as required , detailed embodiments of the present invention are disclosed herein ; however , it is to be understood that the disclosed embodiments are merely exemplary of the invention that may be embodied in various forms . the examples disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting , but merely as a basis for the claims and as a representative basis for teaching one skilled in the art to variously employ the present invention . although brief medical x - rays themselves may not cause detectable damage , serial imaging , future screening studies ( the importance of which cannot be currently predicted ), flight exposures , military operations exposures , occupational exposures , and other factors , such as diet , disease status , and environmental exposure , and the like may be clinically significant . relevant findings from basic scientific studies underscore this clinical concern . for example , a dose of 2 rem does not cause detectable mutations in normal human lymphocytes in culture . however , if the cells are irradiated with the same dose and treated with caffeine for a few hours after radiation exposure , an increased rate of cellular mutations is observed . this suggests that radiation - induced changes could be repaired in the normal course of events , but that subsequent exposure to caffeine impairs this normal cellular protective mechanism . in addition , a radiation dose that by itself would not be sufficient to induce cancer in an in vitro experimental system is able to do so in the presence of tumor promoters , such as phorbol ester , estrogen , and others . furthermore , x - rays increase the incidence of cancer in cell culture by several folds when combined with chemical carcinogens , certain dna viruses , ultraviolet radiation , or ozone exposure . clearly , the potential hazard of even small radiation doses should not be ignored , since the target population readily interacts with agents present in the diet and environment , as well as other factors present in individual lifestyles . the following risk categories are general guidelines only and refer to acute exposures . the examples listed are not totally inclusive . the actual risk for any particular person may be modified by age and health status . the actual designation for all persons should be determined by healthcare or radiation physics professionals . population groups experiencing chronic radiation exposure risk , such as radiation workers ( including commercial and military flight crews and field combat personnel ), should maintain a higher baseline antioxidant load by taking a multiple antioxidant formulation ( sevak ) two times a day . they should then take the appropriate radioprotective formulation when the acute risk of exposure is expected ( daily necessary ). categories 2 - 4 are equivalent with respect to formulation and can be regarded to be adequate for exposures less than 15 smv effective dose when used for acute exposures only . for example : chest x - ray , dental x - ray , abdominal x - ray , skeletal plain films , most commercial flight passengers . for example : diagnose / screening computed tomography , urologic imaging , mammography , flight crews ( commercial and military ) and other radiation workers . for example : limited diagnostic fluoroscopy ( upper gi series , cholangiography , brain enema ). for example : prolonged fluoroscopy / interventional radiology ( coronary angiography , cerebral angiography , transluminal angioplasty ) and some military personnel in combat operations ( ground troops and seamen ). for example : radiation workers , civilian populations at risk near nuclear reactor sites in the event of an accident , and at risk military personnel in overseas theatres of operation . category 7 : effective dose greater than 2000 msv ( not exceeding bone marrow syndrome doses ) for example : radiation workers , civilian populations at risk near nuclear sites in the event of an accident , and at risk military personnel in overseas theatres of operation . hereinafter , the term “ imaging study ” will be employed to include chest x - ray , dental x - ray , abdominal x - ray , skeletal plain films , diagnostic / screening computed tomography , urologic imaging , mammography , radionuclide imaging , limited diagnostic fluoroscopy , prolonged fluoroscopy / interventional radiology and the like . the specific example below will enable the invention to be better understood . however , they are given merely by way of guidance and do not imply any limitation . complete dosage to be taken 1 hour prior to an imaging study . vitamin c ( calcium ascorbate ) 500 mg natural source vitamin e 400 i . u . ( d - alpha tocopheryl acid succinate ) n - acetyl cysteine 250 mg natural mixed carotenoids 15 mg alpha lipoic acid 30 mg complete dosage to be taken 1 hour prior to an imaging study or prior to each flight . vitamin c ( calcium ascorbate ) 500 mg natural source vitamin e 400 i . u . ( d - alpha tocopheryl acid succinate ) n - acetyl cysteine 250 mg natural mixed carotenoids 15 mg alpha lipoic acid 30 mg complete dosage to be taken 1 hour prior to an imaging study and 24 hours and 48 hours after the imaging study . vitamin c ( calcium ascorbate ) 500 mg natural source vitamin e 400 i . u . ( d - alpha tocopheryl acid succinate ) n - acetyl cysteine 250 mg natural mixed carotenoids 15 mg alpha lipoic acid 30 mg complete dosage to be taken 24 hours and 1 hour prior to an imaging study 24 hours after the imaging study . vitamin c ( calcium ascorbate ) 500 mg natural source vitamin e 400 i . u . ( d - alpha tocopheryl acid succinate ) n - acetyl cysteine 500 mg natural mixed carotenoids 30 mg alpha lipoic acid 60 mg complete dosage to be taken 48 hours , 24 hours and 1 hour prior to an imaging study 24 hours after the imaging study . vitamin c ( calcium ascorbate ) 1000 mg d - alpha tocopheryl acid succinate 400 i . u . alpha tocopherol 200 i . u . n - acetyl cysteine 500 mg natural mixed carotenoids 40 mg alpha lipoic acid 100 mg complete dosage to be taken prior to anticipated exposure or as soon as possible after actual exposure . continue complete dosage daily for seven days after exposure . vitamin c ( calcium ascorbate ) 2000 mg d - alpha tocopheryl acid succinate 600 i . u . alpha tocopherol 200 i . u . n - acetyl cysteine 1000 mg natural mixed carotenoids 50 mg alpha lipoic acid 150 mg complete dosage to be taken prior to anticipated exposure or as soon as possible after actual exposure . continue complete dosage daily for seven days after exposure . it has been estimated that approximately 70 - 80 % of the cellular damage induced by ionizing radiation is caused by free radicals . therefore , it would be prudent to use agents that would quench these substances formed during x - ray exposure and protect the cells , organs , and total body from such injury . since world war ii , extensive studies have been undertaken - to identify radioprotective compounds that have been shown to be effective when administered before exposure to irradiation . it is important to note that such compounds do not protect cells or organisms if they are administered after the ionizing radiation exposure . for modest radiation dose levels , the protective agents can be absorbed rapidly enough that they could be effective when given immediately before the exposure ( within an hour or two ). for enough levels of radiation dosage , it might be more desirable to achieve an established steady state of antioxidant concentration in the tissues initially , an then provide a booster dose of radioprotective agent immediately prior to exposure . research has determined that sulfhydryl ( sh ) compounds such as cysteamine , cystamine , and glutathione are among the most important and active intracellular antioxidants . cysteamine protects animals against bone marrow and gastrointestinal radiation syndromes . the rationale for the importance of sh compounds is further supported by observations in mitotic cells . these are the most sensitive to radiation injury in terms of cell reproductive death and are noted to have the lowest level of sh compounds . conversely , s - phase cells , which are the most resistant to radiation injury using the same criteria , have demonstrated the highest levels of inherent sh compounds . in addition , when mitotic cells were treated with cysteamine , they became very resistant to radiation . it has also been noted that cysteamine may directly protect cells against induced mutations . unfortunately , cysteamine is extremely toxic when administered to human beings and , therefore , cannot itself be utilized in a radioprotective antioxidant regimen . thus , other sh compounds sharing the same antioxidant characteristics must be considered . glutathione is a very effective antioxidant . however , when ingested by human beings it is completely hydrolyzed in the intestine and , therefore , can not be used as a radioprotective agent . however , n - acetylcysteine ( nac ) and alpha lipoic acid actively increase the intracellular levels of glutathione without causing any toxicity . these rapidly absorbed compounds are tolerated by humans very well and would provide protection against ionizing radiation damage when given prior to the exposure . indeed , these agents have also been shown to be of radioprotective value in experimental systems . additional antioxidants such as vitamin e ( d - alpha tocopheryl succinate ), vitamin c ( as calcium ascorbate ) and the carotenoids ( particularly natural beta - carotene ) have been shown to be of marked radioprotective value in animals and in humans . a very recent report by the armed forces radiobiology research institute showed good protection by vitamin e against lethal doses of cobalt - 60 in mice . the natural beta - carotene was selected because it most effectively reduces radiation - induced transformation in mammalian cells in culture . the d - alpha tocopheryl succinate form of vitamin e was selected because it is the most effective form of this micronutrient and also actively reduces the incidence of radiation - induced transformation in mammalian cells . this form of vitamin e is a more effective antioxidant than the more commonly utilized alpha tocopherol or other mixtures of tocopherols . vitamin c as calcium ascorbate is beneficial because it is the most effective nonacidic form available for human use and , therefore , is less likely to cause stomach upset , diarrhea , and other problems that are observed in some individuals when taking therapeutic doses of vitamin c . the most effective antioxidant approach to the free radical damage related to ionizing radiation - induced injury must utilize multiple micronutrients . it has been determined that multiple antioxidants are more effective than the individual agents themselves , and we propose this approach for several reasons . it is known that vitamin c and vitamin e are synergistic as antioxidants against free radicals because they are able to protect both the aqueous and lipid environments of the cells respectively . indeed , one study has shown that oral intake of both vitamin c and vitamin e reduces the levels of fecal mutagens formed during digestion more than that produced by either of the individual antioxidants . it also must be recognized that oxygen level may vary widely within the tissues of whole organs or within the individual cells . this is especially true during the biologic insults that may occur with radiation - induced damage . it is known that beta - carotene acts more effectively as an antioxidant in high oxygen pressures , whereas vitamin e is a more effective antioxidant at reduced oxygen pressures . finally the body produces several types of free radicals ( a myriad of oxygen - derived and nitrogen - derived species ) during exposure to ionizing radiation . clearly , each antioxidant has a different affinity for each specific class of free radicals . in a parallel manner , a combination of antioxidants is more effective in reducing the growth of tumor cells than the individual agents themselves . therefore , to provide the most effective overall micronutrient approach to protect against radiation injury , a multiple component protocol utilized with a risk - based strategy seems essential and rational . most commercially available multiple supplement formulations contain iron , copper , and / or manganese . it is well known that these substances actively generate free radicals when combined with vitamin c . in addition , these minerals are more easily absorbed from the intestinal tract in the presence of antioxidants , such as vitamin c , and thereby increase the body stores of these minerals . increased iron stores have been associated with many chronic human conditions , including heart disease , cancer and neurological diseases . therefore , the addition of iron , copper or manganese to any multiple antioxidant preparation has no scientific merit for optimal health or disease prevention . only in cases where a person has iron - deficiency anemia is a short - term iron supplement essential . many commercially available preparations contain heavy metals such as boron , vanadium , zirconium and molybdenum . sufficient amounts of these metals are obtained from the diet and the daily consumption of excess amounts over long periods of time can be neurotoxic . many commercial preparations contain inositol , methionine and choline in varying amounts , e . g ., 30 mg to 60 mg . these small doses serve no useful purpose for improving health because 400 mg to 1 , 000 mg of these nutrients are obtained daily from even the most minimal diet . para - aminobenzoic acid ( paba ) is present in some multiple vitamin preparations . paba has no biologic function in mammalian cells and can block the antibacterial effect of sulfonamides . therefore , the effectiveness of a sulfonamide may be reduced in some patients being treated for bacterial infection . commercially sold multiple antioxidant preparations often contain varying amounts of n - acetyl cysteine or alpha lipoic acid . these nutrients are utilized because they are known to increase glutathione levels in cells . reduced glutathione is a powerful antioxidant and actively protects both normal and cancer cells against radiation damage . many cancer patients take antioxidant supplements without the knowledge of their oncologists . therefore , the consumption of antioxidant preparations containing n - acetyl cysteine or alpha lipoic acid by these patients undergoing radiation therapy could interfere with important anti - cancer treatment . the addition of both natural mixed carotenoids and vitamin a to any multiple vitamin preparation is essential , because beta - carotene not only acts as a precursor of vitamin a , but also performs important biological functions that cannot be performed by vitamin a . beta - carotene increases the expression of the connexin gene , which codes for a gap junction protein that is necessary for maintaining the normal cellular phenotype . while other carotenoids , such as , lycopene , xanthophylls , and lutein , are also important for health , they can be obtained from an adequate diet with tomato ( lycopene ), spinach ( lutein ), and paprika ( xanthophylls ) in amounts are higher than those that can be supplied from supplements . therefore , the addition of a few milligrams of lycopene , xanthophylls , and lutein to any multiple vitamin preparation serves no useful purpose for health or disease prevention . the proper ratio of two forms of vitamin e , d - alpha tocopherol , which is normally present in the body , and d - alpha succinate , to a multiple antioxidant preparation is essential . alpha tocopheryl succinate is the most effective form of vitamin e inside the cells , where as alpha tocopherol can readily act as an antioxidant in the intestinal tract and in the extracellular environment of the body . alpha - tocopherol at doses of 20 - 60 μg / ml can stimulate the immune system , while the beta , gamma , and delta forms at similar doses can inhibit the immune system . this effect of these forms of tocopherol may not be related to their antioxidant action and , since they are less effective than alpha tocopherol , their supplementation is not recommended . tocotrienols are also antioxidants , but they may inhibit cholesterol synthesis . since this activity is not beneficial in healthy individuals , prolonged consumption of tocotrienols as a supplement is not optimal . vitamin c is usually administered as ascorbic acid , which can cause stomach upset , diarrhea and other complications in some individuals . however , using the calcium ascorbate form is most suitable because it is non - acidic and has not been shown to produce negative side effects . the use of potassium ascorbate and magnesium ascorbate in any vitamin preparation is unnecessary . also , any multiple micronutrient preparation should include adequate amounts of b - vitamins ( 2 - 3 times of rda ) and appropriate minerals . the risk of chronic illness may depend upon the relative consumption of protective versus toxic substances . if the daily intake of protective substances is higher than toxic agents , the incidence of chronic illness may be reduced . since we know very little about the relative levels of toxic and protective substances in any diet , a daily supplement of micronutrients including antioxidants would assure a higher level of preventive protection . numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in light of the above teachings . it is therefore to be understood that within the scope of the attendant claims attached hereto , this invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically disclosed herein .
a radioactive protection micronutrient formulation system is provided and the system comprises : a formulation consisting essentially of antioxidants , the antioxidants are selected from the group consisting essentially of vitamin c , vitamin e , n - acetyl cysteine , natural mixed carotenoids , and alpha - lipoic acid , vitamin a , vitamin d - 3 , thiamine mononitrate , riboflavin , niacinamide ascorbate , d - calcium pantothenate , pyridoxine hydrochloride , cyanocobalamin , folic acid , d - biotin , selenium , chromium picolinate , zinc glycinate , calcium citrate and magnesium citrate and mixtures thereof ; and plus a booster formulation selected from a group consisting essentially of vitamin c , d - alpha tocopheryl acid succinate , alpha tocopherol , n - acetyl cysteine , natural mixed carotenoids and alpha lipoic acid , the formulation is designed to reduce the risk in humans exposed to doses of ionizing radiation of becoming subjected to at least one condition selected from the group consisting essentially of radiation - induced acute leukemia , breast cancer , thyroid cancer and other somatic and heritable mutations .