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April 5th, 2012 
FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda THURSDAY, April 5 (HealthDay News) — Although vitamin
deficiencies have been linked to canker sores, taking a daily multivitamin
won’t prevent this common mouth ailment, a new study finds.
The study found that people with recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS),
the medical name for canker sores, received no benefit from taking a daily
multivitamin as a preventive measure.
Previous research on canker sores had shown a benefit to patients with
vitamin deficiencies when they took large doses of vitamins.
Participants in the new study did not have significant vitamin
deficiencies, and the vitamin dose was much smaller — although still
equivalent to the recommended daily dose. Patients taking a placebo
treatment had no more episodes of the oral lesions than those taking a
vitamin regimen.
“Giving patients prone to RAS multivitamins did not reduce the
duration or frequency of canker sores, so in clinical practice we should
not be saying ‘why don’t you take a multivitamin?’ ” said Dr. Rajesh
Lalla, lead author of the study, which was conducted at the University of
Connecticut.
Lalla, a specialist in oral medicine at the university, said that
because some patients’ vitamin deficiencies may contribute to canker
sores, those with severe cases should be screened, especially for low
levels of vitamin B12 or folic acid.
The study, published in the April issue of the Journal of the
American Dental Association, included only people with minor RAS,
which makes up more than 80 percent of all cases, Lalla said.
About 40 percent of the U.S. population gets the sores — which appear
as pale-yellow ulcerations with a red ring and can range from minor to
more serious manifestations — at some point, mostly before age 50,
according to other research.
The problem is most prevalent among teenagers and young adults, who
often get them during exams or other stressful times, Lalla said.
The condition, the cause of which is not well understood, is not
contagious. Genetics, allergies and the autoimmune system also have been
connected to the disease, according to the researchers.
“Although not life-threatening, canker sores can be very painful,”
Lalla said, resulting in other problems such as difficulty eating,
speaking or brushing teeth.
For typical canker sores, acetaminophen (Tylenol) can help reduce pain.
Avoiding hot drinks, sucking on popsicles and gargling with salt water
also can help, according to the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
Participants in the new study, conducted between 2005 and 2009, had
suffered at least three episodes of RAS in the previous year. Researchers
randomly assigned 83 adults to a study group and 77 adults to a control
group. The two groups had slightly more women than men.
For a year, the study group took a daily multivitamin consisting of 100
percent of the recommended daily intake of essential vitamins; the control
group took a placebo. The participants kept a diary noting each time they
took a pill, their episodes of RAS and their pain level, and whether their
dietary intake was affected by the sores.
Members of both groups had about four episodes of RAS during the study,
each lasting about eight days. No difference in pain levels or the ability
to eat certain foods existed between the two groups, nor was any
difference found in compliance with the medication regimen, the study
noted.
Of 14 participants who had low vitamin B12 levels, five were placed in
the study group and nine in the control group. There was no difference in
the number of new RAS episodes between the groups. Only two participants
had low folic-acid levels, and no analysis was performed due to the small
representation.
Dr. Leslie Seldin, a spokesman for the American Dental Association,
said steroids can be prescribed when the sores are severe. But
over-the-counter medications and “a little tender, loving care” usually
are the recommended treatment, he said.
“Often patients come in and are quite concerned because they don’t
understand,” said Seldin. “We try to give them assurance, after making
sure it’s nothing more serious.”
Most patients have mild cases that heal in seven to 10 days with no
treatment, Seldin said. People suffering from canker sores “shouldn’t
worry, because you are not alone,” he said, noting the prevalence of the
condition.
More information
To learn more about canker sores, visit the U.S. National Institutes of Health.
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