Flaxseed may help protect against radiation effects

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Flaxseed may help protect against radiation effects

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Flaxseed not only protects lung tissues before exposure to radiation, but also after exposure.

17 August,2011 02:24 pm

Flaxseed, a cheap and safe food item known to be rich in fiber and antioxidants, can also help protect against the damaging effects of radiation, a new study has found.Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine found that a diet of flaxseed given to mice not only protects lung tissues before exposure to radiation, but also can significantly reduce damage after exposure occurs.In their study, published in BMC Cancer, the researchers fed mice flaxseed either before or up to six weeks after receiving a large radiation dose equivalent to getting about 10,000 X-rays, or what a cancer patient might receive over an entire course of radiation treatment.Four months after receiving radiation, up to 88 per cent of mice that ate flaxseed were still alive, compared with just 40 per cent of mice who did not eat flaxseed.Apart from having a better chance of surviving, the mice that ate flaxseed also lost less weight and had a lower risk of inflammation and fibrosis than those who didnt eat flaxseed, Live Science reported.The researchers were particularly interested in finding a cheap, safe supplement to give to people who have been exposed to radiation in the event of a terrorist attack.