Take a vitamin pill to mitigate the effects of radiation: NASA
March 22nd, 2011 - 4:45 pm ICT by ANIWashington, Mar 22 (ANI): With astronauts facing risks from radiation on long-duration space missions, NASA has recommended a simple solution - take a vitamin pill.
Astronauts are exposed to more radiation than nuclear power plant workers. As a result, NASA has recommended taking vitamin supplements to mitigate any potential side effects.
Along with the anti-radiation drug potassium iodide, scientists recommend a vitamin pill to plug any nutritional deficiencies in the Recommended Dietary Allowance, a standard established by the U.S. National Academy Sciences in 1941.
“There are ways to greatly modify the radiation response,” Discovery News quoted Ann Kennedy, head of the NASA-backed National Space Biomedical Research Institute’s Radiation Effects Team, as saying.
“(Vitamin) deficiencies appear to be extremely important in determining radiation effects and basically determining the incidences of many, many, many chronic diseases, which would include cancer and cataracts,” said Kennedy, a radiation oncology professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.
“It used to be viewed by the AMA (American Medical Association) that a good diet containing all the usual levels of RDAs of things was enough and you really didn’t need a vitamin pill,” she added.
“Well, they’ve basically reversed themselves over the past several years and are making the statement that every American should be taking a daily vitamin pill for the prevention of chronic diseases — and that includes cancer.”
“I’ve certainly recommended that for people on the space station, as well as anyone else at NASA that’s flying and has a very high occupational radiation exposure and I would certainly recommend that for all those in Japan exposed to higher than normal doses of radiation,” she said.
“I think it’s just as important for them to be getting a vitamin tablet every day as it is to be taking potassium iodide.” (ANI)
- Will Japan's radiation leak reach India? - Mar 21, 2011
- Vitamin pill a day keeps cancer at bay! - Mar 03, 2012
- Countries roll out preventive measures (To go with 'Will Japan's radiation leak reach India?') - Mar 21, 2011
- Astronauts could face heart problems with deep-space travel - Apr 08, 2011
- Students from Himachal school to visit NASA centres - Nov 13, 2011
- NASA final shuttle launch scheduled for July 8 - May 21, 2011
- Mars rover begins space research - Dec 14, 2011
- Obese adolescents benefit from high-dose vitamin D - Nov 02, 2011
- Paracetamol, antibiotics don't work in outer space - Apr 18, 2011
- Now, astronauts to get vitamin A-rich carrots in space - Oct 24, 2009
- Radiation would nix sex in space: NASA - Feb 15, 2011
- Over 6,000 apply for NASA Astronaut Corps - Feb 05, 2012
- Japan n-crisis: Rush for pills to prevent cancer - Mar 17, 2011
- No spaceship, yet NASA wants more astronauts - Nov 17, 2011
- Drug potency may decrease in space - Apr 17, 2011
Tags: american medical association, ann kennedy, biomedical research institute, chronic diseases, discovery news, effects of radiation, national space biomedical research, national space biomedical research institute, nuclear power plant, nutritional deficiencies, occupational radiation exposure, potassium iodide, radiation effects, radiation oncology, radiation response, recommended dietary allowance, space missions, university of pennsylvania school of medicine, vitamin deficiencies, vitamin pill