Drink Soda Twice a Day? Add One Pound Fat per week.

The Effects of Soda on Your Body.

Soda is about 55% fructose that is quickly turned into fat.

2 bottles of soda a day adds up to one pounds of fat a week.

Watch the ABC Report that shows just how FAST your blood sugar will shoot up.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

These 150 Calories Go Straight to Your Bulging Belly -
at the Rate of 1 Pound per Week...

Read the full article by Dr. Mercola HERE

Soda is on my list of the five absolute worst foods and drinks you can consume. The video above offers a compelling illustration of why I make this claim.

In it, reporter Yunji DeNies drinks a 20-ounce glass of cola, which contains the equivalent of 16 teaspoons of sugar in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This is nearly three times the maximum daily sugar intake recommended by the American Heart Association.

HFCS typically contains a mixture of 45 percent glucose and 55 percent fructose (although recent investigations have found that many brand-name sodas actually contain 65 percent fructose!).

Once ingested, your pancreas rapidly begins to create insulin in response to the sugar. The rise in blood sugar is quite rapid. Here’s a play-by-play of what happens in your body upon drinking a can of soda:

• Within 20 minutes, your blood sugar spikes, and your liver responds to the resulting insulin burst by turning massive amounts of sugar into fat.
• Within 40 minutes, caffeine absorption is complete; your pupils dilate, your blood pressure rises, and your liver dumps more sugar into your bloodstream. As you could see in the report above, DeNies’ blood glucose level was 79 at the outset of the experiment, and after 40 minutes it had risen to 111!
• Around 45 minutes, your body increases dopamine production, which stimulates the pleasure centers of your brain – a physically identical response to that of heroin, by the way.
• After 60 minutes, you’ll start to have a blood sugar crash, and you may be tempted to reach for another sweet snack or beverage.

As I’ve discussed on numerous occasions, chronically elevated insulin levels (which you would definitely have if you regularly drink soda) and the subsequent insulin resistance is a foundational factor of most chronic disease, from diabetes to cancer.

Fructose Turns into Fat Far Faster than Other Sugars, and Fats

Lately, the media has finally begun reporting on the science of fructose, which clearly shows it is far worse than other sugars.

Fructose is processed in your liver, and unlike other sugars, most of it gets shuttled into fat storage. This is why fructose is a primary culprit behind obesity—far more so than other sugars. According to the news report above, drinking two bottles of soda per day can make you gain a pound of fat per week!

Aside from the weight gain, eating too much fructose is linked to increased triglyceride levels. In one study, eating fructose raised triglyceride levels by 32 percent in men! Triglycerides, the chemical form of fat found in foods and in your body, are not something you want in excess amounts.

Intense research over the past 40 years has confirmed that elevated blood levels of triglycerides, known as hypertriglyceridemia, puts you at an increased risk of heart disease.

Meanwhile, one of the most thorough scientific analyses published to date on this topic found that fructose consumption not only leads to insulin resistance but also decreases leptin signaling to your central nervous system. Leptin is responsible for controlling your appetite and fat storage, as well as telling your liver what to do with its stored glucose.

When your body can no longer “hear” leptin’s signals, weight gain, diabetes and a host of related conditions may occur. So, as you can see, fructose contributes to poor health through a number of mechanisms...

What Else is in Soda?

Before you grab that next can, take a look at some of the major components found in most sodas:

High fructose corn syrup: When you eat 120 calories of glucose, less than one calorie is stored as fat. 120 calories of fructose, on the other hand, results in 40 calories being stored as fat. Consuming fructose is essentially consuming fat! The metabolism of fructose by your liver creates a long list of waste products and toxins, including a large amount of uric acid, which drives up blood pressure and causes gout. Fructose also interferes with your brain’s communication with leptin, resulting in overeating.	Benzene. While the federal limit for benzene in drinking water is 5 parts per billion (ppb), researchers have found benzene levels as high as 79 ppb in some soft drinks, and of 100 brands tested, most had at least some detectable level of benzene present.
About 150 empty calories, most of which will turn into fat	Phosphoric acid, which can interfere with your body's ability to use calcium, leading to osteoporosis or softening of your teeth and bones.
Between 30 to 55 mg of caffeine, which can cause jitters, insomnia, high blood pressure, irregular heartbeat, elevated blood cholesterol levels, vitamin and mineral depletion, breast lumps, birth defects, and perhaps some forms of cancer.	Aspartame: This chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilispsy/seizures.
Artificial food colors, including caramel coloring, which has recently been identified as carcinogenic. The artificial brown coloring is made by reacting corn sugar with ammonia and sulfites under high pressures and at high temperatures. This produces the chemicals 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, which have been found to cause lung, liver and thyroid cancer in lab rats and mice.	Tap Water: I recommend that everyone avoid drinking tap water because it can carry any number of chemicals including chlorine, trihalomethanes, lead, cadmium, and various organic pollutants. Tap water is the main ingredient in bottled soft drinks.
Sulfites. People who are sulfite sensitive can experience headaches, breathing problems, and rashes. In severe cases, sulfites can actually cause death.	Sodium benzoate, a common preservative found in many soft drinks, which can cause DNA damage. This could eventually lead to diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson's.

Health Effects of Soda Consumption

After looking at the list above, is it any wonder that a number of studies have now linked soda consumption with obesity and related health problems?

One such independent, peer-reviewed study published in the British medical journal The Lancet found that 12-year-olds who drank soft drinks regularly were more likely to be overweight than those who didn't. In fact, for each additional daily serving of sugar-sweetened soft drink consumed during the nearly two-year study, the risk of obesity jumped by 60 percent!

As mentioned earlier, soda clearly elevates your insulin levels, and elevated insulin levels are the foundation of most chronic disease. Not only does drinking just one soda per day increase your risk of diabetes by 85 percent, it also increases your risk of:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Arthritis
• Osteoporosis
• Gout
• Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD)

One of the Simplest Ways to Radically Improve Your Health

By now you probably know what that is...

Quit drinking soda.

Eliminating soft drinks is one of the most crucial factors to address many of the health problems you or your children suffer. Again, this is because normalizing your insulin levels is one of the most powerful physical actions you can take to improve your health and lower your risk of disease and long-term chronic health conditions.

Pure water is a much better choice, or if you must drink a carbonated beverage, try sparkling mineral water with some lime or lemon juice.

*******Got pure water? The pitcher filters don't filter out too many toxins and they are expensive in the long run. Plastic water bottles aren't good for the environment or for you. Many manufactures are bottling tap water (even from the Detroit River) and charging a premium.

Here's a better solution, filter your own water at home into reusable glass or stainless steel water bottles. Even on a limited budget, there are very affordable quality systems. (Aquasana is one affordable system)

Dr. Josh Axe to be Guest on Get Better Wellness Podcast 3/22/11

Dr. Josh Axe, wellness physician, was a guest
March 22, 2011 on the Get Better Wellness Radio Show.

Our topic: "Busting Belly Fat"

Dr. Josh Axe: "If you’re like many other people, losing the fat around your midsection is the biggest problem area in your weight loss journey. You’ve watched the numbers on the scale fall, but haven’t seen a corresponding loss in belly fat."

Do you want to know the secret to dumping the belly fat? How to eat? The best exercise? What about supplements?

Listen here as Dr. Axe brings information that will help shed light on the subject of shedding belly fat.
Dr. Axe is the author of The Real Food Diet Cookbook.
He is a wellness physician, popular radio show host and coveted national speaker committed to setting people free from their health problems so they can live their lives to their fullest potential. He is on a mission to change the face of health around the world.

Dr. Axe is the founder of Exodus health Center in Nashville TN which opened three years ago.
He has helped people recover from chronic diseases like Crohn's, colitis, and Type 2 Diabetes. He has helped individuals reduce or eliminate their need for prescription medication and he is doing an incredible job helping people learn how to take care of their bodies.


Host Erin Chamerlik, holistic nutritionist.

More about the Real Food Diet book by Dr. Josh Axe:

This cookbook contains recipes with three things in mind:
1. You love food. 2. You are busy. 3. You want to feel better and look better

I used to be just like you. I thought eating healthy meant you had to eat sticks, grass, dried tuna, and Brussels sprouts. But I found that eating real, natural foods and using proper preparation can make food taste amazing.

And the added bonus, you are going to lose weight and feel great. I used to be the guy who ate nothing but chicken breast and dried out broccoli, and I thought that was eating right. I had a lot to learn. Eating the right foods doesn’t have to be a chore. With the right recipes—like the ones in this book—you’ll find out how delicious eating healthy can be.

This book is filled with short, easy recipes that taste amazing and will make you feel better. What more could you ask for? Remember, it’s not rocket science.

The Power of One Amazing habit

The Power of One Amazing Habit

by Erin Chamerlik, MT(ASCP)

Holistic Nutritionist

How many times have we vowed to “eat better” or lose weight?

Filled with optimism and good intentions we jump with both feet into the deep end of the new plan only to find ourselves missing the mark, feeling defeated and quitting the plan.

This is where the Power of One Amazing Habit comes in. What if we chose to change just one tiny thing and didn’t even think about other changes until we had mastered the first tiny change? For today, let’s focus on incorporating one new habit into our busy lives.

Daily Lemon Water

What to do:

1. Upon rising, drink a glass of pure water.
2. Then, squeeze a fresh, raw lemon into a glass of water and drink it.
3. Rinse your mouth and teeth with more pure water.

The lemon is unique in many ways.

The chemist in me appreciates that the electrical charge of fresh, raw lemons is unlike any other food. It is similar to the digestive enzymes in our body. Even though a lemon is acidic it has a powerful alkalinizing effect on the body … this is good! Why?

Lemons can relieve many digestive problems:

Constipation, nausea, heartburn, bloating, and belching

• Make sure you are drinking about two quarts of water a day.
• Drink one glass of fresh lemon water in the morning.

Lemons turn on the body’s energy.

Lemons cleanse and activate the liver and prepare the liver to support the digestive process.

Lemons are great for the immune system.

One lemon gives you 47% RDA of vitamin C.

Drinking lemon juice prevents kidney stones.

Undissolved calcium forms crystals that may pass through the kidneys and into the urinary tract. Lemon juice dissolves the calcium so that it can be absorbed into the digestive tract and therefore be unable to cause kidney stones.

Lemons have a powerful effect on the body’s biochemistry and pH levels.

• The lemon is an acidic food that makes the body more alkaline.
• Disease does not like to live in an alkaline body and lemons are powerful alkalinizers!

Drinking fresh lemon juice in water is one habit that is easy to incorporate into your life. Tiny changes add up to pay big dividends in your health.

I look forward to sharing more simple tips for tiny changes with you soon.

Additional information:

The Juicing Book by Stephen Baluer

Back to Eden by Jethro Kloss

Announcing...Hot off the cyber press...

Announcing....Hot off the Cyber Press.....

I am very excited to announce the launch of a fabulous new web magazine.

I will be a regular contributor each month in the health, nutrition, and wellness sections.

Although this magazine,

Living Better at 50+

is geared for women, I think there are articles that people of all ages will enjoy!

• Home & Food
• Beauty & Fashion
• Health & Fitness
• Wellness
• Weight Loss
• Nutrition
• Relationships
• Women of Wisdom

Here is a link to my article:

The Power of

One Amazing Habit

The intention is for the LivingBetterat50 site to become a trusted resource for women, a place where you can find up-to-date information on topics that touch your life daily.

Please forward this e-mail announcement to women that might enjoy reading these articles. Thanks!!

Got Iodine?

March 16, 2011

Sign up to receive this newsletter Click here. Get Better Wellness IN THIS ISSUE Special Edition - Fukushima. Next issue: The ABC's of Alli, Bolthouse Farms and Crystal Light. COMPANY BUZZ Achieving Wellness & Weight Loss Class Register today for the next session A fun, informative way to learn how eating real food is the key to permanent weight loss, amazing energy, optimal health, and reduced cravings! This is not a diet. No calorie counting. No weighing food or tracking points. Real food. It will change your life! Registration Information ************** e-course! Achieving Wellness & Weight Loss Live too far away or can't come to the live class? Sign-up for the e-course Check out the e-course Get the e-book plus personal coaching from me on-line.  Erin Chamerlik, MT(ASCP) Holistic Nutrition & Wellness Coach STAY IN TOUCH Become a Facebook fan Visit my blog Follow me on Twitter Contact me Visit my website Sign up for this newsletter Get Better Wellness Radio Show iTunes Blog Talk Radio Got Iodine? The Real Food Revivalist! "In the United States, countless numbers have flocked to stores in pursuit of iodine tablets, said to help prevent thyroid cancer. Americans are obviously not buying the line promulgated by federal and state government that radiation does not pose a threat." - Prison Planet If you want potassium iodide, just in case the winds blow the stuff here, you are probably too late.  Now the scalpers are offering bottles of potassium iodide that sold for $20 last week on ebay for a "Buy It Now" Price of $5,000. The thought is that by taking a big dose of iodine, the iodine is taken up by the thyroid. This blocks the radioactive iodine floating around Fukushima from being taken up by your thyroid and reduces the risk for future thyroid cancer. (By the way, CT scans also increase your risk for thyroid cancer). Dr. David Brownstein, author of the book, Iodine, Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It, has been blogging about Fukushima, radioactive iodine, fallout, and iodine recommendations. You can read his blog to get the scoop. this week we are all learning more than we want to know about iodine and finding out maybe we are deficient - not a good thing in light of Fukushima. Fukushima Heroes Today Gregory Jaczko, head of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, said that he believes the spent fuel cooling pond atop reactor no. 4 at the facility about 150 miles north of Tokyo has boiled dry and that it is now spewing large amounts of radiation into the air. - LA Times Nuclear accidents aside, we need iodine to support our thyroid. Since your thyroid regulates the body's metabolic rate this is a very important trace element. Iodine deficiency during pregnancy can inhibit brain development in the fetus. Signs that you are low in iodine: goiter, fatigue weakness depression  weight gain. What are NATURAL sources of iodine?The best source of natural iodine is found in sea vegetables! Sea vegetables are edible seaweed species that have been a part of the traditional Japanese diet. Brown seaweeds include kombu, hijiki and kelp. Red seaweed includes dulse and nori. Sea vegetables are a rich source of minerals from the ocean. Iodine is a trace mineral found in seawater and sea vegetables. Sea vegetables also contain protein, vitamins and phytonutrients. Reconstituted sea vegetables can be served with fish, or chopped and added to soup, stir fry, or salads. Kelp granules provide 3 mg iodine per teaspoon. (Mike Adams) Shake some kelp granules into soup or on vegetables and salads. I also use Kombu.  Eden Foods packages dried Kombu and it is often available in health food stores.  Add a strip of Kombu to soups or when cooking dried beans. It can be soaked and stewed with vegetables.  Chop and add into broth or soup. 1 strip of Kombu has 2500 mcg of iodine. Purchase Nori sheets and make your own sushi or vegetable wraps at home. Here's an easy lunch idea.  Smear Nori sheets with mashed avocado. Layer thin sliced turkey, julienned carrots and maybe a little chopped lettuce and sprouts. Roll it up, cut into serving pieces and wrap until lunch. The Nori sheet will soften as some of the moisture is absorbed. Get creative! Try mixing in finely chopped veggies with the mashed avocado. Cauliflower and broccoli work well. Experiment with different vegetables like cucumber and spinach. Spice up the mashed avocado with a little hot sauce, garlic and/or Gluten-free Tamari Sauce. Nori sheets only provide about 16 mcg of iodine, but it is a nice healthy mineral-rich sea vegetable to add to your diet, especially when cutting out bread and simple carbs. Dairy is a source of iodine, but pasteurization destroys 20% of the iodine. For more information on raw milk, visit realmilk.com. Marine fish have more iodine than fresh water fish. Shellfish also have iodine. Eggs, meat, fish and poultry will have varying amounts of iodine depending on what the animal is eating. Sea salt has just trace amounts of iodine unless it has been added to the salt. This is not a valid reason to eat refined table salt which is devoid of beneficial minerals and has more sodium than sea salt. Choose unrefined sea salt like Real Salt brand. It will not be pure white because the minerals will be visible in the salt. Back to iodine. The RDA ("Ridiculously low" Daily Allowance) for iodine is just 150 micrograms (1,000 micrograms = 1 mg). Dr. David Brownstein recommends a daily intake of 6 - 12mg per day (6000 - 12,000 micrograms). In his blog, Dr. Brownstein says, "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." I personally use Iosol Iodine from WellnessResources  this is a premier water soluble form of iodine that is readily available for the body to use.   The most commonly used dose of Iosol Iodine is 1 drop of the preparation in a few ounces of water, taken once a day. Each drop has 1.8 mg of iodine or 1200% of the governments recommended daily value. So while we are worried about our own necks (and thyroids) and nuclear fallout reaching the US west coast, remember that thousands have already lost their lives and many more remain in Japan to face an uncertain future.  Millions have spent days in cold temperatures with little food or water.  CBN report: The human toll is harder to measure. Officials believe at least 10,000 people have been killed and millions more have spent days in the cold with little food or water. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, meeting with her Japanese counterpart in Paris Tuesday, offered the United States' condolence and solidarity. "Japan is always a very generous donor to any disaster anywhere in the world and today the world comes together to support Japan in its hour of need," Clinton said. How you can help the victims in Japan: Give to Operation Blessing Published by GetBetterWellness.com - Erin Chamerlik -Get Better Wellness Copyright © 2011 Get Better Wellness. All rights reserved.

Clay - Natural Treatment for Possible Radiation

Carolyn Dean, MD
Today's Wellness Tip From the Future...
http://drcarolyndean.com/tips?e=0157-1&p=3214

Aloha,

I'm being deluged with emails asking if I would recommend potassium
iodide to protect us from radiation that is slowly encircling the
world from the damaged nuclear reactors in Japan. Most of my
clients are already taking potassium iodine in the form of Iodorol,
so they would just increase their dose for the next two weeks.
However, iodine only protects the thyroid. What about the rest of
the body?

At risk of sounding simplistic, this is why I've been recommending
clay! I've been looking into ways of treating radiation poisoning
because of the incredible amounts of depleted uranium in the Middle
East. So, naturally, we're bringing clay to Dubai. Therefore, clay
becomes a natural treatment for the possible radiation that may
fall on us.

You may also adopt the philosophy that the sky may fall but it
won't fall on me. However, to even out your odds you can start
using clay. I'm sitting with my feet and lower legs in a bucket of
½ cup of clay (blended in water) and magnesium flakes. I use LL's
Magnetic Clay. http://www.magneticclay.com/123.html

On the LL's site you can find a specific Radiation Detox formula chock full
of herbs including an herbal source of iodine and
activated charcoal. The hot water in your bath opens up your pores
to release toxins that bind to the clay but it also allows
absorption of healing herbs. There are several good articles on 
detoxification and radiation on the LL's site that I found very
useful.

Another product that I recommend for heavy metal detox is
HMD (Heavy Metal Detox) a product that removes uranium as well as many
other heavy metals. http://www.heavymetaldetox.net/

Activated charcoal taken orally can also help neutralize radiation
as well as other poisons.

Thyme tea, rosemary tea, miso soup and seaweeds are good
antiradiation measures that you can also take. Remember, the
survivors of the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were the "seaweed eaters."

How do you choose what treatments and products to use? It really is
up to you. Just read through the list and see which ones resonate
with you and start playing with them.

Carolyn Dean MD ND
The Doctor of the Future

_____________________________________________________

SUBSCRIBE!
http://drcarolyndean.com/futurehealthnow

DISCLAIMER The entire contents of this email are based upon the
opinions of Dr. Carolyn Dean, unless otherwise noted. The information in this email is not
intended to replace a one-on-one
relationship with a qualified health care professional and is not intended as medical advice.
It is intended as a sharing of
knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Dean. Dr. Dean encourages
you to make your own health care
decisions based upon your own research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

Japanese Radiation Update 3

Japanese Radiation Update 3

by Dr. David Brownstein
Full Blog

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.

Nuclear meltdowns could spread to the US west coast

Japanese nuclear plants' operator scrambles to avert meltdowns

Nuclear meltdowns could spread to the US west coast

The following article was written by Paul Joseph Watson.
Read the full text here.

Paul Joseph Watson is the editor and writer for Prison Planet.com.

Nuclear expert Joe Cirincione warns that radiation from Japan’s multiple potential nuclear meltdowns could spread to the US west coast and that the threat represents an “unprecedented crisis,” as another explosion rocked the Fukushima complex and officials admitted that nuclear fuel rods at reactor number two have been fully exposed.

See the video on Fox News

“The worst case scenario is that the fuel rods fuse together, the temperatures get so hot that they melt together in a radioactive molten mass that bursts through the containment mechanisms and is exposed to the outside. So they spew radioactivity in the ground, into the air, into the water. Some of the radioactivity could carry in the atmosphere to the West Coast of the United States,” Cirincione told Fox News.

When host Chris Wallace questioned whether radioactivity could travel thousands of miles across the Pacific, Cirincione responded, “Oh, absolutely. Chernobyl, which happened about 25 years ago, the radioactivity spread around the entire northern hemisphere. It depends how many of these cores melt down and how successful they are on containing it once this disaster happens.”

“One reactor has had half the core exposed already,” explained Cirincione. “This is the one they’re flooding with sea water in a desperate effort to prevent it from a complete meltdown. They lost control of a second reactor next to it, a partial meltdown, and there is actually a third reactor at a related site 20-kilometers away they have also lost control over. We have never had a situation like this before.”

Fears that the radiation could reach the United States have prompted the California Department of Public Health to issue a statement saying they are assessing the situation and that they have radioactivity monitoring systems in place for air, water and the food supply.

As the Washington Blog has documented, pollution from Chinese coal factories routinely hits California.

But it’s not just the west coast that could be affected. According to Yoichi Shimatsu, former editor of the Japan Times, “In the event of a major meltdown and continuous large-volume radioactive release, airborne particles will be carried across the ocean in bands that will cross over the southern halves of Oregon, Montana and Idaho, all of California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Wyoming, the Dakotas, northern Nebraska and Iowa and ending in Wisconsin and Illinois, with possible further eastward drift depending on surface wind direction.”

Read the rest of article.
----------------------------------
Please read this from David Brownstein, MD

David Brownstein, M.D. is a Board-Certified family physician and is one of the foremost practitioners of holistic medicine. He is the Medical Director of the Center for Holistic Medicine in West Bloomfield, MI. Dr. Brownstein has lectured internationally to physicians and others about his success in using natural hormones and nutritional therapies in his practice. Dr. Brownstein has authored nine books:

Iodine: Why You Need It, Why You Can't Live Without It (2nd Ed.) »

Saturday, March 12, 2011

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 us, leaving our bodies 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 from 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 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.

Monday, March 14, 2011

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.