A really good article about radiation poisoning and iodine tablets.

[Rabblevox]

It's long and wonky, but written for a reasonably intelligent non-scientist.



Why take iodide for radiation poisoning?
By Leigh Krietsch Boerner


http://ljkboerner.wordpress.com/2011/03/12/why-give-iodide-for-radiation-poisoning/

[somone]

1. Great explanation

[applegrove]

2. Thank you so much for posting this. I sent it to my brother who is in Kyoto Japan, 600 miles

away from the epicentre.

[Festivito]

3. Just take enough iodine to fill the thyroid need so the radioactive stuff can't find a parking spot.

Because if the bad Iodine parks in your thyroid, it sits there taking pot shots at your genes until one of them actually deforms into a cancer. And now you say yuch with a disgusted feel to it.

Oh, and fission is when an atom's nucleus splits, usually after being hit by a neutron, rather than just being an atom being hit by a neutron. Not that it matters I guess.

[Rabblevox]

4. it does matter, and thanks for the clarification....

There is so much mis and dis-information out there, I think accuracy and clarity helps.

[Igel]

5. Cancer risk isn't great.

Non-zero, to be sure.

The greater risk is rampant hypothyroidism caused by RAI-induced die-off of thyroid cells.

Esp. bad in places where a lot of the traditioanl winter vegetables are Brassica. Most of them are thyroid-suppressant.