How to Survive Nuclear Fallout From Japan's Reactor Meltdown

Highly radioactive dust-like particles will be carried on the prevailing winds for hundreds or thousands of miles.

Reactor heart in Fukushima perhaps dissolving, radioactive cloud. Photo courtesy: syntaxwizard.co.uk

(CHICAGO) - With six reactors failing in Japan and at least two undergoing partial meltdown, concern has been raised about a massive radioactive cloud escaping and sweeping over the West Coast of the U.S.

Chernobyl disaster

As the crisis continues and the Japan Islands are being rocked by hundreds of strong aftershocks, the probability of a Chernobyl-like disaster escalates.

If such an event does occur what can you do to protect yourself and your family?

Historically, after the atom bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during 1945, many survivors of the blast died of exposure to radioactive fallout. But the vast majority of Dr. Tatsuichiro Akizuki, the Director of the Department of Internal Medicine at St. Francis's Hospital in Nagasaki, survived. Despite being less than a mile from the epicenter of the atomic explosion, the doctor, his staff and his patients avoided radiation sickness by consuming a simple diet of natural brown rice, miso soup, sea vegetables and salt. Akizuki strictly prohibited the consumption of any sugar-based foods and candy^[1].

Whole grains fight radiation poisoning

Because natural whole grains are simple foods they don't have concentrated contaminants often present in meat and fleshy fish. They're less likely to contain radioactive contamination too.

High fiber and phosphorous contents in grain help protect against radiation poisoning. The substances bind with toxins—including radioactive ones—and help eliminate them from the body. Plus the "bulking factor" of grains reduces the time that the toxins stay in the gut and elimninate the poison faster.

Studies have shown that middle-range pH increases resistance to radiation poisoning. Grains are naturally not too acid or alkaline.

More reasons that grains can help you avoid radiation poisoning: their calcium content diminishes absorption of radioactive strontium; contain significant vitamin B6, critical for the thymus; and provide vitamin E and selenium that helps prevent cellular damage caused by the free radicals created by exposure to radiation.

Foods to avoid

If you're in the footprint of a radiation cloud, by all means avoid these foods, they can increase any damage done to your body by exposure,

Steer away from all refined and processed foods. Stay clear of any fatty foods such as dairy and meet products and by-products.

Do not eat or drink anything with sugar in it. The reason why you must avoid sugar is it robs your body of calcium and the body will replace it with radioactive strontium that has a similar atomic structure to calcium. If that happens it's only a matter of time before you develop bone marrow cancer^[2]

Radioactive fallout

The fallout from a nuclear reactor accident is not the same as that generated by a thermonuclear blast.

Nuclear reactors will contaminate the atmosphere with highly radioactive dust-like particles. That deadly debris will be carried on the prevailing winds for hundreds or thousands of miles. When it falls it often combines with water vapor and contaminates rain. Dust can also fall on the ground, cars, roofs of building—and people.

The radiation is odorless and invisible. The dust however, can sometimes be detected as a fine grit.

Irradiated rainfalls can be more intensely radioactive in some areas than others. Those are called "hot-spots." Unfortunately, there is no known way to determine where hot-spots will occur in advance.

If a radioactive plume has been reported arriving in your area, stay indoors—especially if it's raining. If you're caught outdoors take a long, soapy shower as soon as possible and discard your clothing in tightly sealed plastic bags.

Experts agree that the greatest health concern after the release of nuclear contaminants from a nuclear power plant will be exposure to radioiodine carried downwind for hundreds, even thousands of miles. Inhaling radioiodine or eating food contaminated with it can poison and eventually lead to cancer and death.

To protect your thyroid from radioactive contamination use Potassium Iodide (KI) for protection. Kits are available for sale. You can find the nearest distributor on the Internet or even purchase it over the Internet.

Fallout threat

Four basic factors affect the threat level of a fallout event: the quantity and type of nuclear isotopes released into the atmosphere; the size, concentration, altitude and speed of the plume; the time and distance until it arrives; and finally, the likelihood of fallout in your specific area.

Stay tuned for radio and television reports and updates from local authorities on the situation.

How dangerous can it be?

The Russian Chernobyl disaster affected much of northern and eastern Europe. Children were especially at risk. Many people exposed to the plume—even those thousands of miles away—died of cancer-related diseases induced by radiation exposure and contamination of the air, water or food.

Article originally published by: helium.com

Helpful tips can be found here: "What to do if a nuclear disaster is imminent!"

Sources

1. "Nagasaki 1945," Tatsuichiro Akuziki, M.D., London Quarter books, 1981

2. "Diet for the Atomic Age," Sara Shannon, Avery Publishing Group Inc., Wayne, New Jersey.

Terrence Aym is a Salem-News.com Contributor based in Chicago, who is well known nationally for his stirring reports on the top ranked site, helium.com. Born in Minnesota, Terrence Aym grew up in the Chicagoland suburbs. Having traveled to 40 of the 50 states and lived in 7 of them, Aym is no stranger to travel. He's also spent time in Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean, Europe, Asia and Western Africa. An executive for many years with Wall Street broker-dealer firms, Aym has also had a life-long interest in science, technology, the arts, philosophy and history. If it's still possible to be a 'Renaissance man' in the 21st Century, Aym is working hard to be one.

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