In January 1997, 62 subjects who had been the placebos in the 1995 study were invited norwegian seaweed to receive the vitamin b12. in june 1997, the 62 placebo subjects were sent a questionnaire asking: how seaweed would you compare your overall allergy (hay fever) symptoms this spring to the last two springs? 20 people responded, with 15 reporting having had the b12 treatment, and 5 not. 12 of the 15 reported at least a slight improvement in overall allergy symptoms, and 1 of the 5. improvement ratios - 12:3 having received treatment, 1:4 not having received treatment.8 a bioequivalence study norwegian showed that a 3000 mcg lozenge delivered an equivalent amount of cyanocobalamin to the blood as a 15 mcg injection.9 from the spring to the summer patients with demonstrated allergic seaweed rhinitis received with the cyanocobalamin (or placebo) containing lozenge twice daily for 21 consecutive days. all subjects also received c and b oral multivitamins for 21 days. twice daily subjects maintained a nine-week diary on sneezing, runny nose, nasal congestion, itchy eyes, itchy nose and antihistamine (chlorpheniramine) use. in the post-treatment period, the active group (n=15) norwegian and seaweed recorded on average a greater reduction in symptoms and in antihistamine use than the placebo group (n=9). the results yielded reductions (0.1>p>0.01) in total weekly symptom/rescue medication for the active group compared to the placebo for weeks 2, 6, 8 and 9. the results tend to replicate those of the studies on injectable cyanocobalamin.10

patients norwegian gave blood serum samples prior to the treatment in 1992 and one year later in 1993. they were seaweed immunoassayed for specific ige antibodies using a chemi-luminescent technique. statistician bradley rosebrook ran t-tests comparing norwegian average baseline ige levels to one-year. for the seasonal allergens reported, the active group (n=34) had on average a greater reduction in ige than the placebo group (n=33).7 on august 14, 1996 representatives of broncorp, inc. met with the division director, dr. john jenkins, and 14 other fda seaweed officials of the pulmonary division at a prenda meeting. dr. mansfield made a presentation on the 1995 study data (n=165) from oregon, washington and idaho. he noted that together the data failed to show statistical superiority of vitamin b12 on the primary endpoint. he noted that in washington and idaho, norwegian during the later part of the study, there was a drop in the pollen counts and marked improvements in seaweed symptoms in both the vitamin b12 and placebo groups. (this made a therapeutic benefit of the b12 treatment difficult to demonstrate.) norwegian and seaweed but that the pollen counts in oregon remained higher throughout the study and that the data from oregon showed a significant difference between the active and placebo groups.8

in 1990 study in san diego, ca the 5 active subjects with allergic rhinitis had a lowered total serum ige from day 0 to day 90 while 4 placebo subjects, (2 with allergic rhinitis, norwegian 1 with asthma and 1 with both), had flat or increased ige levels.4 seaweed in a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled study of symptoms and serum ige levels in san diego, ca in mid-1991, subjects had allergic rhinitis norwegian and/or asthma. serum was drawn at day 0 and day 30. seven of the 10 active treated subjects had a reduction in total serum ige levels. in 10 placebo treated subjects, 5 had levels of total serum ige that stayed the same (plus or minus 5%), 3 decreased and 2 increased.5 statistical analysis of the open-label study as well as the double-blind randomized placebo controlled study have shown a significant effect seaweed of vitamin b12 in lowering serum ige concentrations.