Posted on 08/09/2011 8:27:28 AM PDT by decimon
A diet of flaxseed shows protective effects against radiation in animal models
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PHILADELPHIA - Flax has been part of human history for well over 30,000 years, used for weaving cloth, feeding people and animals, and even making paint. Now, researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have discovered that it might have a new use for the 21st century: protecting healthy tissues and organs from the harmful effects of radiation. In a study just published in BMC Cancer, researchers found that a diet of flaxseed given to mice not only protects lung tissues before exposure to radiation, but can also significantly reduce damage after exposure occurs.
"There are only a handful of potential mitigators of radiation effect, and none of them is nearly ready for the clinic," says the principal investigator Melpo Christofidou-Solomidou, PhD, research associate professor of Medicine, Pulmonary, Allergy and Critical Care Division. "Our current study demonstrates that dietary flaxseed, already known for its strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, works as both a mitigator and protector against radiation pneumonopathy."
In several separate experiments, the researchers fed one group of mice a diet supplemented with 10 percent flaxseed, either three weeks before a dose of X-ray radiation to the thorax or two, four, or six weeks after radiation exposure. A control group subjected to the same radiation dose was given the same diet but receiving an isocaloric control diet without the flaxseed supplement. After four months, only 40 percent of the irradiated control group survived, compared to 70 to 88 percent of the irradiated flaxseed-fed animals. Various studies of blood, fluids, and tissues were conducted.
Dr. Christofidou-Solomidou and her colleagues found that the flaxseed diet conferred substantial benefits regardless of whether it was initiated before or after irradiation. Mice on flaxseed displayed improved survival rates and mitigation of radiation pneumonitis, with increased blood oxygenation levels, higher body weight, lower pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, and greatly reduced pulmonary inflammation and fibrosis.
The latter finding is especially exciting, because while radiation-induced inflammatory damage can be potentially treated with steroidal therapy (in radiotherapy patients for example), lung fibrosis is essentially untreatable. "There's nothing you can give to patients to prevent fibrosis," Dr. Christofidou-Solomidou points out. "Once a lung becomes "stiff" from collagen deposition, it's irreversible. We have discovered that flaxseed not only prevents fibrosis, but it also protects after the onset of radiation damage."
Dr. Christofidou-Solomidou and her colleagues are focusing further research on the bioactive lignan component of flaxseed, known as SDG (secoisolariciresinol diglucoside), which is believed to confer its potent antioxidant properties. The lignan component also "regulates the transcription of antioxidant enzymes that protect and detoxify carcinogens, free radicals and other damaging agents", she says.
Flaxseed boasts many other qualities that make it particularly attractive as a radioprotector and mitigator. "Flaxseed is safe, it's very cheap, it's readily available, there's nothing you have to synthesize," Dr. Christofidou-Solomidou notes. "It can be given orally so it has a very convenient administration route. It can be packaged and manufactured in large quantities. Best of all, you can store it for very long periods of time." That makes it especially interesting to government officials looking to stockpile radioprotective substances in case of accidental or terrorist-caused radiological disasters.
Co-author Keith Cengel, MD, PhD, assistant professor of Radiation Oncology at Penn, explains that in such cases, "a big issue is the 'worried well' -- all the folks who probably weren't exposed but are concerned and want to do something." Many potential radioprotectors, however, could have risky side effects. Dr. Christofidou-Solomidou adds, "When you give something to 4 or 5 million 'worried well,' you have people with preexisting medical conditions. You can't give just anything to people with heart disease, for example. But this is absolutely safe. In fact, it is known to increase cardiovascular health, a finding shown by another group of Penn investigators a few years ago. It's loaded with omega-3 fatty acids."
Along with other researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine, the authors are conducting further pilot studies on the potential of flaxseed for mitigation of lung damage in patients awaiting lung transplants and those undergoing radiation therapy for the treatment of intra-thoracic malignancies. Dr. Christofidou-Solomidou is even conducting a pilot study for NASA on the benefits of flaxseed for astronauts on extended deep space missions. Lengthy space exploration missions require that the astronauts perform extravehicular activities (EVAs) for repairs, during which they can face exposure to high levels of solar and galactic radiation with the added risk factor of breathing 100 percent oxygen. "Hyperoxia superimposed with radiation could potentially cause some lung damage and some reason to worry for the astronauts," she says. "We are one of a handful of teams in the US that can study radiation in addition to hyperoxia. So now we're adding another level of complexity to the one-hit, radiation damage studies; the double-hit model is something novel, nobody has done it before."
The researchers are already convinced enough to incorporate flaxseed into their own routine. "I actually eat it every morning," says Dr. Cengel, noting, "The potential health benefits are significant and there is no known toxicity—it just makes good sense to me."
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The study is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) under a grant initiative focused on the development of novel medical countermeasures to prevent or mitigate pulmonary injury or restore function after exposure to ionizing radiation.
Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $4 billion enterprise.
Penn's Perelman School of Medicine is currently ranked #2 in U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools and among the top 10 schools for primary care. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $507.6 million awarded in the 2010 fiscal year.
The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania -- recognized as one of the nation's top 10 hospitals by U.S. News & World Report; Penn Presbyterian Medical Center; and Pennsylvania Hospital – the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Penn Medicine also includes additional patient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region.
Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2010, Penn Medicine provided $788 million to benefit our community.
My son is getting ready to start his third year. He has a long way to go though since he wants to get a PhD. He doesn’t want to be the test tube washer, he wants to be the one that dirties the test tubes! lol
My health food store never mentioned that flax protected against radiation. Are you that has been common knowledge. I’ve been to many website regarding flax and don’t recall reading about that on any of the sites.
LOL, I’ll bet. I remember working in a lab at the university in the 90’s. I also remember the PhD in charge of the lab. We got bossed around a lot, because he didn’t have time for the small things. But I suppose that’s the nature of academia!
Digging up the old Flu ping list for something which may be of interest. (Thanks, decimon!)
I would think a week or so would be fine. Some people like myself, don’t go through it fast enough. I had flour that went bad so I just keep a lot of things in the fridge now.
That’s it exactly. He was also weighing the difference between working academically vs working for a company and the money is with the company.
Thanks for the ping.
I’ll add my ebola/bring out your dead ping list to the mix...
What if we just sprayed our bodies with whatever the secret substance is in flaxseed and didn’t have to eat the stuff?
It doesn’t taste bad and can be added to almost everything.
There are some interesting twists and turns to protecting cells from radiation damage.
Typically, when ionizing radiation enters a cell, it creates a bit of free radical, think hydrogen peroxide, which can damage or ruin a cell’s DNA.
A previous discovery was that the common food preservatives BHA and BHT, which normally cannot penetrate a cell membrane, can be put inside a carbon molecule which can safely penetrate the cell membrane, and once inside, can neutralize the free radicals created by radiation. But this only works if used before being irradiated.
ping
Agenda 21 ping list:
Info from study showing flaxseed assists in the protection of healthy human tissues from radiation effects.
Right.
Olive oil also goes rancid quickly - and rancid fats are very far from healthy.
Which is why I use grape-seed oil and coconut oil for cooking/salads, etc- no GMO - likely to be on canola plants (rape seed) and no rancidity - lighter and higher burn points - and super healthy.
AND why I take chia seed rather than flax.
http://chiaseedshealthbenefits.com/
“Nature’s complete superfood
Highest plant-based source of omega 3
Rich in dietary fiber and protein
Doesn’t carry the health concerns of flax seeds
Naturally gluten-free “
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Give the researchers 20 years - they'll catch up ;o)
super easy to grow - almost a perennial 'week'
So is you have a few acres to grow it on - and can actually collect the seed -
And then you could take the plants and spends days and days of back breaking labor beating them in linen thread - a two-fer
perennial ‘week’
WEED! - oops
Since I’ve given up sugar, honey is my new love.
Mix oats, flax seed, carob chips, dried cranberries and enough honey to make it all gooey cohesive. Spread about 1/2 inch thick onto a floured glass pan and bake at 350 for 30 min.
cut in to squares while hot. Mighty tasty treats when it cools.
They won't let you copy the title, but it's FReebie. Go figure.
BOOKbump
Well, it may not be precisely toxicity, but my wife has allergic reactions to anything with even minor flaxseed content. She has to read labels on bread VERY carefully.
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