Vitamin B-12 May Prevent Canker Sores

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Vitamin B-12 May Prevent Canker Sores
December 2009
Do you suffer from recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), commonly known as canker sores? Well, scientists in Israel have shown that those suffering from canker sores may have another treatment option—vitamin B-12.

Researchers headquartered at Ben-Gurion University said: "The frequency of recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS), the most common oral mucosa lesions seen in primary care, is up to 25% in the general population. However, there has been no optimal therapeutic approach. Our objective was to confirm our previous clinical observations of the beneficial treatment of RAS with vitamin B-12."

The researchers gave 1,000 mcg of vitamin B-12 (or a placebo) to 58 canker sore patients every night for six months. About 74% of those who took vitamin B-12 went into remission, whereas only 32% of the placebo group achieved this result. Of interest, the number of mouth sores and the length of time before ulcers were gone shortened in both groups after four months. These factors "were reduced significantly at five and six months of treatment with vitamin B-12," the researchers reported.

Overall, the group concluded: "Vitamin B-12 treatment, which is simple, inexpensive and low-risk, seems to be effective for patients suffering from RAS (i.e. canker sores), regardless of the serum vitamin B-12 level."

The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine 22(1):9-16, 2009