Worried about
radiation exposure? Accidents at nuclear powder plants like the one
in Fukushima might have you avoiding seafood from the West coast.
But before you put on your radiation suit, it’s important to
understand what radiation is and how it affects you.
Nuclear Radiation 101
Before you put on your radiation suit, it's important to understand
what radiation is and how it affects you. The most common
radioactive elements that end up in the environment from a leak or
explosion are iodine and caesium. Your body will naturally absorb
the radioactive isotopes of these elements, which can result in
serious illness depending on concentration levels and length of
exposure.
Small amounts of caesium-134, caesium-137, and iodine-131 were
released into the environment during nearly all nuclear weapon tests
and some nuclear accidents, and are not otherwise produced in
nature.
Whereas iodine-131 has a half-life of 8 days, caesium-134 has a
half-life of 2 years and caesium-137 is a whopping 30 years –
meaning it takes that long for half of the radioactive atoms in each
substance to disintegrate. The amount of time it takes all of it to
degrade is far longer than that.
As such, caesium-137 is the radioactive isotope that is the biggest
health concern in the current aftermath of Fukushima and other
nuclear disasters because its threat is likely to last far beyond
our lifetime.
For those immediately exposed to high levels of radiation, the World
Health Organization recommends taking potassium iodide to prevent
the thyroid’s uptake of radioactive iodine. The best antidote for
caesium is a substance called Prussian Blue. Although the CDC
discusses it here, there is surprisingly very little information
about Prussian Blue in regards to treating those exposed to
Fukushima radiation. (source)
Unfortunately, these treatments are not meant for preventative use
and can have severe side effects when misused or taken by the wrong
individuals.
As Chemist Boyd Haley wisely points out: “It is the inability to see
the effects of chronic, low level toxicities on human health that
has been, and remains, our greatest failing as intelligent beings.”
For most folks on the planet who have not been immediately exposed
to high levels of radioactive materials, the issue is protecting
ourselves from ongoing, long-term exposure to low levels of
radiation.
So what's a radiation-soaked planet to do?
The single most important thing to
protect yourself from radiation
Here's a fact: The healthier you are prior to exposure whether it's
to bacteria, a virus, chemicals , or a radioactive substance the
better the chances your body has of successfully detoxifying and the
less chance you have of experiencing long-term damage or illness.
On this blog I talk a lot about the importance of healthy diet and
lifestyle. Short of moving to another planet, your greatest defense
against the long-term risks associated with nuclear radiation is to
eat a properly-sourced, nutrient-dense diet.
If you've been turning a blind eye to healthy eating or just eating
a bunch of organic veggies and hoping for the best, please be sure
to read this post about adopting a real food lifestyle to learn more
about the benefits of pasture-raised meats and dairy, saturated fat,
real salt, fermented foods, and other traditional food secrets that
may shock even the most diligent of healthy eaters.
Protect yourself from radiation exposure – 3 things you don't want
to miss:
1 – Vitamin D
Radiological health expert Daniel Hayes, Ph.D. advises that Vitamin
D can be used as a preventative measure to protect yourself from
radiation exposure in the long-term (source). This nutrient is
essential for many functions in the body, especially immune system
health. The most effective way to get Vitamin D is from direct
exposure to the sun, though there are some dietary sources and
supplement options as well. You can read more about how to get
enough Vitamin D in this post.
2 – Antioxidants
Free radicals are unstable, highly reactive molecules that can form
as a result of normal body functions as well as from excessive
exposure to environmental factors such as pollution, radiation,
herbicides and other toxins. Antioxidants greatly reduce cell damage
by stabilizing these free radicals, and when cells are not being
damaged by free radicals the body has greater fortitude to defend
itself.
By eating a diet rich in seasonal fruits, veggies, spices, and oils
you will consume plenty of the best and freshest sources of
antioxidants to help protect yourself from the long-term risks of
radiation.
If you live in a high-pollution area or near a nuclear power plant,
you certainly should consider taking additional antioxidant
supplements as a daily measure of prevention. Look for vitamin C,
carotenoids, and polyphenoids which each have their own special way
of functioning. (source)
3 – Fermented foods
Cultured (or fermented) foods contain naturally occurring probiotics
(good germs) that provide a wide variety of health benefits. By
populating the digestive tract with healthy bacteria, the immune
system can function optimally. A good balance of beneficial flora in
the gut helps crowd out pathogenic parasites, yeast and bacteria and
assists in the production of B vitamins.
Aim to eat a small amount of cultured food, drink or condiment at
each meal to infuse your diet with the protective benefits of
cultured foods such as yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, and raw
sauerkraut.
By boosting the beneficial flora in your digestive tract, fermented
foods help protect against parasites, bacteria and even radiation.
Find out more about making your own yogurt, kombucha and sauerkraut
here.
Want extra protection from the harmful effects of radiation
exposure?
In addition to nutrient-dense, immune supporting foods, there are
several supplements that can be especially helpful in decreasing
inflammation, improving immune function, and helping the body to
detoxify.
Turmeric
Turmeric (whose active ingredient you may know as curcumin) has been
shown to possess anti-carcinogenic properties through its
anti-inflammatory effect, and has been the focus of hundreds of
studies that verify its powerful ability to protect cells from
damage. Aside from using it in cooking, the recommended dose is 2-4
grams daily. (source)
This organic turmeric supplement is paired with a bit of ginger
(great for digestion) and not a bunch of other junk.
Reishi and cordyceps
These magical medicinal mushrooms have long been used in Asian
medicine to increase immune function, protect cells from free
radical damage, and help the liver eliminate toxins. (source)
As a Chinese herbalist myself, I absolutely trust the quality of
this reishi and this cordyceps (both capsules and liquid).
Glutathione
Glutathione has been called ‘The Mother of all Antioxidants' and for
good reason. Aside from detoxification, glutathione is also crucial
for energy production and proper functioning of the immune system,
assisting other anti-oxidants in their jobs.
Normally your body produces its own glutathione that it can recycle
and reuse. Unfortunately, when the toxic load becomes too great
(from poor diet, stress, trauma, pollution, aging, infections,
radiation, etc.) your glutathione becomes depleted, leaving you
vulnerable to cell damage from free radicals, infection, and
abnormal cell growth. Without the protective function of
glutathione, your liver can become overloaded, so it's unable to do
its job of detoxification.
Consume fresh whey and lacto-fermented foods made with whey which
contains cysteine, an amino acid essential for glutathione
synthesis. Exercise also boosts your glutathione levels and thereby
helps boost your immune system, improve detoxification and enhance
your body's own antioxidant defenses.
Choosing a glutathione supplement is tricky because taken straight
glutathione is broken down in the digestive tract and as a result,
is essentially useless. Some people have supplemented pre-cursors to
glutathione like N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC), the most crucial amino
acid needed to make glutathione. However, many folks with
glutathione deficiency are unable to synthesize glutathione very
well.
There are currently a few forms of gluathione that your body can
assimilate more easily, without worry of destruction:
Lypo-speric glutathione (like this one)
Acetyl Glutathione (like this one)
IV glutathoine, administered by a qualified health practitioner only
Iodine
While potassium iodide can be used to
protect your thyroid during acute, severe exposure to radiation,
having adequate levels of iodine from safe, natural sources is a
more practical approach for long term protection against radiation.
Some feel that westerners are already deficient in iodine which
predisposes us to developing breast cancer, thyroid conditions, and
other chronic disorders. I recently read The Iodine Crisis and
experimented a bit with the protocol that Lynne Farrow outlines in
her book. To be honest, I'm not completely convinced that the masses
should supplement with iodine, but I do think that most of us could
use more iodine-rich foods in our daily diets, including seaweed,
seafood, raw milk, and pastured eggs.
Spirulina
I'm not usually a big fan of new-fangled superfoods, but spirulina
deserves a nod when it comes to protecting yourself from radiation.
After the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl, a group of children was
given a daily dose of spirulina, and then followed by the Institute
of Radiation Medicine in Minsk. After 45 days, this group was
reported as having improved immune function, and most notably
“spirulina was particularly efficient at deactivating radioactive
caesium from their bodies.” (source) Pretty impressive.
Fresh water algae supplements such as spirulina and chlorella are
said to have similar protective benefits against radiation to their
cousins from the sea. Be sure to choose these supplements from a
trusted source.
Do we need to avoid
radiation exposure in fish, seaweed, and milk?
According to this report from UC Berkeley, nearly all of the samples
of plants, water, air, soil and milk have come back with nearly
undetectable levels. (source) There are some fish on the West coast
being tested for radiation that have traces of caesium, indicating
that they had been exposed at Fukushima. However, the amounts are so
small that you would have to eat literally tons of contaminated fish
in one year to be in the danger zone. You can read more about
radiation in fish in this post.
Milk is very susceptible to radiation, especially radioactive
iodine, but the half-life is only 8 days. If you suspect that your
local milk could be contaminated, avoid it for a couple of weeks and
you should be fine.
Rather than fearing these wonderful nutritious foods, I'd focus on
eliminating processed, packaged junk instead, which can derail your
efforts in protecting your health.
Will a healthy diet be enough to protect yourself from radiation? I
suppose only time will tell, but for now this is our smartest (and
most delicious) solution to a healthy future.
