See also:
– How To Decrease Radiation Illness And Protect Yourself From Radiation
– Dr. Rima Laibow Recommends What to Do About Radiation
Fallout from a nuclear bomb explosion or a nuclear power plant meltdown is full of radioactive iodine-131 (I-131). Nuclear fission splits the nuclei of uranium-235 and plutonium-239, producing I-131. The stable, natural isotope of iodine is iodine-127. Iodine is the largest and heaviest element of the 25 elements that make up the human body.
Iodine plays a number of important roles in the body. The thyroid gland uses it to make thyroxine, with 4 iodine atoms, and triiodothyronine (T3), with three. The active form, T3, regulates metabolism, thermogenesis, and protein synthesis. Other tissues and glands require iodine to function normally, including stomach mucosa, mammary glands, ovaries, salivary glands, prostate, and the thymus gland. Iodine functions as an antioxidant, strengthens the immune system, and suppresses autoimmunity. And it triggers apoptosis, destroying cells that become cancerous and cells infected with viruses. Iodine also removes toxic chemicals from the body – fluoride, bromide, lead, aluminum, and mercury. Iodine is essential for health. (For more on iodine’s health benefits see HERE.)
Radioactive I-131 emits Beta electrons and gamma rays, which destroy cells and cause cancer. People living downwind from a nuclear bomb explosion or power plant meltdown can inhale or ingest radioactive fallout, or have it come in contact with skin. The I-131 in fallout “dust” can damage the thyroid gland and cause it to become cancerous. Other tissues and glands in the body that concentrate iodine are also at risk, notably women’s breasts. The most common sequel from exposure to radioactive fallout is thyroid cancer.
Taken in a sufficient amount, natural iodine can block uptake of radioactive I-131 in fallout and prevent thyroid cancer. The U.S. government’s Department of Health and Human Services has approved potassium iodide (KI), in a dose of 130 milligrams (mg), as a thyroid blocking agent in radiation emergencies. This dose contains 100 mg of iodine, as iodide, in its salt form. But it doesn’t have to be KI. Lugol’s solution, Iodoral, SSKI (super saturated potassium iodide), and Nascent iodine work just as well.
Read moreDr. Donald W. Miller, MD: Iodine for Radioactive Fallout