Vitamin D & Cognition (2006)

This study examined vitamin D & cognition. Vitamin D status, cognitive performance, mood, and physical performance in older adults was assessed. 58% of the participants were found to have abnormally low vitamin D levels. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with presence of a mood disorder and with worse performance on 2 measures of mood and cognitive performance.

C H Wilkins et al., ‘Vitamin D deficiency is associated with low mood and worse cognitive performance in older adults’, J Geriatr Psychiatry, 14(12):1032-40, 2006

Click here for the abstract

Autism Statistics (2011)

This study explored autism statistics. A new, comprehensive survey of adults in the UK reports that approximately one in a hundred have autism, defined on a tight set of criteria. These figures are similar to estimates in children. Results further suggested the weighted prevalence of autism in adults was estimated to be 9.8 per 1000 (95% confidence interval, 3.0-16.5). Prevalence was not related to the respondent’s age. Rates were higher in men, those without educational qualifications, and those living in rented social (government-financed) housing. There was no evidence of increased use of services for mental health problems.

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Homocysteine & Eating Disorders (2007)

The study investigated homocysteine & eating disorders. Plasma homocysteine levels were found to be elevated in women and older female adolescents (but not in young female adolescents) with eating disorders. These findings were not observed to be related to deficiencies in vitamin B12 or folic acid.

Levine J et al,Plasma homocysteine levels in female patients with eating disorders Int J Eat Disord., 40(3):277-84, 2007

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Mediterranean Diet & Depression (2009)

This study investigated the mediterranean diet & depression.  In a study of over 10,000 healthy Spanish participants – those who followed a Mediterranean diet most closely had a greater than 30% reduction in the risk of depression.

The specific mechanisms which help to prevent the occurrence of depression are not well known, however, the authors suggest that the role of the overall dietary pattern may be more important than the effect of single components. It is plausible that the synergistic combination of a sufficient provision of omega-three fatty acids together with other natural unsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants from olive oil and nuts, flavonoids and other phytochemicals from fruit and vegetables and increase levels of folate and other B vitamins in the overall Mediterranean diet may exert a fair degree of protection against depression.

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Autism & Digestion (2005)

This study explored autism & digestion. In the study, the role of immune sensitivity to dietary proteins in young children with autism was investigated. Of 109 children with autism, 75 had symptoms of digestive disturbance and 34 did not. 15 had known food hypersensitivities. Controls were 19 non-autistic children. Immune system markers of hypersensitivity to three milk proteins, gliadin (a gluten protein) and soy were measured. Children with autism showed a significant immune response to lactoglobulin (a milk protein) and those with digestive symptoms also showed a significant immune response to gliadin, compared to controls. However, no unusual response to casein (a milk protein) or soy was observed.

H Jyonouchi et al., ‘Evaluation of an association between gastrointestinal symptoms and cytokine production against common dietary proteins in children with autism spectrum disorders.’, J Pediatr, vol 146(5):605-10, 2005

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Immunity & Autism (2006)

This study investigated immunity & autism. The authors review research linking autism spectrum disorders with various abnormal immune responses during development. Interactions between the immune system and nervous system begin early in embryonic development, with normal nervous system development dependent on a normal balanced immune response. Several immune system disturbances have been linked to autism. Digestive system disturbances have been found in a significant proportion of autistic patients and the authors review studies linking gluten and casein (cereal and milk proteins) to autism.

P Ashwood, S Wills, J Van de Water, ‘The immune response in autism: a new frontier for autism research’, J Leukoc Biol, vol 80(1):1-15, 2006.

Click here for the abstract

Immunity & Autism (2004)

This study focused on immunity & autism. The authors considered how immune reactions to food proteins may relate to immune reactions against the body’s own brain cells in autistic patients. The immune reactions of 50 autistic patients to a range of food proteins were compared to the immune reactions to brain proteins. 50 non-autistic patients were used as controls. The study found immune antibodies in autistic patients which reacted to both gliadin (a gluten protein from cereals) and to brain proteins, suggesting a possible autoimmune basis for autism.

A Vojdani et al., ‘Immune response to dietary proteins, gliadin and cerebellar peptides in children with autism.’, Nutr Neurosci, vol 7(3):151-61, 2004

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Risk Factors for Alzheimer’s (2011)

This study investigated risk factors for Alzheimer’s. This study looked at the evidence regarding seven modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer’s. They calculated that about half of the 33 million cases worldwide could be prevented (that’s 17 million) and calculated that if these risk factors were to be modified to only a ‘relatively modest degree’, specifically by 10-25% as many as 1 – 3 million cases of the current 33 million worldwide could have been prevented.

The risk factors they considered were diabetes, midlife high blood pressure (hypertension), midlife obesity, smoking, depression, cognitive inactivity or low educational attainment, and physical inactivity. A major shortcoming of this report is that they didn’t consider dietary and lifestyle factors such as increasing B vitamins / reducing homocysteine, increasing essential fats and vitamin D, adopting a Mediterranean diet.

Click here for the abstract

Barnes, D. E., & Yaffe, K. (2011). The projected effect of risk factor reduction on Alzheimer’s disease prevalence. The Lancet. Neurology, 10(9), 819–828. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1474-4422(11)70072-2

Homocysteine & The Brain (2011)

A study conducted by UCLA School of Medicine researchers of 732 elderly people given MRI brain scans finds that those with raised homocysteine levels have greater brain shrinkage regardless of age and diagnosis. Among those with cognitive impairment, the greater the homocysteine level the greater was the brain atrophy. The authors state ‘ Vitamin B supplements may help prevent homocysteine-related atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease by possibly reducing homocysteine levels’.

Rajagopalan P, Hua X, Toga AW, Jack CR Jr, Weiner MW, Thompson PM.  Homocysteine effects on brain volumes mapped in 732 elderly individuals. Neuroreport, 22(8):391-5, 2011.

Clich here for abstract.

Homocysteine & Dementia (2011)

This was a meta-analysis* of eight studies, involving almost 9,000 subjects. The results found that at 5 µmol/l increase in homocysteine level was associated with a 35% increase in incidence of dementia.

The researchers could not conclude that raised homocysteine is an actual cause. However, they did estimate that if it was causal, we could expect an approximate 20% reduction in risk of dementia from treatment with folic acid and B12.

Click here for the abstract

Homocysteine and dementia – a clear association. Wald, Kasturiratne, & Simmonds (2011). Alzheimer’s and dementia 7: 412-417

*Meta-analysis: a collation and analysis of a group of studies on the same topic