Dr Brownstein's Radiation Advice

From Dr. Brownstein's Blog drbrownstein.com

Japan, Radiation Fallout and Iodine Recommendations

With the terrible earthquake in Japan, let’s send thoughts, prayers as well as assistance to the Japanese.

I have had inquiries about the use of iodine to prevent problems secondary to the nuclear fallout that will occur. As the Japanese nuclear reactors release radiation into the air, the jet streams will push this radiation to the Western U.S. and Canada. There are estimates that the radiation fallout will reach the Western side of N. American in six to ten days. Furthermore, I have seen estimates that it is expected that 750 RADS may contaminate these areas.

How much is 750 RADS? One chest x-ray is approximately 3/100 RADS. One CT scan is 1 RAD.

Folks, potentially this is a lot of radiation. Fortunately, we have an item that can prevent this fallout from damaging us: iodine. If there is enough inorganic, non-radioactive iodine in our bodies, the radioactive fallout has nowhere to bind in our bodies. IT will pass through, unharmed.

It is important to ensure that we have adequate iodine levels BEFORE this fallout hits. How much iodine is recommended?

The CDC recommends using iodine to prevent injury form radioactive iodine fallout. Adults and women who are breastfeeding should take 130mg of potassium iodide. Children who are between 3 and 18 years of age should take 65mg of potassium iodide. Children who are adult size should take the adult dose. Infants and children between 1 month and 3 years of age should take 32mg of potassium iodide. Newborns from birth to one month of age should be given 16mg of potassium iodide.

When should you take iodine? For an acute exposure, you want to take iodine just before the exposure hits. Iodine is cleared out of the body within 24 to 72 hours after taking it. However, If you have been using ortho-iodosupplementation as I describe in my books and lectures (taking from 6-50mg/day of iodine and iodide), you should be covered. Remember, the goal is to not let the radioactive iodine bind in the body.

Potassium Iodide can be found in many health food stores. Combinations of iodide/iodine can be obtained from holistic physicians. Iodoral, Iodozyme HP, and Lugol’s solution are examples of this form of iodine. For long-term treatment, combinations are much more effective. More information about this can be found in my book, Iodine Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It, 4th Edition (available at http://www.drbrownstein.com).


I do not recommend starting the first dose of iodine right now. It is important to follow the news reports and supplement accordingly. I would suggest starting iodine supplements within one to two days of the expected fallout. If the fallout is expected to continue, you may need to take more than one dose of iodine. I will keep you updated as I find out more information.

Japan Radiation Update
I have received many questions from my post yesterday about the nuclear disaster in Japan. Unfortunately, there has been little information about the amount of radiation released from either Japan or the U.S. I find it hard to believe no one in the U.S. government has any idea on the amount of radiation that has been released and the amount of radiation that is predicted to fall over the U.S. in the next 3-7 days.

What should we do? I still say that we have time to sit tight as there is still time to take enough iodine in order to prevent problems from radioactive iodine. How much iodine? As stated yesterday, the U.S. government recommends 130mg of potassium iodide in the event of a nuclear disaster. However, that amount is only necessary for those who are near a nuclear explosion.

Thankfully, we are not near the explosion. As the cloud drifts over the ocean, the amount of radioactivity will dissipate. Although there is no sure amount that we know will prevent damage from this catastrophe, ensuring adequate iodine intake will minimize any exposure to radioactive iodine. How much iodine is that? Until we know what the exposure is going to be, no one can know what dose of iodine to take.

Now it is time to get off the fence. The average Japanese ingests around 13mg of iodine per day. This is 100x more than the average U.S. citizen. I have discussed this in my book, Iodine Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It. Since I have been recommending most people take 6-50mg of iodine per day, I would suggest taking the average Japanese dose of 13mg/day. This is one Iodoral pill or one Iodozyme HP pill or two drops of Lugol’s iodine. I do not believe microgram doses will do the trick.

There is risk with taking iodine, just as there is risk with any substance, but my experience has shown this dose to be safe for the vast majority of people. Please discuss this dosage with your health care provider before beginning supplementation.

In the next day or two, I will try to answer the questions that I have received about this crises. Also, I will keep you informed if any new information becomes available.

(page 218)
There is some concern that the ingestion of iodine in the excess of RDA (150 ug/day) will cause adverse effects. I will show you that with the proper monitoring and dosing of iodine, it is safe and effective to use at doses above the DA. There are seven major concerns using iodine in excess of the RDA:

1. Allergy
2. Autoimmune thyroid disease
3. Detoxification reactions
4. Iodine-induced hypothyroidism and goiter
5. Iodism
7. Thyroid Cancer

(page 226)
How much Iodine Should You take
1. First morning urine id discarded
2. Take 50 mg of iodoral with a glass of water
3. Collect 24 hour urune. Include the first morning sample at the end of the 24 hour collection
4. Send a sample of the 24 hour urine for evaluation of iodine status.

Research has shown that 90% exretion (or 45 mg of iodine) of a 50 mg iodine loading test would indicate an iodine sufficient state. Level below 90% or ( <45 mg) would indicate an iodine deficiency state. In this case, iodine supplementation can begin and retesting can be performed in the future.

(Page 228)
Although the dose should be individualized, my experience has shown that the dose can vary from a 6-50 mg/day for most adults

Radiation poisioning is tricky to say the least. Some people can manage massive amounts of it with no ill effects, others can't. Apparently there's a mental side of it too.

Distilled water, the right oils, flax and olive, niacin, exercise and sauna.

You may have heard of the Niacin flush. When you take niacin oftentimes the skin will get red and flush. It's my understanding that is radiation coming out.

I did the Scientology Purification rundown back in 1989. It's a combination of execise, oils, nutrition and sauna. When in the sauna the old sunburns I had would
"turn on". They would last about 10-15 minutes and be gone. That was the various sunburns I got as a kid and in Vietnam.

It was funny too. The last one that happened was from Firebase Niagara. Of course being new in country I didn't know any better so I walked around all day without a shirt on. Wrong - tropics - Serious sunburn. When in the sauna 19 years later that sunburn manifested. Ouch, hurt too. I was beet red from the waist up. One of the guys I was doing the purif with noticed that I had a white spot on my chest and it looked like I was wearing a necklace where my skin was white up my chest and around my neck. It was the dog tags on the chain around my neck.

Anyway, from that experience the radiation did indeed go away. At the time it wasn't that expensive to do but I'm sure the price has gone way up. Plus, people don't like the Scientologists because the prices are so high. Most folks think it's just a rip-off but it has saved my life several times.

So the niacin apparently draws the radiation out. But the oils are the most important part. You must have good oils going in at all times. Flax and olive. And drink distilled water to draw out all the chemicals from the drugs you've taken.

Chemical detox is what you need. The radiation will wear off over time. The chemicals got to go. I lived on Schulzes detox tea for several years. Had at least a full cup of that everyday. You probably won't need that much but in all the searching I've done that seems to work the best.

So, do the basics program and detox tea. The important thing with chemical poisoning is to keep the liver open. Chemical poisoning slows liver function. Ultimately leading to cancer. Not to worry you're nowhere near that. Takes years to develop. So if you get cleaned up on the inside now the cancer will never manifest then.

There's about 5 steps between chemical poisoning and the cancer manifesting. I cover that in my book and CD. I got poisoned in 1970 and the cancer didn't show up until 1990. Started Clarks protocols in 1995 and the cancer was gone by 1998. Used a bit of Schulzes stuff too.

So now is the time to detox if you've been exposed to any kind of poisons or have taken an abundance of meds over the years. And of course the first rule is NO MORE MEDS. Stop poisoning yourself. Prescription drugs ARE chemicals. OTC are too.

Distilled water, oils, exercise, sauna, colon, liver and antiparasite, toss in a little niacin for the radiation. Not too much is it???

Doc Sutter

Niacin causes a flush, which includes red and itchy skin, but that is because it dilates blood vessels, even the tiniest capillaries, which releases radiation and other toxins from the body.

Radiation from the sun, microwaves, cell phone towers, computers, TVs, X-Rays, MRIs, Ultrasound, etc. and many other sources, along with many other toxins, build up in the body – remember all those terrible sunburns? Radiation is flushed out by taking Niacin, which also helps the body get rid of heavy metals and it oxygenates the body. Note: A high good fats diet also helps get rid of toxins and heavy metals, but niacin is the best nutrient for getting rid of radiation.

A niacin flush causes discomfort which lasts less than 1-2 hours, but it isn't harmful in any way. Do not buy non-flushing niacin, called niacinamide which does not provide the same benefits that "true" Niacin does.

How does this relate to niacin flush, you ask? Simple. Niacin causes the capillaries to get bigger, and the end result is the "flush". The increase in size of your capillaries causes, in some cases, a redness on your skin in the areas that it is occurring. This is the first part of niacin flush. The second reaction of niacin flush is the annoying, and sometimes painful itch that comes along with it. This itch is actually healthy! The reason you are experiencing this itch is because the niacin has allowed more blood to reach your cells to remove toxins from them. As toxins are carried away and your cell becomes healthier, it is finally able to "call" your body for help! Your body responds by sending what is called a histamine to the cell. Histamines cause you to itch, but they also allow your body to send more water, blood, and nutrients to the area that called them.

To sum it all up, the niacin flush is actually a very healthy reaction from your body! You shouldn't be alarmed when you get it; actually the very opposite! It means your body is healing itself. You'll notice that after a certain dosage of niacin that eventually you will not receive the niacin flush any longer. Once you up the dosage, you may experience it again

Japanese Radiation Update 3
As the news in Japan worsens, I am getting more and more questions about what to do. Let me try and address as many questions as possible. I will keep blogging about this until most of the questions are answered.

First, I believe the Japanese government is not being truthful about the magnitude of the disaster. I believe they do not want to create a panic. This disaster is far from over. In Japan, I feel the situation will get much worse before it gets better. However, for those of us in North America, we will get a much smaller dose of radioactive iodine as compared to the Japanese.

Therefore, the most important thing to keep in mind is do not panic. I do not believe that people will by dying in the U.S. due to the radioactive spread from Japan. However, depending on the amount of radiation released and weather patterns, it is not clear what our exposure will be. I may be wrong on my assessment. Time will tell.

The good news is that there is a safe and effective treatment widely available that prevents harm from exposure to radioactive iodine. It is the use of nonradioactive, inorganic iodine. That is the form of iodine I have been researching and using in my practice for nearly 10 years.
What dose of iodine will prevent damage from exposure to radioactive iodine? My mentor, Dr. Guy Abraham’s research answered this question. His research indicated that milligram doses (note: this is 1,000 times a microgram dose) are necessary to prevent radioactive iodine from damaging the thyroid gland. How much? Around 13mg/day prevents approximately 96% of radioactive iodine from binding to the thyroid gland. That is the approximate dosage of iodine ingested daily by the Japanese. This is over 100x the average daily dose ingested by Americans.

Please keep in mind it is not just the thyroid gland that is at risk with exposure to radioactive iodine. The breasts, ovaries, uterus, prostate, skin, and other organs all bind and require iodine for optimal functioning. In fact, every cell in our body requires iodine for optimal functioning. Therefore, if we are iodine deficient, exposure to radioactive iodine can potentially result in damage to all the cells of the body. My experience has shown over 95% of patients are deficient in iodine.

I believe iodine deficiency is one of the underlying causes of the epidemic of cancer of the breast, thyroid, ovaries, uterus and prostate. Furthermore, iodine deficiency is the underlying cause of thyroid disorders including Hashimoto’s disease, Grave’s disease, goiter, and hypothyroidism. Our iodine levels have fallen 50% over the last 30 years. During that time, all of the above conditions have been rising at near epidemic rates.

I have written extensively about these ideas in my book, Iodine Why You Need It, Why You Can’t Live Without It.
Who should supplement with iodine? If you don’t have a contraindication to iodine supplementation, I believe it should be a part of most people’s daily regimen. As with any substance, some people may not tolerate iodine. My experience has shown that most people can tolerate the doses I have written about. Before supplementing with iodine, I suggest discussing this with your health care provider.

I will do my best to keep you updated on this situation. Let’s send our thoughts, prayers, and support to the Japanese.