[Hillary's Lovely Legs]

• Radioactive Iodine (Radioiodine) is a major radioisotope constituent of both nuclear power plant accidents and nuclear bomb explosions and can travel hundreds of miles on the winds.

• Even very small amounts of inhaled or ingested radioiodine can do grave damage as it will always concentrate, and be retained, in the small space of the thyroid gland. Eventually giving such a large radiation dose to thyroid cells there that abnormalities are likely to result, such as loss of thyroid function, nodules in the thyroid, or thyroid cancer. (Each year 12,000 Americans discover they have thyroid cancer, though from various assorted causes, and about 1000 die from it.)

• Chernobyl has shown, and continues to reveal, that the greatest danger from radioiodine is to the tiny thyroid glands of children. Researchers have found that in certain parts of Belarus, for example, 36.4 per cent of children, who were under the age of four at the time of the accident, can expect to develop thyroid cancer. Also, "This increase in incidence has been documented up to 500 km from the accident site."

• Health experts now estimate that the greatest health concerns affecting the largest number of people from a nuclear accident, or nuclear bomb explosion(s) anywhere in the world, will likely be from the release of radioiodine that is then carried downwind.

• The good news is that taking either Potassium Iodide (KI) or Potassium Iodate (KIO3) before exposure will saturate (fill up) a persons thyroid gland with safe stable iodine to where there is no room for later uptake of radioactive iodine. Once the thyroid is saturated, then any additional iodine (radioactive or stable) that is later inhaled or ingested is quickly eliminated via the kidneys.

• The bad news is that after Three Mile Island and Chernobyl all available KI and KIO3 supplies disappeared for months, almost overnight! The KI and KIO3 market is very thin and current limited inventory will be quickly depleted in any nuclear emergency occuring anywhere in the world. (At www.ki4u.com we expect to be 'out of business' within 24-hours of any nuclear emergency simply because we'll be totally sold-out with no illusions of getting re-supplied again any time soon!)

• Potassium Iodide (KI) and/or Potassium Iodate (KIO3) are now being stockpiled by most developed countries for future nuclear emergencies, except for here in the USA. However, very limited quantites are available for individual purchase in the USA.

• The only four KI and KIO3 formulations currently available on the market today are all here.

[FUSSBALL]

Chernobyl has shown, and continues to reveal, that the greatest danger from radioiodine is to the tiny thyroid glands of children. Researchers have found that in certain parts of Belarus, for example, 36.4 per cent of children, who were under the age of four at the time of the accident, can expect to develop thyroid cancer. Also, "This increase in incidence has been documented up to 500 km from the accident site."

I love it didnt someone just write earlier that Chernobyl ended up not hurting anyone and the evidence shows that we think radiation is worse than it realy is. HHMMMM Hysteria lol so funny

[blam]

Thanks for the very informative input. I knew that someone who knew this 'stuff' would come along. So, we should start taking KI ahead of any expected radiation exposure? Also, if we're attacked with radiation weapons, wouldn't our allies supply us with their KI?

[Vauss]

radioactive iodine has a half-life of 8 days, which is what makes it deadly. So first they have to get a supply (how?), then they have to use it darn quick, because in 2 months, it is useless. I wouldn't worry too much about this one.

[Terriergal]

This raises a question - why *potassium* iodide as opposed to iodized table salt? Don't they add iodine as a supplement, and wouldn't that keep your thyroid well-supplied?