
Such nodules are often a sign of tuberculosis a lung infection caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis is the most common culprit in cases of calcified nodules study leader Mark Pallen a microbial genomist at Warwick Medical school in England said in a statement.
Pallen and his colleagues sampled one of the nodules and subjected it to a process called shotgun metagenomics.
Instead of searching for a particular DNA signature shotgun metagenomics takes the approach of simply sampling all the DNA present just to see what turns Up to the researchers'surprise the man did not have tuberculosis.
Instead the bony nodule held the DNA signature of the bacterium Brucella melitensis the microbe that causes brucellosis.
Animal malady Brucellosis can be transmitted from livestock to humans in several ways. One possibility is that the man caught the disease from direct contact with animals perhaps
while slaughtering a sheep or delivering a newborn lamb. Or he could have gotten the disease from drinking unpasteurized milk or eating unpasteurized cheese.
The Brucella strain that infected the man was a close relative of modern Italian strains the researchers found
and sheep and goat herding have long histories in the region. Brucellosis is called also Mediterranean fever.
It still affects more than 500000 people around the world yearly though livestock vaccination and dairy pasteurization have hampered its spread.
Today antibiotics are used to treat people with brucellosis and no more than 2 percent of infected people die from the disease according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In its chronic untreated form the disease causes muscle and joint pain fatigue and depression.
The deadliest symptom of the disease is endocarditis the swelling of the lining of the heart.
The method of diagnosing the medieval man's brucellosis could be used to uncover other ancient diseases the researchers said.
By not honing in on specific DNA signatures researchers can cast a wider net they wrote in their report of the case published today (July 15) in the journal mbio.
The team is now using the technique to test an array of samples from ancient Hungarian
Vitamin b12 is also key to the health of nerves. Vitamin b12 is part of the Vitamin b complex which includes thiamin niacin Vitamin b6 folate and Vitamin b12.
or tingling feeling in the hands and feet a loss of balance a sore mouth or tongue and constipation.
Yellowed skin anemia paranoia and hallucinations may also indicate a Vitamin b12 deficiency according to Harvard Health Publications.
if they have said these symptoms Vandana Sheth a registered dietitian nutritionist and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Many of these symptoms can be signs of another condition Sheth said adding that blood tests can confirm a deficiency
Nearly one-third of people over age 50 suffer from atrophic gastritis a thinning of the stomach lining that interferes with Vitamin b12 absorption.
The U s. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 3. 2 percent of adults over age 50 are deficient in Vitamin b12.
Pregnancy can also lower Vitamin b12 levels as can hyperthyroidism (overactive thyroid) if it causes the person to produce too much body heat according to the NIH.
Pregnant or breastfeeding women who do not get enough Vitamin b12 may cause their babies to have low Vitamin b12 levels.
Vitamin b12 supplements are purported to reduce the risk of breast cancer lung cancer and cervical cancer. Vitamin b12 supplements are said also to protect against the poisons in tobacco smoke.
Some people use Vitamin b12 supplements to help treat male infertility sleep disorders depression inflammatory bowel disease asthma multiple sclerosis allergies and the skin condition vitiligo.
Vitamin b12 supplements are touted frequently to prevent osteoporosis diabetes cardiovascular disease and stroke. Vitamin b12 is said also to help some sleep disorders some mental disorders
and slow the progression of dementia in the elderly. Supplement makers also say Vitamin b12 supplements can help treat conditions such as Lyme disease gum disease some skin infections liver disease and kidney disease.
Combining avocado oil and Vitamin b12 in a topical treatment can supposedly improve psoriasis or eczema symptoms and Vitamin b12 is said also to help reduce ringing in the ears and swollen tendons.
Vitamin b12 supplements can treat a deficiency but dietitians recommend getting your Vitamin b12 from food if possible before trying a supplement.
Many meat and dairy products have Vitamin b12. Clams crab beef liver and many fish are particularly high in Vitamin b12.
Eliminating meat dairy and fortified cereals from your diet may require you to supplement vitamin B12 Sheth said.
In general Vitamin b12 is found in animal products Sheth said so strict vegetarians and vegans must actively seek out another source of the vitamin.
In people who are making the transition to a vegan diet a Vitamin b12 deficiency may not show up for a while Sheth said.
You have to really work with a registered dietitian or do your homework. The average adult should get 2. 4 micrograms of Vitamin b12 per day.
or breastfeeding need more about 2. 8 micrograms a day according to recommendations from the National institutes of health's Office of Dietary Supplements.
but these pills may not treat all causes of Vitamin b12 deficiency. People who have undergone gastric bypass surgery for example can develop a deficiency in the intrinsic factor.
They could be taking all the B12 orally that they want and they won't be absorbing it properly Mangieri said.
Some autoimmune conditions such as pernicious anemia attack and destroy intrinsic factor according to the NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements.
People with celiac disease or Crohn's disease may also have difficulty absorbing the Vitamin b12 from food or vitamin supplements.
A Schilling test can determine if a person is absorbing Vitamin b12 properly. Doctors may prescribe Vitamin b12 injections to treat people who have a deficiency
but would not benefit from Vitamin b12 pills. Vitamin b12 can also be administered in a nasal gel according to the NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements.
Thanks to its association with the amino acid homocysteine Vitamin b12 is touted for its supposed ability to help several conditions.
Someone with low Vitamin b12 levels typically has high levels of homocysteine in the blood. High levels of homocysteine are commonly found in people with osteoporosis dementia heart disease cognitive impairment and depression.
Studies have shown a combination of Vitamin b12 folic acid and Vitamin b6 can lower homocysteine levels. However research has confirmed not that using vitamins to lower homocysteine levels actually treats
or prevents health problems. For example one study of 5522 people with vascular disease showed a Vitamin b supplement did not reduce the risk of dying from heart attack.
Researchers assigned some volunteers to a placebo and others to a combination of folic acid Vitamin b6 and Vitamin b12 supplement.
Vitamins reduced homocysteine levels in the study participants but the placebo group and the group taking vitamins had a similar risk of dying from major cardiovascular events during the five-year study according to the paper published in August 2006 in the New england Journal of Medicine.
Vitamin b12 supplements most likely won't reduce your risk for heart disease according to the NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements.
It's still unknown whether Vitamin b12 supplements have an effect on diabetes high cholesterol or preventing arteries from reclogging after a stent procedure according to the U s. National Library of Medicine.
A few preliminary studies some that provided supplements and some that simply recorded Vitamin b12 levels in people over time have found a weak link between Vitamin b12 supplements
and a reduced risk of osteoporosis. However more studies are needed to see if Vitamin b12 could help reduce osteoporosis risk according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State university.
Some preliminary studies have found a weak link between Vitamin b12 and a reduced cancer risk
but the connection is still unclear. One study compared blood samples and diet questionnaires of 712 breast cancer patients and 712 women without breast cancer.
Diet questionnaires (taken from 1980 through 1990) and blood samples (taken in 1990) showed that higher levels of Vitamin b12 were associated with a lower risk of breast cancer
but only among women who had not yet hit menopause. Levels of folate and Vitamin b6 had a stronger link to breast cancer risk in the study according to the March 2003 paper published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
Preliminary evidence has not found that Vitamin b12 blood levels affect lung cancer according to the National Library of Medicine
but combining folic acid thiamine riboflavin and Vitamin b12 may help prevent cervical cancer. Low levels of Vitamin b12 are linked commonly to health problems
but recent research found that having abnormally high levels of Vitamin b12 in the blood may indicate a cancer risk.
Researchers examined lab tests and cancer diagnoses of more than 300000 patients in a Danish medical registry from 1998 to 2010.
Only 6 percent of the people in the study had Vitamin b12 levels higher than the recommended upper limit
and these people had a higher risk of being diagnosed with cancer within one year of their abnormal blood tests especially a cancer related to smoking (lung cancer)
or alcohol according to the December 2013 paper published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.
It is not likely that Vitamin b12 is an effective treatment for sleep disorders in seniors at least
when it's used in combination with Vitamin b6 and folic acid according to the National Library of Medicine.
Low Vitamin b12 levels are commonly found with other physical signs of mental decline such as high homocysteine levels or low folate levels.
And people diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and dementia often have low Vitamin b12 levels. However studies have not conclusively shown that Vitamin b12 supplements will improve memory or thinking skills in the elderly in Alzheimer's patients in dementia patients or among stroke survivors.
The NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements says that more large clinical trials are needed to prove
whether Vitamin b12 can influence cognitive function and the risk of developing dementia. More studies are needed to determine
whether Vitamin b12 supplements can improve depression symptoms. Preliminary evidence suggests that depressed people respond better to treatment
if they have healthy levels of Vitamin b12. Researchers in Finland took blood samples from 115 patients diagnosed with major depression disorder.
The patients underwent six months of treatment including therapy and medication before giving another blood sample.
Those with higher levels of Vitamin b12 at the start and end of the study were more likely to fully respond to treatment according to the study published in December 2003 in the online journal BMC Psychiatry.
Researchers considered 40 people in the study to have a full response to depression treatment 34 had a partial response
and 41 people had no response. Yet other preliminary studies have failed to show that Vitamin b12 supplements alone can help depression.
whether groups assigned to exercise mental health education or vitamin supplements had fewer depression systems. In the study folic acid and Vitamin b12 supplements did not change depression symptoms any more than a placebo did.
Four follow-up surveys over the span of two years found that only mental-health education changed depression symptoms according to the July 2012 paper in The british Journal of Psychiatry.
Vitamin b12 will not enhance athletic performance or increase energy levels in people who are not deficient in Vitamin b12 according to the NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements.
There is not yet enough scientific evidence to determine if Vitamin b12 supplements have an effect on allergies multiple sclerosis psoriasis and other immune system problems.
And there is too little evidence to see if Vitamin b12 has an effect on Lyme disease signs of aging fatigue or chronic fatigue syndrome according to the National Library of Medicine.
However Vitamin b12 is possibly effective at preventing age-related macular degeneration a common eye condition that leads to vision loss.
Limited research supports that Vitamin b12 supplements are effective at treating shaky leg syndrome eczema and canker sores.
However more studies are needed to prove the connection according to the National Library of Medicine. Vitamin b12 has a low risk of overdose in the body.
Supplement makers put a lot of B vitamins into capsules sometimes as much as 200 percent of the recommended daily intake.
For this reason the Institute of Medicine does not set a limit on how much Vitamin b12 a person can safely take in a day.
when to the skin to treat psoriasis according to the National Library of Medicine. Vitamin b12 may increase the risk that an artery narrows around a stent a device that widens a blocked artery.
And Vitamin b12 supplements can potentially harm the optic nerve and cause blindness in people with the rare hereditary condition called Leber's disease.
Common treatments for heartburn and GERD (gastroesophageal reflux disease) also known as acid reflux such as H2 blockers and proton-pump inhibitors may contribute to a Vitamin b12 deficiency.
The NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements recommends that doctors monitor the Vitamin b12 status of patients on proton-pump inhibitors.
and who take the medication for more than two years according to the NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements.
Other drugs that affect stomach acid have been linked to poor Vitamin b12 absorption including the cholesterol drug cholestyramine;
the antibiotics chloramphenicol and neomycin; and the gout treatment colchicine. The diabetes drug metformin may interfere with the body's absorption of Vitamin b12 not through stomach acid but because of the drug's effect on calcium
which is needed also to absorb Vitamin b12. More research is needed to determine if calcium supplements may help Vitamin b12 absorption in diabetes patients according to the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State university.
Potassium supplements may reduce the body's ability to absorb Vitamin b12 as can heavy drinking for more than two weeks according to the National Library of Medicine.
Large amounts of folic-acid supplements don't interfere with Vitamin b12 absorption but folic acid can mask the symptoms of a Vitamin b12 deficiency.
Folic acid can correct a condition called megaloblastic anemia which is caused by low Vitamin b12 levels. A person who has this condition won't experience symptoms of anemia
but an underlying Vitamin b12 deficiency will still damage the nervous system. The NIH's Office of Dietary Supplements recommends healthy people get no more than 1000 micrograms of folic acid per day.
This article is for informational purposes only and is meant not to offer medical advice. o
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