Jan 23rd 2024
Radiation Hazard Update
. . . Upping our need for antioxidants
We now know that Fukushima is by far the worst nuclear accident in history. After Chernobyl, there was a related worldwide decline in health. How are we being affected by Fukushima? Although there have been no government warnings of excessive radiation levels, there is credible scientific evidence that there is no safe level of radiation.
Suffice it to say that our health is under additional assault, and that it has never been more important to (1) make sure you are not deficient in iodine (most Americans are! call our office to find out how to test your iodine status) and (2) take antioxidant supplements.
The more toxic our environment becomes, and this includes radiation, the more antioxidants we need to render the toxins harmless. For example, if you ingest more of the antioxidant vitamin C than your body needs, you get diarrhea. Someone who can normally take 6 grams a day may catch a cold and need 30, 40, even 50 grams a day before getting diarrhea.
So the more toxins we're exposed to, the more antioxidants get chewed up. Unfortunately, today's diets are much, much lower in antioxidants than that of our grandparents.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are a good source of antioxidants, especially garlic and the cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts and kale. But today it's become necessary to take supplements too, like vitamins C, A, D and E; carotene and other carotenoids; CoQ10; N-acetyl-cysteine; quercetin; curcumin; silymarin, green and white tea, and the minerals, selenium, copper, zinc, manganese and sulfur. These function directly as antioxidants, and/or supply materials for antioxidants the body makes, like glutathione and SOD (superoxide dismutase). Different antioxidants do different things, so it's best to take a varied array.