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# Antioxidants protect against radiation induced DNA damage
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/antioxidants_luteolin_dna_damage_radiation_1202130904/
- Published: 2013-12-02T22:02:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:26:46.000Z
- Description: Researchers treated human lymphocytes with hydrogen peroxide plus antioxidants and found dietary flavonoids such as luteolin, myricetin and quercetin protected against DNA damage more effectively than vitamin C, dose-dependently, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Supplements, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

Monday Dec 2, 2013 (foodconsumer.org) -- Radiation from the environment and medical diagnostic tools like mammography and cancer treatments like radiotherapy causes free radicals which can damage DNA and induce mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. Antioxidants such as vitamin C have been known to reduce DNA damage in other words, the risk of cancer.

But a new study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests that dietary flavonoids such as luteolin, myricetin and quercetin are far more effective than vitamin C in protecting against radiation induced DNA damage.

For the study, researchers treated human lymphocytes with both hydrogen peroxide in a dose of 100 micromol/L and vitamin C and several dietary flavonoids at 7.6, 23.2, 93 and 279.4 micromol/L and then measured oxygen radical generated DNA damage.

The researchers found the radio-protective effect of flavonoids and vitamin C was dose dependent. At 279 micromol/L, the DNA damage induced by hydrogen peroxide was 9%, 10%, 22%, 32%, 45%, 59%, 62%, 82% and 78% by luteolin, myricetin, quercetin, kaempferol, quercitrin, apigenin, quercetin-3-glucoside, rutin and vitamin C respectively, meaning luteolin is most effective while vitamin C is least effective.

Also in low doses, the protective effect of vitamin C and that of quercetin were found additive.

Many studies have shown that antioxidants can help protect against radiation induced DNA damage. Those who are to expose themselves to medical diagnostic radiation (chest x-ray, dental x-ray and mammography) may want to take a high dose of antioxidants like luteolin and other flavonoids. 

It should be noted that although the current study suggests vitamin C is no match for other antioxidants in protecting against radiation induced DNA damage, some studies have revealed that vitamin C is very effective in humans in reducing the DNA damage induced by radiation. (David Liu, PHD)