Since I can’t seem to focus on anything other than the nuclear crisis in Japan, as everyday there is more somber news of fires, I decided to share with you more ways you can protect your family from radiation in addition to yesterday’s post. Finding potassium iodide in the United States may be next to impossible, and we’ve been told by local health food stores that any surplus is being shipped to Japan, as it should be. There are other options that may be more appropriate for the amount of radiation that will reach the United States.
Here’s a summary of posts I have encountered today that are worthy of sharing.
Natural News: Iodine protects thyroid and glandular system from radiation damage: Here’s where to get some
Why you need to boost your iodine levels to protect against radiation
The important thing is to get iodine into your body in a safe supplement form. This does not have to be “potassium iodide.” It can also be in the form of Nascent Iodine, which is a high-quality iodine supplement that has been available in the natural product marketplace for several years. (Do NOT drink topical antiseptic iodine products such as Betadine — these products are not suitable for human consumption. They are povidone-iodine mixtures.)
Dr. Brownsteinis one of the top experts on iodine. About radiation exposure, he explains: “If there is enough inorganic, non-radioactive iodine in our bodies, the radioactive fallout has nowhere to bind in our bodies. It will pass through us, leaving our bodies unharmed. It is important to ensure that we have adequate iodine levels BEFORE this fallout hits.” (Source link below, from the IMVA website.)
What Dr. Brownstein is explaining is that you must get iodine in your body BEFORE being exposed to radiation. And most people are extremely deficient in iodine on a daily basis (http://www.naturalnews.com/023107_i…).
Green Upgrader: Radiation is Rising: High-Iodine Recipes to Relieve Your Thyroid
Radiation levels in Japan are rising and most stores in the Bay Area have already sold out of Potassium Iodide (KI) supplements, but there’s still a way you can protect yourself from radiation and limit your body’s absorption of radioactive iodine–eat more seaweed!
Sea vegetables are very high in naturally occurring iodine (100-200mcg per gram). Adding kelp, wakame, dulse, sea lettuce, kombu, bladderwack, hijiki, nori and other sea veggies to your diet will help protect your thyroid and reduce your risk of cancer if you are exposed to radiation. Eating these plants may benefit you more than supplementing with KI because the organic form of iodine found in kelp matches the way the element is stored in thyroid hormones and sea veggies are packed with complimentary nutrients. Follow the recipes below and make yourself a tasty side dish, dressing or low-calorie dessert!…
Eat your sea greens, but try not to exceed 1000 micrograms in a day. This is too much for most bodies to process and may lead to nausea, stomach ache and burning sensations in the mouth and throat. Also, increasing your iodine intake will only protect your thyroid–meaning the rest of your body (bone marrow, for example) is still at risk.
Nature Moms Blog: Natural Ways to Reduce Radiation Exposure
With all that is going on in Japan right now many are concerned about the effects of nuclear fallout reaching them. Potassium Iodide and Iodine are sought after in regards to radiation exposure so it is no wonder that sales of these are going nuts right now. But please don’t pay $500 for a packet of potassium iodide pills that were selling for $10 last week. There are natural sources of iodine that you can look to and Potassium Iodide and Iodine can help your glandular system after radiation exposure…
Other foods to try for their protective and/or detox qualities:
Reishii (a mushroom)
Green and black teas
Garlic
Dandelion
Nettles
Burdock
Ginseng
Lentils
Collards
Mustard GreensOther methods:
Epsom salt baths
Baking soda bathsEven if you aren’t concerned about what is going on in Japan this is always good info to have, especially since our own government is in love with nuclear power. And we can expect more of these events in the future unless we (as a planet) make a move away from dangerous fuel sources. Until such time it is not a bad idea to add Potassium Iodide Tablets to your emergency supplies kit… after the prices come down of course.
Stocking up on seaweed right now is a good idea, even if you don’t feel you need it for radiation protection. Pacific seaweed and marine life is sure to absorb radiation, and most seaweed is sourced in Asia. Atlantic seaweed is harder to come by for consumption.
In addition, avoid pre-made seaweed salads that are bright green. They usually contain artificial food colorants, as well as high fructose corn syrup. I have seen natural seaweed salad at Whole Foods, which you can distinctly tell by its browner color. Even high end sushi restaurants often serve the dyed seaweed salad.
I was accused yesterday by a reader of overreacting. I do not feel that being informed and prepared is overreacting. Three Mile Island had a significant influence on my early life, not because of radiation exposure, but because of timeliness during my childhood at a stage of growing awareness. Focusing on more sea vegetables in our diet is not alarmist, and when we can eventually get KI, we will keep it in our medicine chest.
anon says
THERE IS NO DANGER TO AMERICANS FROM THE JAPANESE DISASTER. The worst possibility won’t come close to threatening anyone here.
Michele says
Thanks!
d says
you are not over-reacting.
Anti anon says
@ anon. You are foolish to believe we will not be affected. The media leads us to believe we are safe and sound in a distant land. We are not. We will be told in the following years that there’s been a terrible mistake and we should have be warned. Learn for yourself and turn off your television. Prepare yourself.
joey says
ANON ,we know you we know who you are . you work for the us govt, i believe its the us fda .ive seen your blogs all over the internet posting on several sites promoting your govt propaganda telling the people its safe to go out in this mess.i live in alaska where we recieved 6 new monitors to monitor for radaition.3 were damaged in transit and 2 went offline three days after the fukashima accident.people are already feeling the backlash here in alaska,and so are our outside pets.weve had massive meadia blackouts also.i have friends at the university of alaska that work in the raidological dept.they study natural radation,atmospheric,and other types of radaition.they wont allow communacations anymore from the university of alaska. all of the public sites here are shutdown.there are some still giving out readings but they are altered.so take your govt bullsht somewhere else where the sheeple can here it.we know who you are now.people here wont honest answers not propaganda.ANON is a acrynonm for anonymous,thats because he or she gets paid by the us govt anonymously to sit around posting junk like this all over the internet.
April says
Do you think I can give my 4 month old seaweed to help protect him against radiation (threat or no threat from Japan). He’s not eating solids yet.
Jennifer Lance says
I don’t think you should give a four-month-old solids, but if you are breastfeeding and increase your intake of seaweed, I think that would help. You can always ask your doctor, but remember we are constantly exposed to radiation. Liquid iodine could be used, but again, I would consult with your doctor. If you are eating healthy and breastfeeding, you are passing on protections to your babe.
Michelle says
Hi Jennifer,
Here is an interesting article on sustainable seaweed cultivation:
http://www.odemagazine.com/doc/73/grow-your-own-seaweed/
mae says
You are totally correct in saying that the government is
1. In love with nuclear power as it’s, (our)power source.
2. Accidents can and do happen and this is the same with nuclear power plants,
3. It has been proven absolutely, that nuclear power plants were built by cutting corners which put our safety and health and risk,
4. The government has proven time and again, it can’t be trusted.
5. Food and Drug Administration has lied to us so many times that I no longer pay any attention to them except for their alerts for possible contamination of products. I feel the FDA is not here for our protection. I have to many websites that prove that out.
So people, please prepare. Radiation is radiation and there isn’t anything else like it in our world. And, while small amounts are ok, even a little dose all at once, can be dangerous because we get radiation from a lot of sources, like the TV, Xrays, etc.. It builds up in the system.
Thanks for letting me voice my opinion.
mae
joey says
if i am allergic to shellfish-crustacain such as crab ,am i able to take an iodine product such as kelp or seaweed .my concern is the iodine will it affect my body?
Jennifer Lance says
Many seaweed packages come with shellfish warning labels. Contamination is possible, so I would avoid seaweed.
joey says
if i cant consume these other products that contain iodine are there other things i can take ?
Bill says
If anyone out there feels that the radiation fall out in Japan does not affect us- they are living in a dream world of denial. Do not bother looking for the truth of these from our US government- because you Will NOT find the truth there. You will not find it from our media either- as it is being controlled by the government. Look to independent resources for the truth during this great time of change. We are ALL connected- what we feel, chose and how we live affects one another… How can we support a system one more day that supports nuclear power? We ARE poisoning ourselves- wake up America!
Susan Y says
thaks for your advice.whoever told u that u are overreacting are idiots. the live in LALa land.Radiation is here.I was outside under the rain in LA on 04.27.11 and I felt so bad
the next day I thought I am dying.All symptoms indicated radiation poisoning.
Gov . covers up. The rain brought enormous amount radioactive poison to the USA
West coast.I still feel very sick. All gov.agencies I called forwarded me to their websites they are pretending that nothing is going on. I am scared and upset,don’t know what to do.
joey says
susan
i was wanting to know how long were you outside in the rain ?and did you mean on 3/27/2011/.after the big cell that brought much rain to our area in alaska(king salmon)our dogs live inside with us ,but go outside to do his bussiness.our dog gets sick everytime he drinks the water.i was out in it for a limited time ,i felt sick and feverish tired & larthgic .my face was also like it had been windburned or sunburned.i was in the rain for about 20 mins. i stayed sick feeling for 2 to3 days after going out in it.i check our rain and snow for radiation and we are seeing some higher levels of radiation(hard rain).also check above on my post on the 29th for some of the media blocking we have had here in alaska.ilive on top of the alaska penn. can you tell me more about what you hear or dont hear about california.do you have radaition booths checking people for radiation like they have in seattle washingtion
joey
natasha says
is it possible that the seaweed could already be contaminated? For example wouldnt the kelp such as nori and hikicki which comes from japan already be contaminated with radiation?? If so why would we search for japanese imports to prevent radioactive contamination. We are hearing of the fish and other imports being tested for radiation in restaurants across the country, so would this also be a product to watch?
Jennifer Lance says
I think it is possible for new seaweed harvested from the Pacific Ocean, for sure. Perhaps you can look for a date of manufacture on packaging. It’s why I ordered cases and stocked up right after the disaster hit.
Joelle says
You were smart. It is too late now for the rest of us!