If you fly a lot, I have some bad news for you. Every time you go up to those really high altitudes, it exposes you to ionizing radiation. That's the type of radiation that leads to DNA damage and aging.
You might guess that a frequent flyer’s radiation dose is coming from the airport security checkpoints, with their whole-body scanners and baggage x-ray machines, but you’d be wrong. The radiation doses to passengers from these security procedures are trivial.
The major source of radiation exposure from air travel comes from the flight itself.
Earth’s atmosphere protects us from solar, stellar, and magnetic radiation from the cosmos and is less dense the further we get from the surface. The logic goes that the higher up we are, the more radiation we are exposed to, damaging our cells and ultimately aging our bodies.
Frequent travelers are exposed to more radiation than is considered healthy. Radiation exposure is hundreds of times higher at high altitude than at ground.
According to Scott Cohen, deputy director of research of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey:
“there have been calls to classify frequent business travelers as ‘radiation workers,’” he says, and notes that just seven round-trip flights a year from New York to Tokyo (about 85,000 miles) exceeds the limit for public exposure to radiation. As Cohen notes in his paper, “radiation exposure amongst commercial aircrew even exceeds that of nuclear power workers".
A Pilot's risk of Cancer
Airline pilots are at risk of deadly skin cancer because they are exposed to cockpit radiation similar to levels from tanning beds.
Pilots flying for an hour at 30,000ft get the same amount of radiation as 20 minutes on a tanning bed. And researchers believe the levels could be higher when pilots are flying over thick clouds and snow fields, which can reflect UV radiation
A team from the University of California measured the amount of UV radiation in airplane cockpits during flights.
The cockpit radiation was measured in the pilot seat of a general aviation turboprop airplane through the acrylic plastic windshield at ground level and at various heights above sea level.
Sun exposures were measured in San Jose, California, and in Las Vegas around midday in April.
They then compared them with measurements taken in tanning beds.
While short-wave UV-B ultraviolet radiation cannot easily penetrate glass and plastic windows, long-wave UV-A is much more likely to get through.
Both kinds of UV can cause skin aging and cancer.
However, there is some good news.
A study says there's an easy way to protect yourself.
In this study, researchers followed 82 male pilots. They studied the pilots for chromosomal translocations. That's a biomarker for cumulative DNA damage. The researchers found that the pilots consuming the highest levels of fruit and veggies didn't suffer as much damage.
They looked specifically at high vitamin C and E, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, and lutein-zeaxanthin from food sources, such as citrus fruit and green leafy veggies. The pilots eating a high (but not the highest) quantity of these food had about 40% less damage to their DNA. Those consuming the highest level of these foods had way less damage — 73% less.
Other negative effects
Academics have warned there is “a darker side of hypermobility”, which means frequent flyers are at risk from serious physiological, psychological, emotional and social damage.
The most obvious consequence is jetlag, which affects sleep times and gastro-intestinal patterns. The condition is caused as the brain struggles to adjust to a new time zone, and affects mood, judgement and the ability to concentrate.
Many report feeling the effects even six days after flying, although the researchers say it can take up to 11 days for the body to return to its usual rhythm following a transmeridian flight.
Frequent flying can lead to chronic jet lag, which can cause memory impairment and has been linked in studies to disrupting gene expression that influences aging and the immune system, and increased risk of heart attack or stroke.
As with occasional flyers, frequent travellers are at risk of developing deep-vein thrombosis and subtle discomforts such as dry eyes and dehydrated skin.
Pilots, flight attendants, and others who work for extend periods in the air may be adversely affected by increased oxidation.
Flying at high altitudes results in less cabin oxygen and pressure which does increase oxidative stress in the human body, the Journal of Nature found.
The effects were measured on athletes training at moderate altitudes of 3,000 feet for 2 weeks. Although there was a measurable increase in free radicals, the test subjects who were given antioxidants were less effected.
Also read:
- Regular exposure to phone radiation 'speeds up aging'
- California makes official warning about the radiation dangers of cell phone use
- How tomatoes beat wrinkles: Fruit is high in antioxidant that can project against harmful UV radiation
- Lack of sleep WILL make you sick
- A single poor night’s sleep can age you
- Is artificial lighting making us sick?
- The little-known dangers of EMFs and how to protect yourself
No comments:
Post a Comment