Increased intakes of vitamins C and E and other antioxidants
from the diet may protect against DNA damage in people exposed to
ionizing radiation such as pilots, says a new study.
According to the United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effects of
Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), airline flight crew workers are exposed to
higher average doses than any other worker, including those in nuclear
power plants.
The detrimental effects of this radiation exposure include potential
increased risk of DNA damage, which is considered an important trigger
in cancer development.
At American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the researchers report that high intakes of a combination of vitamins C and E, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein-zeaxanthin from food “may protect against cumulative DNA damage in ionizing radiation-exposed persons”.
The strongest protective effects – a reduction of 73 per cent – were
observed for above average combined intakes of vitamins C and E,
beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein-zeaxanthin from food, said
the researchers.
No cancer issues anyway
Ionising radiation is considered to contribute little if at all to
the elevated risks for cancers among aircrew, whereas excess ultraviolet
radiation is a probable cause of the increased melanoma risk,” wrote the German reviewers in the journal Radiation Protection Dosimetry
Source: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
“High dietary antioxidant intakes are associated with decreased chromosome translocation frequency in airline pilots”
Authors: L.C. Yong, M.R. Petersen, A.J. Sigurdson, L.A. Sampson, E.M. Ward
Category: Productos
Source: Nutra Ingredients