Iodine protects against harmful effects of ionizing radiation

The nuclear crisis of Japan has sparked an increasing demand for a pill that could protect health of people from the effects of a type of radiation , although the risks only exist in the eastern country, the news agency publishes Associated Press.

The potassium iodide it's crystal salt that can prevent from damage what causes the ionizing radiation in case of a serious exposure. Its use gives protection to thyroid, especially in the case of children. The gland It needs iodine to produce hormones that regulate the body's energy and metabolism.

The thyroid gland does not know how to distinguish between iodo stable and radioiodine , and absorbs the one found in the body. A nuclear explosion releases radioactive iodine, so that exposed people can absorb it and cause thyroid cancer, among other affectations, according to publications of the American Thyroid Association.

Take pills potassium iodide protect the thyroid , although "it is not an antidote against radiation in general, "indicates the Dr. Irwin Redlener , pediatrician of the University of Columbia in the United States, for the agency.

However the potassium iodide in its liquid or pill form, it does not protect from other types of radiation or other parts of the body. Your intake is more recommended for children and pregnant women due to its activity in the thyroid and should be taken in the first hours after being exposed.

Here we present a fragment of the report made by the CNN news network about the effects of radiation on humans and potassium iodide.


Video Medicine: Radiation Exposure and Protection (Part 1) (March 2024).