Radiation may have positive effects on health: study

Statistical studies show that residents of the Mississippi delta area get more cancers than people living at higher altitudes in Colorado. In the Mississippi delta, radiation levels - both naturally occurring and due to cosmic rays, are lower than areas such as Denver, where natural background radiation (Uranium, etc. in the granite) plus higher cosmic rays causes a higher level of radiation exposure.

Hormesis studies have been done ... and one accidental study was for a long-term low level exposure to lots of people. In Mexico City, a high rise apartment dwelling was built of steel that had a radioactive cobalt source that was melted/destroyed when the steel was mixed. The building was radioactive ... low level ... significantly above background, but not a high level (maybe 5 mRem/day ??).
Long term residents in the building ended up with significantly lower cancer rates after 5 years.

Hormesis is the concept used when someone with allergies gets allergy shots. Over time, the body's immune system learns how to better fight the problem. A body exposed to low level radiation may also learn how to better recognize and fight possible cancer cells.
Interesting concepts ... and probably worth more studies.

Mike

National Commie-o-graphic had an article a while back about a spa somewhere in the Midwest (?) where there is a cave which produces natural radiation, and it has turned into a mecca for tourists to irradiate themselves (as well as the townspeople, who all have 7 arms and two... (never mind))

They're all convinced that it cures all their ills (hmmm.... I didn't note whether it cures Lie-beralism... should check into that)

I've had 3,000 rads blasted through my abdomen (300 rads at at time) as a cancer treatment in 1985. I learned first hand the joys of "conditioned response" of the type depicted by Pavlov's dogs. The radiation treatments caused 4 to 6 hours of vomiting after each treatment. As the treatments proceeded, I would become increasingly nauseous as I traveled to the oncologist's office. By the time I stepped in the door, my stomach was already wretching. It took almost a year before I could travel the path past the treatment facility without some nausea.

The linear accelerator techs could not enter the room for 10 minutes after zapping me because of the high levels of radiation in the air. The would fire 150 rads front to back, then rotate the aperture 180 degrees and fire back to front. The ionized air has a very acrid odor. As I became more conditioned, it was noticeable even in the waiting room.

Having had the experience, I'm not anxious to purposely experience radiation poisoning again. Even under controlled circumstances.

That is *A LOT* of radiation. (But you knew that...).

The doses referred to here (with however much credibility) are probably just a few multiples of background, not even diagnostic X-ray strength.

I'm not going for it either, though... (and I didn't even bring up the "radium water generators" they used to sell, but I'm sure a web search will turn them up)

If you can get past the anti-nuke crazies who fight this heresy tooth and nail. They scream about every attempt to fund hormesis studies and when they cannot stop them, their minions in the scientific community try to prevent publication and rational discussion.

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