Desmutagenicity

Desmutagenicity is a special case of antimutagenicity in which one chemical blocks the mutation-causing power of another. The effect has been demonstrated for several foods and isolated food components, including cheese, fermented milk, tea polyphenols and extracts of seaweeds, and it contributes to their associated health benefits. Laboratory assays measure whether food extracts lower mutation rates in bacterial or cell tests exposed to known mutagens. While promising for cancer-prevention research, test-tube results do not translate directly to human benefit, so scientists treat it as one clue among many.