Airline pilots are consistently exposed to ionizing radiation in flight. This can lead to DNA damage and chromosomal mutation possible increasing the risk of developing cancer. Dietary antioxidants may protect against DNA damage induced by endogenous and exogenous sources (inside and outside the body), including ionizing radiation (IR), but data from IR-exposed human populations are limited.

Extracts from the leaves of the Ginkgo biloba tree may protect cells from radiation, state scientists from the Korean Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences. The Ginkgo tree is different from many herbal remedies since it is a unique species with no living relatives, and is a popular example of a living fossil with individual trees living for thousands of years and in fact it has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. The scientists collected white blood cells from healthy people aged 18 to 50 years old.

Michal Melamed, MD, of Albert Einstein College of Medicine and his colleagues report a strong association between end stage renal disease (ESRD or kidney failure) in Africa Americans and low levels of active vitamin D. Kidney failure disproportionately affects African Americans and this is largely attributable to a greater prevalence of high blood pressure and diabetes in this population; research indicates that low levels of Vitamin D are also tied to the risk of developing high blood pressure and diabetes. The researchers evaluated data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Researchers from Tohoku University investigated any relationship between mental health and Green Tea consumption in 1058 elderly Japanese individuals who were 70 or more years of age that were independent and lived at home. A scale of 30 items was used to cut off two end points; mild/severe depressive symptoms or severe depressive symptoms. Slightly over 50% of the elderly had mild/severe (about 30%) or severe depressive symptoms (20%).

People who have viral infections can loose their sense of smell. The standard treatment is with glucocorticoid drugs such as prednisone. This new study included 71 patients diagnosed with post-viral olfactory loss that had lost their sense of smell but had no current evidence of sinus inflammation.