Radiation: What You Can Do About It – Part Three
The Gift That Keeps on Giving
Most of the damage following the Chernobyl crisis occurred in the decades that followed with increased cancer rates in the surrounding areas and countries, and the same holds true for Fukushima.
Radiation is not going away (except for radioactive iodine which has a short half-life), it is just going to keep circulating, settling into the environment and moving up the food chain, till it gets to the top (us).
Following, I will go over the vitamins, minerals, and techniques that are of value in our long term approach to protecting ourselves and our loved ones. For those worried about serious exposure I do recommend picking up a copy of Health Secrets Volume 2, as this material has been added to and expanded on extensively.
Radioprotective Minerals
Boron
The mineral boron is used to wash down leaking nuclear power plants in order to trap radiation in the cooling water. It is also used in nuclear power plants to reduce pipe corrosion, and because it absorbs radiation very effectively. Boron as a supplement is useful for treating arthritis and osteoporosis, as well as for hormonal regulation in both genders. It is found in high amounts in organic apples, which, along with the pectin and calcium d-glucarate they contain, make this the superior fruit for protecting against radiation. Maintenance dose of boron is 3 mg daily, but it is safe to take up to 20 mg for a week or so. In a nuclear emergency one can use diluted borax (e.g. 20 Mule Team Borax used for laundry) for bathing in and washing contaminated materials.
Calcium
Protects against absorption of strontium and uranium into the bones. Use smaller amounts for day to day maintenance levels (e.g. 500 mg daily, max), but more during a nuclear emergency (about 1,000 mg daily, in divided dose).
Iron
Inhibits the absorption of plutonium. Dose based on age and gender. Maintenance for children, post menopausal women and men is about 10 mg elemental iron daily, and for menstruating women, 18 mg daily. These amounts could be doubled or tripled for a week during an emergency.
Magnesium
Slows the influx of calcium ions reducing the conversion of iodide to iodine; important during radioactive emergencies, when taking high levels of iodine. Average 400 mg elemental daily, and around 600 mg while fighting radiation exposure.
Selenium
Required for the production of glutathione (internally-produced free radical scavenger) and works synergistically with vitamin E as an antioxidant (see below): 100 to 200mcg daily, up to 400 mcg for high radiation situations.
Strontium
The mineral strontium has an affinity for bones and is taken up by the bones in a manner similar to how calcium is absorbed. It is therefore used to treat osteoporosis, but also will protect the body from taking up radioactive strontium. Usually available in doses of 350 mg; one per day for maintenance, one twice daily during emergencies. Take away from calcium.
Sulfur
Nutritional sulfur prevents radioactive sulfur-35 from up-taking into the body. While not commonly available in supplement form we can use MSM (methylsulfonylmethane; 3 to 6 grams daily) which is a natural sulfur compound available in powder or pill form (it does taste quite bitter if you use the powder form). MSM is a good anti-inflammatory with additional benefits for tendons, ligaments, hair, skin and preventing allergies.
Another supplemental form of sulfur is N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC 600 to 1,800 mg daily), also good for removing mucus from the lungs. NAC is one of the best boosters of glutathione, the internally produced antioxidant that is perhaps the most effective one for protecting against radiation. Do not take more than 1,800 mg daily due to its ability to also be a pro-radical in excess.
Radioprotective Vitamins
Radiation does most of its damage via free-radical production in the body, which contributes to premature aging, cancer (especially leukemia), heart disease, birth defects, etc. Radiation therapy (and I use the term “therapy” very loosely) has been shown to deplete the body of beta carotene and vitamins C and E. Research on patients undergoing radiation therapy has proven that providing them with vitamin C and E reduces the cellular damage caused by radiation. Furthermore, vitamin C, even in a dosage as low as 500 mg, will elevate glutathione levels.
Also critical for the production of glutathione in the body is selenium which works hand in hand with the other antioxidants, especially vitamin E, in a synergistic manner. The most important antioxidants are known as the ACES (with “A” referring to beta carotene).
Vitamin A: 10,000IU daily (minimum) or Natural Beta Carotene (25,000 IU daily if used alone). Remember that synthetic beta carotene should be avoided as it is at best useless and at worse can contribute to cancer development.
Vitamin B-12: Inhibits the uptake of radioactive cobalt. Between 100 mcg and 500 mcg of methylcobalamin form daily, for those in general good health. Up to 5,000 mcg daily for a week during a radiation event. Ideally taken in sublingual form.
Vitamin C: 1,000 mg three times daily (minimum) for maintenance and up to three times that much during a crisis. Liposomal vitamin C is the most valuable as it is able to enter into the cells, unlike other forms of vitamin C which can only work outside the cells.
Vitamin E: 400 IU daily (minimum) to 1,200 IU during radiation exposure. Like beta carotene, you must ensure the vitamin E is from natural sources and not synthetic.
Other Protective Options
Melatonin
A little known effect of the hormone melatonin is that, aside from regulating sleeping patterns, it also serves some major antioxidant functions. In this case it protects the body from the effects of radiation damage on DNA. From 1 to 3 mg daily based on age (seniors require 3mg), is a maintenance dose. Can be tripled during emergencies.
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll-rich foods are good general detoxifiers and aid in alkalizing the body. Especially helpful for removing radiation from the body are the cereal grasses (most commonly used are barley and/or wheat grass). The juice concentrate of such grasses are more palatable than the ground grasses, as the gritty, insoluble fiber component has been removed from the juices. Unlike chlorophyll alone, which is still of value, the grasses are very high in minerals and so are much more alkalizing, and contain enzymes which work to clean the blood and improve nutrient absorption.
It should be noted that wheatgrass grown indoors, in trays, has far less minerals than outdoor grown, as the shoots of wheatgrass grown outdoors can reach deep into the soil and bring up minerals into the body of the plant. Indoor grown grasses are also prone to picking up mold, which is counterproductive to health.
The other category of chlorophyll-rich superfoods particularly good for treating radiation contamination is algae, especially spirulina and chlorella. Both of these algae were used by the Institute of Radiation Medicine in Russia, after Chernobyl, in order to enhance immunity and balance blood chemistry in victims of that crisis. Earthrise, an American spirulina company, provided spirulina to children contaminated during the Chernobyl crisis, to positive effect.
It is important to realize that when we use more than one variety of algae or grass juice, it is best not to stack them on top of each other at a therapeutic dose level. Thus, if you were using both barley grass (3 to 5 gm average daily dose) and wheatgrass (3 to 5 gm average daily dose), you would take only half a recommended dose of each and not a full serving. The same with stacking spirulina and chlorella.
On the other hand, it would be alright to combine a full dose of an algae with a full dose of a cereal grass, since they have different properties. The higher levels of combinations can be worked up to gradually, but too much too fast can cause side effects due to rapid detoxification.
Clay and Baking Soda
Bentonite, and other food grade clays (especially French green clay), can attract and pull radiation from the body, when used both internally and externally. This works well because clay has a negative charge and radioactive material has a positive ionic charge.
One usually takes a teaspoon of clay, mixes it into water, lets it settle out and drinks the cloudy water while leaving the sediment behind. One can work up to a teaspoon three times per day for more intense detoxification purposes. Ingesting clay should be done on an empty stomach (half hour before or an hour after eating). Clays have also proved helpful for removing heavy metals, purifying the intestinal tract and alkalizing the body.
Externally, clay can be added to a bath (1 cup) for decontamination purposes. Another decontamination bath consists of sea salt (1 lb or 1 cup) and baking soda (1 lb or 1 cup) in a warm bath, soak for at least 20 minutes and rinse off with cool water. When used alone for bathing the amount of baking soda used varies from 1 to 3 pounds per bath, depending on severity of exposure. When using a radiation detoxification bath it is important to step out of the bath before draining the water, otherwise the radiation contained in the water can rise back into the body.
It is recommended that we avoid eating broad leafy greens following a nearby nuclear accident, due to the potential for contamination by radioactive rain. However, if the above bath can remove radiation from the skin of humans it may make sense to wash fresh wide leafed vegetables in a solution of sea salt and baking soda (and/or clay). Other fruits and vegetables exposed to consistent radioactive rain should be peeled.
Baking soda can also be used internally and is recommended by the army for those exposed to radiation. Baking soda taken orally can reduce the damage that uranium causes to the kidneys. About ¼ to ½ a teaspoon of baking soda in water three times daily.
Water
Currently, the best form of filtration for water is believed to be reverse osmosis. It will remove the majority of radioactive particles as well removing heavy metals and pesticides. Such units are available for home use at reasonable prices. Since the radiation is carried in the steam coming off of the damaged nuclear reactors we can assume that distillation may not be effective for these purposes.
During a nuclear emergency, experts suggest that we try to avoid much exposure to rainfall. Heavy rain has measurably increased levels of radiation in it, and allowing that to get into your eyes, mouth or to dry on the skin can let it absorb into the body.
Conclusion
I suggest you file this material away (maybe even in hard copy form) in case the worst happens and you are faced with a nuclear emergency. Aside from the horrible proposition of some form of nuclear weapon exchange between warring countries, many of us live not far enough away from nuclear reactors, some of which lay on earthquake fault lines.
Below are some NutriStart products that can be of particular benefit in helping to protect us from radiation damage.
IMMUNESTART: Astragalus and medicinal mushrooms including reishi and cordyceps for immune support and protection from radiation.
NUTRIPODS: Contains a wide range of radio-protective antioxidants and minerals.
ADRENALSTART: Protects the adrenals from stress; physical, mental and emotional.
LIPOSOMAL GLUTATHIONE: Detoxifies radiation.
LIPOSOMAL VITAMIN C: Detoxifies and prevents radiation damage.
QUICK B-12: Sublingual form of methyl-B12.
(Author: All newsletters and blogs are written by Ken Peters who has worked as a nutritional consultant for the last 30 years, and as product designer for NutriStart for the last 25 years. He has also authored two books – Health Secrets Vol. 1&2. He may be reached at: kenpetersconsulting@gmail.com)