Radiation produces free-radicals ("inflammatory molecules") that damage cells that make up tissues such as organs, glands, muscles, and bones. Besides causing the cells to age more quickly they also become distorted, or mutated, creating cancers such as leukemia, anemia, birth defects, and other diseases.
Sulfur has a long history of use as an antidote for acute exposure to radioactive material. DMSO is the classical sulfur compound. A Japanese study showed that even low concentrations of DMSO had radio-protective effects through the facilitation of DNA double-strand break repair, providing protection against radiation damage at all cellular levels in the whole body. |