Protection against radiation |
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Recent nuclear crisis in Japan has multiplied our concern about the risk from the effects of radiation that can occur on the global level.
It is enough to be familiar with Chernobyl disaster and a disaster that occurred in Japan to conclude that we are actually unprotected from the effects of a nuclear disaster.
Just one scenario similar to that in Japan would be enough to forever change the life in Europe.
In addition to the fact that millions of people will directly feel the effects of the recent Japanese disaster, it has (again) reminded us that our planet is actually small and that everything is connected.
When a disaster occurs, it cannot be contained by borders.
By raising your voice against the aimless insistence on nuclear energy you can help increase the safety of future generations and steer the ship of humanity on a smarter path.
Ionizing radiation
It is a kind of radiation with enough energy to break the neutral molecules into electrically charged particles - ions, i.e. to cause ionization in a material environment.
It is generated by electromagnetic waves (X-rays and γ-rays) or particles such as electrons, neutrons or ions.
Types of ionizing particles/radiation:
• alpha particles - positively charged particles, emitted by radioactive waste or some unstable atoms. They do not penetrate deep into the body and can be stopped by paper or leather. They are most dangerous if they are inhaled.
• beta particles - also resulting from radioactive waste and volatile atoms. It can be positive (positrons) or negatively charged (electrons). Positrons appear as a result of a failure of some equipment such as CT or PET machine. Generally the beta particles penetrate deeper than alpha particles, but they can be stopped by aluminum foil lining.
• electromagnetic radiation (gamma and x-rays) - gamma radiation is created by changes in the nucleus of an atom when the core passes from a higher energy level to a lower energy level. Radiation emitted by electron that changes energy levels is called X-radiation. Both types of radiation can penetrate deep into the tissue and can be stopped by a thick layer of concrete or lead.
• neutrons - particles that have four times less mass than alpha particles and as much as 2000 times smaller mass than the beta particles. They have no charge and penetrate deeper than all the other particles that have a charge.
In addition to the radioactive (ionizing) radiation, there are other sources of radiation that can expose us to levels of ionizing particles higher than permitted without us being aware of that.
Other sources of radiation:
• Smoking - Cigarettes contain so much radioactive lead and polonium that with each pack of cigarettes you smoke, you get a radiation equal to the amount of radiation you get with a lung X-ray.
• Radon is a radioactive gas without color and odor produced by decaying uranium and radium in the soil, rocks and water. It accumulates in enclosed and poorly ventilated spaces and basements. The US Environmental Protection Agency classifies radon exposure to the second major cause of lung cancer, behind smoking.
• Medical nuclear diagnostic techniques (X-ray, CT, mammography, radiology cancer treatment). Keep in mind that fetuses and children are far more vulnerable to radiation than adults. The amount of radiation received during one CT scan is equal to the amount you get over 3 years.
• Food sterilized by radiation, microwaves - many countries, including Croatia, allow the application of food irradiation as a method of destroying viruses, bacteria, fungi and molds (on cereals and processed products, teas, etc. and is also used to prevent potatoes from sprouting. Yet there is no knowledge about the impact of these foods on human health, specifically whether they cause genetic damage.
• Frequent air travel - air travel exposes us to greater amount of space and solar radiation due to weaker atmospheric shield at higher altitudes.
• The radiation originating from nuclear power plants and the experiments with atomic weapons - so much strontium 90 has been released into the environment around the world that it is believed that every person on the planet has a measurable amount of this isotope in his/her bones.
Consequences of radiation
Consequences of radiation depend on the amount of radiation received, its type and length of exposure and the distance between the source and the recipient of radiation.
Exposure to very strong radiation at the source of radiation can cause acute radiation and even death. When exposed to radiation for medical treatment people can experience effects that last from a few hours to a few days or even weeks (such as the radiological treatment of cancer).
This may cause different symptoms such as fatigue and lack of energy, hair loss, sweating, nausea, difficulty swallowing, loss of appetite, loss or change of taste, infertility, dry skin, peeling skin, redness, etc. The less radiation the body receives, the better is it able to neutralize it and repair the damage.
While acute intoxication with high doses of radiation is rare, the most common form of exposure is the exposure to low doses of radiation over a long period.
In this form of radiation the exposure effects are difficult to see, and if they appear we are not likely to associate them with radiation. Specifically, the property of ionizing radiation is that it causes changes in the atoms of cells and increases the risk of cellular changes (mutations) that may cause the formation of malignant cells.
This process takes years, and we are not aware of it until the tumor mass has grown to the extent that it becomes visible by some of the existing medical diagnostic methods.
In order to prevent this, we the need to lead a healthy lifestyle and have a healthy diet with reduced levels of heavy metals and radioactive particles that are usually carried by air, water and food.
The root causes of cell damage by radiation are:
• Changes in 70-90% of water molecules - this indicates the importance of water in the body, as the quality of water determines the progress of biochemical and enzymatic processes and the transfer of information.
This is why more and more people around the world use devices such as Aquarion. Water from Aquarion is ionized, alkaline water with a small amount of atoms within the clusters and having antioxidant properties.
• changes in organic molecules (direct effects of radiation).
Protection against radiation
1. Chlorella
Chlorella is a green algae highly regarded in Japan because of its detoxifying abilities. Research carried out in Scotland in 1986 shows that chlorella can bind uranium, lead and cadmium. Their excretion from the body is increased several times with the help of chlorella.
Furthermore, chlorella exhibits the ability to bind radioactive particles and in experimental animals exposed to gamma radiation it reduced chromosomal damage.
It provides particularly high efficiency and protection in combination with chlorophyll and antioxidants.
Other benefits of chlorella: cleanses the digestive tract and helps maintain a healthy intestinal flora, protects against free radicals, helps remove dioxins and polycyclic bifenils, strengthens immunity, restores nucleic acids (RNA/DNA), which are damaged due to radiation (Japanese Association for Radiation Research 1993).
RNA (ribonucleic acid) and DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) increase the survival rate in experimental animals after exposure to radiation. Nucleic acids in significant amounts can be found in royal jelly, algae such as spirulina and chlorella.
2. Chlorophyll
Since the early fifties of the last century onwards the scientific literature provides a wealth of data on the usefulness of chlorophyll in the protection against radioactive particles.
Chlorophyll - known as the strongest anti-mutation and anti-carcinogenic substance in nature is becoming increasingly important since it protects us against the harmful effects of radiation (damage of DNA and RNA molecules and oxidative damage caused by the increased number of free radicals in the body due to the radioactive particles).
The role of chlorophyll in the protection of mitochondrial membranes has been proven. Some studies, including those performed by the US Army, mention a significant increase in resistance to ionizing radiation and even a 90% decrease in DNA damage due to radiation in animals that received chlorophyll and ate foods rich in chlorophyll.
Since the natural chlorophyll, removed from its natural environment, is non-existent, most research is conducted using chlorofilin, which is much more stable. Research suggests that chlorofilin shows protective effect against gamma radiation, and that it also effectively protects against damage caused by oxidative stress (free radicals).
What's more, chlorofilin prevents decrease in immunological activity of the body that occurs due to radiation. Using chlorofilin increases the number of key immune cells in the spleen - T cells, B cells and macrophages.
3. Other algae
Akizuki, head of the department of internal hospital in Nagasaki, just two km away from the epicenter of the nuclear explosion, fed his staff and patients with algae, miso, tamari and brown rice. Thus he saved everybody in the hospital, while the others died due to radiation.
Canadian researchers at McGill University in Montreal in 1968 verified and proved the role of brown algae in radiation protection. Specifically, brown algae contain specific complex sugars (alginates) which are natural adsorbents (binders) of radioactive particles, heavy metals and free radicals.
As the alginate can not be dissolved in the bile and by the saliva enzymes and since they cannot be absorbed into the body, they are excreted from the body along with harmful particles they are bound to.
Researchers have argued that alginates from brown algae reduce the absorption of radioactive particles in the bone marrow by 80%.
Furthermore, brown algae contain an interesting compound called fucoidan which in experimental animals causes self-destruction of certain fast-growing tumor cells. Specifically, it causes apoptosis in the cells and thus contributes to the easy removal of abnormal cells from the body.
The US Atomic Energy Commission recommends algae for radiation protection, and in the case of an imminent nuclear threat they recommend that algae should be included into more daily meals in order to ensure their permanent presence in the digestive tract.
You should take 8-12 tablets of algae per day in equal intervals or dilute 60 ml of Ocean (2 lids on the packaging) in a liter of water and drink it throughout the day.
Another benefit of algae is the fact they are rich in iodine. If the diet does not provide adequate amounts of iodine, then the body, especially the thyroid gland, absorbs and binds radioactive iodine-131.
Even if radioactive iodine is absorbed, taking natural iodine will help remove the effects of radiation exposure. Particularly vulnerable are the people who use tap water, because chlorine from chlorinated water stimulates the excretion of iodine from the body, specifically from the thyroid gland.
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