Story at a glance:
Why essential vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals are necessary for detoxification, especially in our modern world.
Utah downwinders’ exposure to atomic weapons testing in early 1950’s
Law of selective uptake and how the body utilizes nutrients to counteract radioactive isotopes
Formation of free radicals as a secondary effect of radioactivity decay
Ways to eliminate, stabilize and excrete radioactivity in the human ecosystem
It’s a small world after all
We have the power to make daily choices in order to remedy our exposures to radioactivity and live healthier more stable lives. This is by no means a post designed to frighten or alarm you to the verge of, “everything is toxic so what’s the point.” Rather it’s an effort to understand both the planet’s naturally occurring radioactivity and synthetic so we may find less disease.
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And it is a small world after all. It’s no surprise in the year 2024 that the media of earth, air, land and water all play major roles in how we are existing on this planet and in what conditions.
After decades of science and research and people sharing real life experiences and symptoms of disease after exposures to high levels of radiation, it’s become clear how our DNA and the planet are affected.
This wasn’t always the case and it wasn’t even so long ago we were made aware…
Infectious disease and weapons fallout
In the early 1950’s, the United States first began testing nuclear weapons at the Nevada Test Site (NTS) in southern Nevada. The first explosions sounded in 1951 and stirred a sense of pride and patriotism by the people of Utah and Nevada. 1
Officials from the Atomic Energy Commission (A.E.C) ensured the people of southwest Utah they were, “participants in the nation’s atomic test program.” And then the prevailing wind patterns happened, causing radioactive fallout and debris to rain down on the people and land, killing livestock by the thousands and causing cancerous disease.
The citizens of Cedar City and St. George, Utah were right in the path of exposure and became known as the “downwinders,” who by the year 1953 started to loose their enthusiasm for weapons testing as children wrote their names in the pink radioactive snow. (Schechter)
Local health officials used equipment to monitor the fallout from the explosions and saw their Geiger counter readings “going off the scale”. Eventually in 1955, local ranchers from St. George and other communities took the federal government to court citing the atomic tests caused the death of over 17,000 sheep.
Despite the obvious cause of radiation poisoning, the A.E.C. argued the livestock were dying from infectious disease, cold weather and poor feed. The courts ruled in favor of the government.
It’s that infectious disease blame game again we see repeated throughout history.
Meanwhile, the only infectious disease happening was radioactivity raining down on patriotic families, doing their part. Just a decade after the first test in 1961, people were diagnosed with leukemia and other forms of cancer at a rate much higher than before the tests began.
Iodine-131 and 125
Radioactive iodine-131 is a byproduct of fission reactions. It is released during nuclear power plant emissions, both routine and accidental and nuclear weapons tests. This isotope is one of most pervasive radioactive isotopes in our environment.
Iodine-131 is used with x-rays for diagnosing the thyroid, lungs and blood. Both iodine-131 and iodine-125 are used in radiotherapy. If sufficient amounts of natural iodine is available, radioactive iodine will not be absorbed in the body by selective uptake.
If supply of natural iodine is deficient however, radioactive iodine is readily absorbed by mammals especially humans and this isotope concentrates mostly in the thyroid and reproductive organs.
Radioactive iodine has a comparatively short half-life of eight days to other isotopes, but does not mean it’s necessarily less dangerous. Contrary, it emits radiation more rapidly than long-living radioactive isotopes.
Dr. Russell Morgan who served as chief radiologist at Johns Hopkins University found 1 mg of iodine for children and 5 mg for adults taken daily will reduce by about 80 percent the radioactive iodine accumulated in the thyroid. (Schechter)
The minerals in whole foods act synergistically in the body — each mineral reinforces the benefits of the others. Sea vegetables for instance also contain sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphates, sulfates, chlorides bromides. It’s when these nutrients are separated from organic matter we can find irritation in gastrointestinal tract by means of indigestion.
Iodine is leached from the thyroid gland when we drink chlorinated water. A reason to avoid iodized salt is because it contains no potassium and an excess of just sodium, contributing to high blood pressure and hypertension. We need sodium, but in proportions with potassium, calcium and magnesium.
Iodine rich foods include sea vegetables, swiss chard, turnip greens, wild garlic and onions, watercress, squash, mustard greens, watermelon, cucumber, spinach, asparagus, kale citrus, and pineapple.
The United States Atomic Energy Commission has now recognized the efficacy of sodium alginate for reducing radiation toxicity. The regular use of sea vegetables ensures there is enough of the medicine in the gastrointestinal track to protect the thyroid and whole body from the radioactive forms.
Strontium-90
The man made radioactive strontium-90 isotope is also considered one of the most prevalent sources of radiation from fallout of world-wide atomic bomb testing, nuclear power plant leaks and routine emissions.
Researchers have stated that today almost everyone has significant amounts of strontium-90 in their bones. The isotope, like most radioisotopes and chemical pollutants don’t produce one set of symptoms, but rather present over time in association with already known diseases, such as bone cancers, Hodgkins lymphoma, anemia and decreased production of red and white blood cells. (Schechter)
Strontium-90 resembles calcium and in the absence of calcium-rich foods, the body will absorb something that is anatomically similar such as strontium-90. It enters the human diet through the small intestine and from there deposits primarily in the bones and teeth where it will collect and decay over time.
It can be found in high quantities in many dairy products.
Eating foods high in calcium such as turnip greens, dandelion greens, kale, oranges, tangerines, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, tempeh, tofu will prevent the uptake of strontium-90.
The highly potent antioxidants of sea vegetables will also bind or chelate to this radioactive isotope, forming an insoluble gel-like salt called strontium alginate to safely excrete out in the feces.
Cobalt-60
A common radionuclide used in nuclear medicine and food irradiation, like cesium-137, cobalt-60 has similar structural characteristics with cobalamin or vitamin B12. It has been found to collect primarily in the liver and reproductive organs.
The liver plays a crucial role in the metabolism of B12 and the implementation of a high quality liquid supplement in the diet can substantially assist the master organ in protecting the central nervous and endocrine systems while building immunity and shielding the brain.
It’s recommended when one is undergoing x-rays to ensure there is adequate amounts of B12, zinc and sulfur in the body. Sulfur-35, a byproduct of reactors, is similar to sulfur and zinc-65 is similar to zinc. These radionuclides are all found in medical testing as tracers.
It doesn’t matter if one is vegan or a meat-eater, the majority of people are deficient in B12 and zinc. These are two of the most common deficiencies we see due to the degradation of soil nutrients and exposures to toxic heavy metals, radiation.
A high quality liquid zinc sulfate supplement will counteract the effects of exposure to radioactive zinc-65.
Eating cruciferous vegetables rich in sulfur such as broccoli, cauliflower, garlic, onions, legumes and seeds will further support the selective intake of the body to counteract radiation.
Cesium-137
Strontium-90 and cesium-137 were two of the more plentiful radioisotopes released during the Chernobyl accident. This radioactive isotope is chemically related to potassium and will be absorbed by the body when potassium deficiencies are present.
Cesium-137 is also used in medical and industrial devices.
It collects primarily in muscles, reproductive organs and bones where it expresses detrimental effects on DNA and reproductive cells. Cesium-137 also has been found to collect in the kidneys and liver which serve as two primary organs for filtering blood. Once this isotope hits these two organs, it then gets carried throughout the entire body. (Schechter)
Fortunately, we can ensure there is enough potassium in the body to help counteract these effects. Foods rich in potassium include — beet greens, swiss chard, amaranth leaves, spinach, bananas, squash, parsley, coconut water establish buffers to prevent the assimilation of this radiation.
Frameworks of selective uptake
So, the body is a resilient instrument with its ability to selectively uptake what is needed to thrive and heal. This is evident in the way plants ingest soil nutrients. When the soil is depleted, we are as well.
There are many other remedies we can use like avoiding processed foods and exercise which we will explore at another time and that also are incredible ways to support metabolic health.
But for now…
Establishing the solid frameworks of understanding how to counteract exposures in our industrial era to excessive radiation with nutrient-dense whole foods, allows us to get to the source of what is actually making us sick in the first place.
In doing so, we will find endless ways to support the implementation of these potent medicines and share with communities far and wide.
We will support the local farmers and start to regulate more closely what chemicals get leached into drinking water, soil and air. We will hold those corporations and institutions accountable.
Let’s learn from the downwinders’ so we don’t keep repeating history. Trust your instincts friends. The science is within us.
1
Fighting Radiation and Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs, and Vitamins. Documented Natural Remedies that Boost Your Immunity and Detoxify, by Steven R. Schechter, N.P. H.H.P.
