Cabbage, cauliflower can be radioactive

A new study finds that cruciferous vegetables like cabbage and cauliflower may be the key to protecting people from the effects of radiation during cancer treatment or nuclear disaster.

Researchers from Lombardi Cancer Center at Georgetown University (USA) claim that a compound extracted from cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage and cauliflower has helped protect experimental mice from Deadly radiation dose. According to them, this compound called DIM (or 3'-diindolylmethane) has been proven safe for humans.

Dr. Eliot Rosen, the study author, said previous studies have found that DIM has cancer prevention properties. However, his work and his colleagues have shown for the first time that the chemical could also act as a " radioactive blanket" .

DIM compounds extracted from cabbage and cauliflower have been studied as a cancer prevention agent for many years.(Artwork:healthcareusp.com)

In experiments, Mr. Rosen's team radiated gamma-ray radiation at a lethal dose to the mice. These experimental organisms were then injected with DIM daily for 2 weeks, starting 10 minutes after exposure to radiation.

According to Dr. Rosen, the results are impressive. All untreated radioactive mice died, but half of the individuals and species treated with DIM lived 30 days after exposure to radiation.

The team found that the DIM still provides protection if the injection of this chemical treatment is first performed before or after exposure to 24 hours of radiation. In addition, radiation-infected mice treated with DIM are also less likely to have reduced numbers of red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets as side effects are common in cancer-treated patients.

In a research report published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , Dr. Rosen mentioned two potential applications to DIM: Compounds that can protect normal cells in radiation patients cancer treatment, while providing protection for individuals against the deadly consequences of a nuclear disaster.