Japan Radiation Update 4
This is my fourth post about the Japanese nuclear disaster. First, I have to give credit to the U.S. government for suggesting that U.S. citizens move further away (50 miles) from the radiation danger. This action would serve to verify the severity of the crises.

I believe this crisis should highlight the need for each of us to take a more active role in our own health care decisions. It is important to take the proper steps to achieve your optimal health before a crisis arises. Many times these steps include eating a healthy diet and taking the correct supplements. My experience has shown that ensuring an adequate iodine level is one piece of the puzzle to obtaining your optimal health.

If the Japanese are not able to control the nuclear reaction that is occurring a true nuclear meltdown will occur. What will that mean to us? A nuclear meltdown could cause a large radiation cloud to leave Japan and deposit radiation over the U.S. However, that has not occurred yet. If that occurs, it is important to take precautions including ensuring that you and your family are taking iodine.

Here is how it works. Iodine binds to receptors throughout the body. For example, there are receptors for iodine in the thyroid gland. When iodine binds to its receptors, thyroid hormone is produced. Individuals who are iodine deficient suffer the majority of problems when exposed to radioactive iodine. In these people, radioactive iodine will bind to wherever there are open or empty iodine receptors. After radioactive iodine binds to these receptors, the surrounding tissue will be destroyed due to the radioactive iodine. Furthermore, it will damage the DNA of the surrounding cells. Damaged DNA is one cause of cancer.

Which tissues bind iodine? The largest concentration of iodine occurs in the thyroid gland. However, the largest amount of iodine is found in the fat tissue. Large concentrations of iodine are also found in many other tissues including the breast, ovary, uterus, and prostate. If radioactive iodine binds to any of these sites, it will destroy surrounding tissue and potentially damage DNA. This can lead to long-term problems such as cancer of these tissues.
It is important to keep in mind that every cell needs and utilizes iodine. Therefore, radioactive iodine exposure can have a dramatic effect on the body.

Exposure to radiation is cumulative. That means any exposure to ionizing radiation builds up in the body over time. We should all strive to minimize exposure to radiation. Some forms or radiation are unavoidable such as normal background radiation. However, radioactive iodine emitted from a nuclear disaster in Japan (or anywhere else) is largely avoidable if your body is iodine sufficient.

If your body has enough iodine binding to its receptors in the thyroid, breasts, ovaries, etc., then the radioactive iodine has nowhere to bind. That is why it is so important to have your iodine levels checked before a disaster such as this occurs. If you are iodine deficient, you can rectify this problem by simply taking iodine.

Due to our exposure to so many toxic items that inhibit or block iodine utilization in the body--fluoride, bromide and chlorine--our body’s need for iodine has dramatically increased over the last 30 years. My experience has shown that milligram amounts of iodine are necessary for achieving whole-body iodine sufficiency. In fact, any iodine supplementation program should strive for whole body iodine sufficiency, not just thyroid sufficiency.

How much iodine is needed to achieve whole-body iodine sufficiency? My clinical experience has clearly shown that milligram amounts of iodine are needed to achieve whole-body sufficiency. These amounts can vary between 6-50mg/day for most people. Some may need more, some less.

There is no doubt that the radiation cloud from Japan will pass over the U.S. This radiation exposure is a potential health risk. How much iodine should you take to ensure that your body will not absorb radioactive iodine? Without proper testing, it is impossible to say what dose is perfect for everybody. However, I have recommended that adults take 12-14mg/day of a combination of iodine and iodide. That amount will prevent nearly 95% of radioactive iodine from binding to the thyroid gland and still leave other amounts of iodine available for the rest of the body’s need. Children will need smaller amounts. You can dose a child down for his/her size. A general rule of thumb for children is 0.08mg I/pound of body weight. If a newborn is breast feeding, they do not need iodine supplementation if the mother is iodine sufficient. Iodine can be excreted in the breast milk.

I generally recommend either Lugol’s iodine, Iodoral (from Optimox) or Iodozyme Hp (from Biotics). Lugol’s iodine dosage is 2 drops per day (12.5mg) or 1 tablet of each of either Iodoral or Optizyme HP (both products are 12.5mg/ tablets). When should people begin iodine supplementation? At this point, with the disaster still progressing, I would say it is time to begin supplementation with iodine.

As with any substance, there can be problems with iodine supplementation. Before beginning supplementation, it is best to discuss this option with your health care provider. More information about iodine can be found in my books, Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It and Overcoming Thyroid Disorders.

In the next few days, I will begin to answer some of the many questions sent to me.

Japanese Radiation Update 3
As the news in Japan worsens, I am getting more and more questions about what to do. Let me try and address as many questions as possible. I will keep blogging about this until most of the questions are answered.

First, I believe the Japanese government is not being truthful about the magnitude of the disaster. I believe they do not want to create a panic. This disaster is far from over. In Japan, I feel the situation will get much worse before it gets better. However, for those of us in North America, we will get a much smaller dose of radioactive iodine as compared to the Japanese.

Therefore, the most important thing to keep in mind is do not panic. I do not believe that people will by dying in the U.S. due to the radioactive spread from Japan. However, depending on the amount of radiation released and weather patterns, it is not clear what our exposure will be. I may be wrong on my assessment. Time will tell.

The good news is that there is a safe and effective treatment widely available that prevents harm from exposure to radioactive iodine. It is the use of nonradioactive, inorganic iodine. That is the form of iodine I have been researching and using in my practice for nearly 10 years.
What dose of iodine will prevent damage from exposure to radioactive iodine? My mentor, Dr. Guy Abraham’s research answered this question. His research indicated that milligram doses (note: this is 1,000 times a microgram dose) are necessary to prevent radioactive iodine from damaging the thyroid gland. How much? Around 13mg/day prevents approximately 96% of radioactive iodine from binding to the thyroid gland. That is the approximate dosage of iodine ingested daily by the Japanese. This is over 100x the average daily dose ingested by Americans.

Please keep in mind it is not just the thyroid gland that is at risk with exposure to radioactive iodine. The breasts, ovaries, uterus, prostate, skin, and other organs all bind and require iodine for optimal functioning. In fact, every cell in our body requires iodine for optimal functioning. Therefore, if we are iodine deficient, exposure to radioactive iodine can potentially result in damage to all the cells of the body. My experience has shown over 95% of patients are deficient in iodine.

I believe iodine deficiency is one of the underlying causes of the epidemic of cancer of the breast, thyroid, ovaries, uterus and prostate. Furthermore, iodine deficiency is the underlying cause of thyroid disorders including Hashimoto’s disease, Grave’s disease, goiter, and hypothyroidism. Our iodine levels have fallen 50% over the last 30 years. During that time, all of the above conditions have been rising at near epidemic rates.

I have written extensively about these ideas in my book, Iodine Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It.
Who should supplement with iodine? If you don’t have a contraindication to iodine supplementation, I believe it should be a part of most people’s daily regimen. As with any substance, some people may not tolerate iodine. My experience has shown that most people can tolerate the doses I have written about. Before supplementing with iodine, I suggest discussing this with your health care provider.

I will do my best to keep you updated on this situation. Let’s send our thoughts, prayers, and support to the Japanese.