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               Compound in Vegetables Protects Against Radiation

   Researchers at the [1]Georgetown University Medical Center say that
   their findings show that a compound that was derived from
   [2]cruciferous vegetables such as cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli
   protected rats and mice from lethal doses of radiation.
   The researchers, in a study published today in the [3]Proceedings of
   the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), say that their findings
   suggests that [4]DIM or Diindolylmethane may protect normal tissues
   during [5]radiation therapy for cancer treatment and prevent or ease
   [6]sickness caused by radiation exposure.
   The compound is which is touted by some experts as a "super
   [7]antioxidant" to help reduce inflammation in the body.  Some also
   claim that [8]DIM helps prevent several forms of cancer although
   research findings on this have been mixed.
   "DIM has been studied as a cancer prevention agent for years, but this
   is the first indication that DIM can also act as a radiation
   protector," said the study's corresponding author, Eliot Rosen, MD,
   PhD, of the [9]Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center.
   To reach their findings the researchers conducted experiments on rats
   and mice that were irradiated with lethal doses of [10]gamma ray
   radiation.
   ''Some of the rats were injected with a dose of DIM 10 minutes after
   first being exposed to the radiation and were given an additional dose
   each day for two weeks.
   The remaining rodents used in the experiment were not given the DIM and
   were left untreated.
   Rosen said that the results of their experiments were "stunning".  "All
   of the untreated rats died, but well over half of the DIM-treated
   animals remained alive 30 days after the radiation exposure," he said.
   The researchers found that there was no real difference in the amount
   of protection offered by the DIM whether the first injection was given
   a day before or after their rodent test subjects were exposed to the
   gamma radiation.
   The Georgetown team also found that there wasn't as much of a reduction
   in [11]red and [12]white blood cells and [13]platelets - common
   [14]side effects in those who are undergoing radiation treatment for
   cancer - in the irradiated mice that were treated with DIM.
   The researchers say that their work revealed two potential uses of the
   compound. "DIM could protect normal tissues in patients receiving
   radiation therapy for cancer, but could also protect individuals from
   the lethal consequences of a nuclear disaster," said Rosen.
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References

   1. http://gumc.georgetown.edu/
   2. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/cruciferous-vegetables-list.html
   3. http://www.pnas.org/
   4. http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-1049-DIINDOLYLMETHANE.aspx?activeIngredientId=1049&activeIngredientName=DIINDOLYLMETHANE
   5. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/radiation
   6. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000026.htm
   7. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/antioxidants.html
   8. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/diet/cruciferous-vegetables
   9. http://lombardi.georgetown.edu/
  10. http://www.ndt-ed.org/EducationResources/CommunityCollege/Radiography/Physics/gamma.htm
  11. http://www.fi.edu/learn/heart/blood/red.html
  12. http://www.fi.edu/learn/heart/blood/white.html
  13. http://www.fi.edu/learn/heart/blood/platelet.html
  14. http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/physicalsideeffects/radiationtherapyeffects/index
  15. http://www.voanews.com/content/compound-in-vegetables-protects-against-radiation/1769429.html