Protective Effects of Miso Soup Against Radiation Exposure

摘要

A variety of somatic effects can occur in response to ionizing radiation exposure. The effects can present early or late. However, all effects are determined by the radiation source s linear energy transfer (LET). The LET varies per radiation source (eg, neutron, gamma, alpha, beta, and x-ray), describes the distribution of energy into the cells, and influences the biological damage each source can cause. Depending on the level of radiation (eg, low or high LET), tissues can be damaged on a molecular level, which in turn affects cell and organ function. These changes, also known as mutations, can lead to death. History has taken note of the most severe cases of biological radiation damage by studying survivors from nuclear events in which large populations were exposed to immense quantities of ionizing radiation, including the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan, in 1945 and the nuclear power plant meltdown in Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986. Research shows that certain foods and food products can combat the presence of radioisotopes in the human body. A number of those foods can be found in Japanese miso soup. The ingredients not only protect the body from radiation-induced illnesses but also have the capability of removing lingering radioactive isotopes from biological tissues.