Nuclear meltdowns. Widespread disaster. It’s suddenly all we are hearing about.

The concern triggered by the earthquake, tsunami, and subsequent nuclear plant disaster in Japan is wide spread, and not without good reason.

There are now reports coming in that food and water in Fukushima and as far South as Tokyo are testing positive for radiation “beyond safe levels”, according to the Japanese government. At UC Berkeley in California, local rainwater evaluations showed slightly elevated levels of radioactive iodine, cesium, and tellurium in the water (http://www.nuc.berkeley.edu/ucbairsampling). Clearly, the effects of the disaster in Japan are being felt around the globe.

The sudden and unexpected events in Japan are a stark reminder of how quickly life can change, and leave many of us wondering just how prepared we really are.

What Can You Do to Get Prepared?

While we can’t usually predict when disaster will strike, there are several steps we can take to ensure we are well prepared if it does.

Potassium Iodide

Many people are afraid of the leakage of a major uranium fission product, Iodine-131 (I-131). Due to its mode of beta decay, I-131 is notable for causing mutation and death in cells, leading to thyroid cancer, bone marrow cancer, leukemia and other diseases.

Now many people are looking to potassium iodide to avoid damage caused by I-131 exposure.

It is important, though, that you know what potassium iodide is, what it does, and how to use it, as using it incorrectly could have negative health consequences.

Potassium Iodide works by flooding the thyroid with non-radioactive iodine, which prevents the harmful radioactive iodine from damaging our thyroid. It is effective in reducing the risk of thyroid cancer in individuals or populations at risk for inhalation or ingestion of radioiodines, but it does not work to protect other areas of the body from radioactive iodine, nor does it work as a protective agent against other forms of radiation.

Caution needs to be taken as to how and when potassium iodide is used. Many people are buying potassium iodide and taking it daily as a protective measure. This is NOT the way to take potassium iodide. Taking potassium iodide long-term, unless under the supervision of a licensed health care provider, can have negative effects on the thyroid gland.

Ideally, potassium iodide should be taken 3-4 hours before exposure to radiation. If exposure does occur, each dose of potassium iodide protects against radioactive iodine for approximately 24 hours. It is suggested that it be dosed daily until the risk of radiation exposure no longer exists. Dosage information below, as suggested by the FDA:

* Adolescents approaching adult size (> 150 lbs) should receive the full adult dose (130 mg)

Please see here for home preparation procedure information for emergency administration of potassium iodide tablets to infants and small children: http://www.fda.gov/Drugs/EmergencyPreparedness/Bioterrorismand
DrugPreparedness/ucm072248.htm

People with known iodine sensitivity should avoid potassium iodide, as should individuals with dermatitis herpetiformis and hypocomplementemic vasculitis, extremely rare conditions associated with an increased risk of iodine hypersensitivity. Individuals with multinodular goiter, Graves’ disease, and autoimmune diseases like Hashimoto’s thyroiditis should be treated with caution — especially if dosing extends beyond a few days.

Those at largest risk for radioiodine induced thyroid cancer are infants and children, as their thyroid is still developing. Pregnant and/or nursing females are also at a high risk, as the radioactive iodine could affect the development of the thyroid in the fetus.

Other Ways to Protect Yourself and Your Family

While it is not a good idea to take potassium iodide as a preventative measure daily, you can eat foods containing iodine to boost thyroid protection. Foods high in iodine include:

• Sea vegetables such as nori, kelp, wakame, arame, and kombu.  You can buy kelp flakes and use them in place of salt at the dinner table, or snack on some toasted nori.  Yum!
• Yogurt
• Eggs
• Strawberries
• Superfood green powders like LifeSource SuperSprouts, which contain spirulina, kelp, seaweed and other super green sprouts.

Reishi Spore Extract and other mushroom blends that contain Reishi like Mushroom Immune Defense may also be helpful, and are used in Chinese Medicine as a longevity tonic. Various studies have shown that Reishi Spore Extract significantly protects against the harmful effects of radiation.

Enhance is a homeopathically activated combination of natural paramagnetic and diamagnetic elements which neutralize the effects of heavy metals and other toxins on human DNA.

In several studies, it clearly shows that the energy of Enhance neutralizes the negative effects of toxic elements. In 1998, Lockheed Martin conducted a study to determine if Enhance could neutralize radioactive elements. After six months, Enhance successfully reduced the gamma radiation of the control substance by 80%.

Enhance’s unique properties activate DNA causing what is known as the quantum oscillation effect. This “winding and unwinding” of the DNA is associated only with healthy, normally functioning DNA. DNA exposed to toxins will not behave in this same manner. When exposed to Enhance, human DNA begins to repair itself, eventually achieving the quantum oscillation effect. With Aulterra’s Enhance, your body can be in a constant state of healing.

Benefits of use:

• Activates DNA
• Enhances cellular activity
• Neutralizes toxic substances
• Reverses cellular aging
• Neutralizes radioactive elements

Get-Up-and-Go Kit

Along with knowing how to use Potassium Iodide, it is a good idea to be sure you have a kit packed and ready to go, should you need to get out of town quickly. Your kit should include:

• Potassium Iodide
• A radiation detector
• Well-fitting masks, enough for everyone in your family
• Decontamination solution and/or wipes
• A flashlight
• A portable radio
• Batteries
• A first aid kit
• A warm blanket
• A can opener
• Sealed food and water, enough for everyone in your family
• Sealed pet food
• Essential medicines
• Extra cash
• An emergency knife

Other things to consider:

• Depending on where you live, if a mass evacuation is called for, be prepared for massive traffic jams.  Keep your car fueled and have your get-up-and-go kit handy.
• Having a family plan is a good idea.  Cell phones likely won’t work in the case of a large scale disaster, so it is a good idea for you and your family to have an action plan and a realistic meeting place.
• Be sure to note the expiration dates on your food, medicines, and potassium iodide, and restock annually as needed.

It might be hard to imagine a disaster of such grand scale.  The recent events in Japan, however, have reminded us how important it is to be prepared for the worst.  Take some time to get your preparedness plan together; you’ll rest easier at night knowing that you did.

One Response to “Preparing for the Worst: Radiation Exposure Action Plan”

1. Changed DNA: Radiation risk higher for children | Radiation Report Blog says:

   October 27, 2011 at 4:43 am

   [...] only lead to a minimal increase in their risk of getting cancer. View the original article hereUpdated higher radiation levels are now being admitted at Fukushima. As usual we need to consid…ed to the level of Chernobyl, people have started to panic about the health threat from the [...]