Protective Strategies - Cesium 137 (Radiation Education)

Natural Cesium 137 Protective Strategies

By Charlotte Tenney,

April 2011

By the time this is published, we will know much more about how much radiation has been released from the Japanese reactors and where it has drifted. My email box is filled with messages either asking or suggesting ways to prepare and deal with radio-active fallout. At my chiropractic appointment yesterday, I was advised in increase my iodine intake and offered iodine tablets. It was incredible that he was willing to part with them, since they have become a famously scarce commodity in the marketplace. To say the least, this health threat is one that has grabbed our collective attention.

I was compelled to do some research in order to understand the issue and formulate a plan. First let’s define the problem. The kind of radiation that will be drifting our West Coast way is called Cesium-137. All of the radio-active isotopes work in the body by bonding with a mineral/metal receptor site. This one does NOT bond with the iodine receptors and disrupt the thyroid function. Instead, it docks on the potassium receptors and affects primarily the muscles. In addition to blocking the potassium receptors, it emits gamma rays that act as powerful oxidizers that mutate DNA in ways that can become cancerous. The way it gets into our system is through our breath and our food. Since it is neutralized by water, we don’t generally get it in our water supply.

Working from that overly simplified description, here are the things that I have found are recommended by such sites as Mayo Clinic, Argonne National Laboratories and a large number of natural health sites. I am indebted to Ingrid Naiman’s newsletter (ingridnaiman.com/subscription_lists) and the Healing Cancer Naturally organization (www.naturopathichealth.net ) for their excellent research and analysis. They had carefully thought out and comprehensive strategies to protect your health..

First, is avoid contact by staying indoors and avoiding heavy exercise while outdoors and/or wearing a wet face mask to filter out the Cesium. (Yes, this actually works, according to the experts, because of the way Cesium 137 reacts to water). Next is to wash hair, clothes and body frequently. Wash or rinse your local fresh fruits and vegetables before eating since they may have accumulated a “dusting” of fallout.

Next, eat foods and supplements that ensure that you have enough potassium in your body. When the receptor sites are already full, the Cesium 137 will have nowhere to dock and will be washed out in the urine. Foods high in potassium include nuts, sunflower seeds, bananas, prunes, coconut water, black beans and herbs such as Maca, Stinging Nettle, and Seaweeds (especially the brown varieties such as Hijiki). If you are diabetic, you will need to work with your healthcare provider to strike a balance for your condition. Potassium is best absorbed by our bodies in the presence of ample magnesium, which is found in abundance in dark green leafy vegetables and green herbs. Oddly enough, you will want to avoid raw cruciforms, such as cabbage and broccoli, since they tend to radio-sensitize the tissues; they are OK when cooked.

Since Cesium is processed and excreted by the kidneys, drinking enough water and promoting efficient kidney function is important. Now, before you go taking a bunch of commercial diuretics, be advised that most of them will also deplete your minerals, leaving you exposed to Cesium 137 entering the blood stream and the muscles. I suggest the use of Dandelion Leaf tea (not the root) as it both replenishes potassium while it stimulates urine flow. Some protective herbs that help the kidney are Stinging Nettle, Cleavers, Horsetail and Marshmallow, best taken several times a day as a tea. If you are already on a diuretic medication due to high blood pressure, talk to your health care provider about using Dandelion instead, or about getting a potassium supplement to compensate for the loss.

For the Gamma rays, which only last a couple of minutes but still damage our DNA, we need the best anti-oxidants that we can find. In the way of herbs, this can include Rosemary, Turmeric, and Ginkgo, not to mention the highly pigmented antioxidant fruits and vegetables like pomegranate, cherry, cranberry, blueberry, carrot and tomato. You can also supplement with Vitamin C, A and E.

One of the most pronounced deleterious effects of radiation exposure is that it suppresses the production of white blood cells from the bone marrow. The recommendations to protect and support this vital immune function are the herbs Astragalus Root, American Ginseng, Eleuthero or similar adaptogens. Glutathione is especially good at scavenging heavy metals, and toxins from our bodies and its precursor elements are found in unprocessed whey powder, avocado, asparagus, and . Ingrid Naiman recommends a blend called Chyawanprash that can be ordered on line and is specific for dealing with radiation exposure from nuclear reactors, x-rays at the dentist, getting to close to the welding, or flying the high atomosphere in an airplane.

This brings us to our last point. Yes, we will get exposed to the Cesium; we are definitely in the path of the jet stream that sweeps across Japan and East to our shores. How this fallout of Cesium 137 will compare to the amounts of radiation that we receive on a regular basis is not yet known. It may be moderated by the weather, since Cesium is water sensitive. As a lifestyle, we need to acknowledge that we routinely volunteer for doses of radiation through electronics, air travel, our cell phones, medical procedures and more. Instead of panicking about Cesium 137 from the nuclear meltdown, we can take a look at our whole pattern of toxin load. We can adopt habits that will consistently counteract the daily dose of trouble through good nutrition. And we can leave the supply of Potassium Iodide to be available for the people who really need it; those in Japan, who are much closer to the reactor and are the ones who are being exposed to the kind of radiation that affects their thyroids and that responds to iodine supplements.