Radioactive Iodine Detected in U.S. – Natural Alternatives to Potassium Iodide Tablets
As the tragedy at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in north eastern Japan spirals out of control, most nuclear experts agree a meltdown is in progress. There is damage to fuel rods, radiation in the water leaking from the plant is at 100,000 times the normal level, and plutonium has been detected in the soil at five separate areas near the Fukushima plant.
Kyodo News reports radioactive iodine-131 at a concentration of 3,355 times the maximum allowable level under the law was detected in a seawater sample taken Tuesday afternoon near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, according to the government’s nuclear agency.
In fact the Guardian reports that Richard Lahey, who was head of safety research for boiling-water reactors at General Electric when the company installed the units at Fukushima, claims workers at the site appeared to have “lost the race” to save a reactor core, which appears to have melted through the bottom of its containment vessel and on to a concrete floor.
Traces of radioactive iodine-131 have been detected around the globe. Low levels of radioactive iodine have been detected in the US, the UK, Iceland, Switzerland, South Korea, the Philippines, and China. In the UK, low levels have also been detected at monitoring stations in Oxfordshire and Glasgow.
According to Forbes, the Environmental Protection Agency reported finding elevated levels of iodine-131 in rainwater in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
And although the EPA continues to assure the public there is no need for alarm, the EPA notes that iodine-131 levels in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts exceed the maximum contaminant level (MCL) permitted in drinking water.
And radioactive Iodine-131 in a Pennsylvania rainwater sample was 3300% above federal drinking water standard. This video forecasts that radioactive particles will be concentrated over the Midwestern U.S. on April 1, 2.
Within a few days after the nuclear incident in Japan, potassium iodide tablets were sold out across the U.S. and were selling on ebay for $200 a bottle.
Potassium iodide — approved by the FDA in 1982 — is said to protect the thyroid gland from radioactive iodine. The idea is to saturate the body with potassium iodide prior to exposure which in turn prevents radioiodine from accumulating in the thyroid. By blocking the gland from absorbing radioactive iodine, the risk of the thyroid developing radiation-related diseases is lower.
Arnold Gundersen, a 39-year veteran of the nuclear industry, stated publicly that he’s taking potassium iodine tablets against radiation. Gundersen worked as a nuclear plant operator and served as an expert witness in the investigation into the Three Mile Island accident.
CNN reported that potassium iodide tablets were given to U.S. Naval air crew members flying within 70 nautical miles of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear plant.
Japan Times reports that embassies throughout Japan are passing out potassium iodide tablets as a “precautionary measure” to protect their citizens from radiation exposure in case the nuclear crisis at the Fukushima plant gets worse.
“The Swedish Embassy is recommending on its website that citizens within 250 km of the Fukushima plant take [iodide tablets] once every three days.”
Natural Potassium Iodine Alternative
The good people at Shirley’s Wellness Cafe point out that “the electrolytic magnetic action of sea plants releases excess body fluids from congested cells and dissolves fatty wastes through the skin, replacing them with depleted minerals, particularly potassium and iodine. Sea Vegetables (Spirulina – kelp – Chlorella) have been acknowledged as a detoxifyer, a balanced nourishment and a miraculous healing plant.
“Ocean/Sea algae are the richest natural source of minerals, trace minerals, Iodine and rare earth elements. If there is enough iodine in our bodies, radioactive fallout is no longer able to concentrate in the thyroid and it will simply pass through.”
On his blog, Christopher Lowman claims “Miso soup is a regular at the Japanese dinner table and, in fact, has been directly credited with the high survivor rate of victims of radioactive poisoning in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.”
Lowman says Miso is “a radioprotective, which accounts for the phenomenon witnessed in the aftermath of Nagasaki and Hiroshima. A daily bowl of miso soup is like a daily multi-vitamin, with B group vitamins, vitamins K and E as well as antioxidants, fiber and essential amino acids.
“The older the miso, the more potent the enzymes, so go for the darker blends if health is your main objective. The older, strong flavored misos are fermented for years at a time, while the lighter and more delicately flavored misos are usually only a couple of months old. Most commercially sold miso soup (blech) is made with lighter varieties of miso, and it is this kind of miso that is available in miso soup sachets as well. However, a real Jedi makes their own from scratch, here’s how.”
Basic Miso Soup Recipe Courtesy of Christopher Lowman
The most basic miso soup is made with only the addition of a few strips of wakame (seaweed) and two or three cubes of silken tofu. The key to preparing miso soup is to not put the miso into boiling water, as this will kill the live enzymes. Putting the miso into the bowl first and then adding hot water is the normal way of making the soup.
For a hearty miso soup recipe that is far superior to any chicken soup and will fight a cold or flu 100x better, try the following:
Ingredient (shop the macrobiotic section at health nut food stores):
Wakame
Fresh Ginger
Carrot
Celery
Silken Tofu (ensure it is not genetically modified, most soy beans are now)
Mugi Miso (Barley Miso)
Soak the wakame for about ten minutes until it is tender. Bring filtered water to a boil adding thinly sliced ginger, carrots and celery. These ingredients contain potent minerals and infection-fighting power that you want to extract. When the celery and carrot are softened add the wakame (cut into strips) and cubed silken tofu and take off the heat. Let the soup cool a little. Place a tablespoon (or to taste) of miso in each bowl and ladle in the broth once it is not so hot and mix well. You can watch the live enzymes making patterns in the soup, but don’t watch too long or else the soup will get cold.