Two superfoods show promise for protecting people from radiation damage—cruciferous vegetables and miso, a food paste made from fermented soybeans. Scientists have identified a specific chemical byproduct, 3,3’diindolylmethane (DIM), derived from the digestion of cruciferous vegetables and especially concentrated in broccoli, that is responsible for the defensive effect. The source of miso’s beneficial properties needs further investigation, but appears to stem from the fermentation process.
Research led by Gary Firestone, Ph.D., of the University of
California-Berkley, and physician Eliot Rosen, Ph.D., of Georgetown
University, in Washington, D.C., concluded that administering
supplemental DIM before or immediately following
lethal levels of radiation exposure protected rats from immediate
death. If clinical trials with humans are successful, the compound
could be used to minimize acute radiation sickness.
A comprehensive research review published in the Journal
of Toxicologic Pathology lends credence to miso’s shielding
power. Mice that ate miso a week before irradiation appeared to
be protected from radiation injury.
