Even as the article is being written and for many, many years to come, the unfolding of the damage and ongoing effects of the Japan nuclear reactor will continue to affect the earth and the lives of many people.

The initial effects will be seen in the loss of lives of the workers and then the people closest to the reactor. It will be seen in the food chains, air and water supplies for many years to come. If individuals and governments choose not to look, then the effects will seem small, yet for those who analyze the situation and available information, a different picture will be had. The effects will be felt far from the epicenter of the Japan event and possibly even globally. One such example may be found in the wild boar that is hunted for consumption in Germany.  Three decades later, there are still thousands of pounds of kill that cannot be consumed and must be destroyed each year, due to the high levels of radiation from Chernobyl ­– the land and mushrooms they feed on is still radiation polluted.

Contrary to statements provided by the federal government, no level of radiation is safe and it cumulative – each dose adds to the risk of cancer. Children are 10 to 20 times more radiation sensitive than adults and fetuses are even more extremely sensitive. The incubation period for cancer is long – between five to sixty years. Some radiation particles can last 16,000 years and radiation can concentrate thousands of times in the food chains. It is absorbed by the gut and like calcium, deposits into the bone (where it can induce bone cancer or leukemia).

Specifically, we must examine how various agencies and/or governments are assuring us of the “low risk” to our country and use comparison examples such as the exposure being equal to only (or a fraction of) one dental x-ray. This is highly misleading. An x-ray exposure is a one time event. The radiation exposure occurs and does not assault us again (unless we receive another x-ray). Nuclear radiation (while it may be the same or lesser dose than the dental x-ray) is absorbed into our body (via several routes) and remains in bones, tissues and/or organs to repeatedly expose us to ongoing radiation.  

One must look at the work of nuclear research physicist, Dr. Adam Petkau for which the Petkau Effect is named. Dr. Petkau’s research showed that 3500 rads delivered in 2¼ hours (26 rads/min) destroy/rupture a particular cell membrane. He also found that a much weaker radiation of 0.7 rads (1/2000 of the first dose) delivered in 11½ hours (1 millirad/min) would also destroy the membrane. This is counter-intuitive to prevailing beliefs and prior research on radiation exposure. The paradox is that the radiation is much more damaging in miniscule amounts than in higher concentrations of shorter exposure. In the lower dose the radiation created negative oxygen ions (free radicals) which, when left unchecked, destroys cell membranes,  (creating progressive cellular death) over time. In the higher exposure there is more interaction, competing and (ionic) combining of the radiation molecules, instead of interfering or attacking the body’s cell membranes. Basically, long-term low dosage of radiation exposure (this is what happens when it is absorbed into our bodies and or not released or drawn out) can be more damaging than high dose short exposure.

At the onset of the Japan disaster, there was talk about radiation protection using Potassium Iodide (KI). The benefit of this (while critically important) only really targets radioactive Iodide 131 and the thyroid where it would be absorbed. Virtually every source of Potassium Iodide was bought up, in our country, within a few days. But, what about other body sites?  Here are some of the ways radiation can affect us.

How Does Nuclear Radiation Affect The Body?

• BRAIN: Nerve cells (neurons) can die & brain blood vessels can shrink, leading to seizures & dementia.
• BONE:  Radiation exposure absorbed into  bones can cause bone cancers, immune problems & leukemia.
• EYES: Radiation exposure increases the risk of cataracts.
• THYROID: When a nuclear reactor malfunctions, radioactive iodine (I-131) can be released into the atmosphere (this is one of the particles that hangs out in a “radioactive plume”). The thyroid is very sensitive to the effects of I-131 (in fact, I-131’s affinity for the thyroid is used therapeutically to specifically attract radiation to the thyroid in order to treat thyroid cancer and overactive thyroid). When a healthy thyroid is exposed to I-131, it can lead to decreased thyroid function and, over time, thyroid cancer.
• LUNGS: Breathing in invisible nuclear fallout particles can lead to lung cancer.
• HEART: High doses of radiation can damage the cells in the blood vessels that feed the heart, reducing cardiac function.
• GI TRACT: Sensitive cells in the intestinal lining can be damaged, leading to nausea, bloody vomiting, and bloody diarrhea.  More subtle immune dysfunction can also develop.
• REPRODUCTIVE ORGANS: Rapidly dividing cells (eggs and sperm) in the ovaries and testes can die, leading to sterility.  When conception does occur, there can be genetic and/or physical disabilities.
• SKIN: Rapidly dividing skin cells can be damaged, leading to skin lesions, and burn or long term cancer.
• LYMPHATIC SYSTEM: Rapidly dividing lymphatic cells die and damaged bone marrow may have trouble replenishing these immune-boosting cells, increasing the risk of infection, as well as cancer.

Part II of this article will address specific preventative and intervention suggestions, including food, supplements and other items and approaches.

Dr Richard Statler has been a lifelong advocate of a healthier lifestyle. This includes Personal , Planetary and Spiritual perspectives. He is a Huntington Long Island based chiropractor with background in Nutrition, Naturopathy, Oriental, Shamanic, Energetic, Craniosacral, Reiki, and other healing modalities.