8 Foods to Help Protect You From Radiation

Recently in the news, it was revealed that millions of tons of radioactive water has been spilling into the Pacific Ocean since the earthquake in Japan in 2011.

Water that contains more than 16 times the “safe” levels of cesium is now circulating freely in our waters. The American Medical Association has called for the American government to monitor and report radiation levels in seafood.

Some officials say seafood is safe, while others simply can’t tell us because they don’t test. A contaminated tuna was caught near the coast of California in May of 2012, and Russian officials have expressed concern about fish caught off its coast.

Radiation affects your levels of vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as several of the N vitamins. It also affects neuro-hormones, fatty acids, and calcium.

So what are we supposed to do? If you do eat seafood, you should definitely consider eating certain foods to help protect you from any radiation contamination. Obviously, the goal is to prevent radiation from getting into your body; the second goal is to take steps to eliminate it.

Support the Thyroid

Your thyroid can’t distinguish between non-radioactive and radioactive iodine, so your goal is to eat foods high in radioactive-free iodine to fill up your thyroid with “safe” iodine. You can do this with iodine supplements, but you can also get it from natural sources such as seaweed and haddock from safe waters.

Health-Supporting Foods

Some of the foods you can eat to protect against radiation include those containing chlorophyll, miso soup, fermented vegetables, cultured milk products, cruciferous vegetables, sea vegetables, bee and flower pollen, and foods high in pectin.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll can detox heavy metals, inhibit radiation, and increase healing, among other things. Foods high in chlorophyll include barley grass/wheatgrass and chlorella. A typical preventative serving of wheatgrass is four to six ounces; if you’re new to taking it, start off with one ounce daily and slowly increase how much you drink per day.

Fermented Vegetables

Vegetables and juices fermented in lactic acid can treat many conditions, including cancer, and can maintain health to help prevent cancer in the first place. Eat lacto-fermented carrots, beets, beet tops, Swiss chard, sauerkraut, and celery.

Chlorella

Chlorella is a freshwater micro algae and is full of B vitamins, amino acids, vitamin C, and several minerals. You can get it in small pills or find “green” drink powders that contain it.

Miso Soup

Miso soup is made from fermented barley, rice, or soybeans. It often contains strips of seaweed. Studies have shown that people who eat miso every day have a lowered risk of dying from radiation-induced cancers.

Cultured Milk Products

Cultured (or fermented) milk products help to support health. Eat and drink yogurt, buttermilk, and unprocessed cheeses made from unhomogenized milk. If you have access to these products made from raw milk, so much the better.

Cruciferous Vegetables

Cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts, spinach, kale, cabbage, turnips, cauliflower, and broccoli can inhibit the growth of cancer cells, and also contain properties that fight radiation.

Bee and Flower Pollen

A study conducted out of the University of Vienna’s Women’s Clinic showed that women who took 20 grams of bee pollen three times each day were better able to tolerate the effects of radiation therapy for uterine cancer, compared to those who didn’t take bee pollen.

Bee pollen contains vitamins A, C, D, E, K; all the essential amino acids; B-complex; and 27 minerals.

Pectin

Foods high in pectin, such as apples, oranges, grapefruit, peaches, pears and peas, are great to eat if you want to protect yourself against radiation. Pectin binds itself to radioactive particles and thus these particles get flushed away along with the pectin.