Sulforaphane, a chemical found in broccoli and other cruciferous vegetables, shows promise for improving some behavioral symptoms of autism. Researchers found that about two thirds of participants who received sulforaphane saw their scores on the Aberrant Behavior Checklist reduced by 34%, while their scores on the Social Responsiveness Scale fell 17%. They hope to discover the biology underlying the effects observed and to study them at a cellular level.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, October 2014