Conscious Eating Part 29

The post-Chern.o.byl statistics in the United States, compiled by Dr. Sterngla.s.s and presented at the First Global Radiation Victims Conference in New York in September 1987, impressively convey the seriousness of the radiation problem. The infant mortality rate following the arrival of the Chern.o.byl fallout in early May of 1986 showed a 54% increase in June 1986 in the Pacific region of the United States. Washington state had the highest rate in the region with a 245% increase in deaths per thousand live births. California was next highest with a 48% increase in infant mortality as compared to June of the year before. These high rates lasted for July and August. Ma.s.sachusetts led the nation in post-Chern.o.byl increase of infant mortality rate with an increase of 900% per thousand live births! Ma.s.sachusetts also had a decline of 70% in newborns. The rate of live births also decreased throughout the country in response to the Chern.o.byl fallout. The US fertility rate decreased 8.3% in July and August to the lowest level ever observed in United States history In the eight months following the accident, there was a total decrease of 60,000 newborns in the United States. This was followed by a return to the approximated average rate of live births in September. This suggests that the sharp decrease in live births in July and August 1986, following the arrival of radioactive particles from the Chern.o.byl fallout, was a result of the fallout, with a sudden increase in miscarriages, fetal deaths, and still-births observed. We are profoundly affected by accidents of our nuclear technology. It is time to move out of government-supported denial and do something about it and at least try to protect ourselves with diet.

In his paper, Dr. Sterngla.s.s suggests that this rapid rise in perinatal mortality and decrease in live births was a.s.sociated with an increase of radioactive iodine in the rainwater in New England, which was the highest in the country at the time. I covered my organic garden with plastic for the first several rains after the fallout from Chern.o.byl came to California. The rise in iodine-131 in the water correlates with rise of radioactive iodine-131 in milk. The rapid rise and fall of these statistics suggest that it had to be a.s.sociated with a short-lived radioactive agent, such as iodine-131, which has a half-life of eight days and a radioactive release life of 160 days. Although the developing fetus and infants are the most sensitive to radioactive fallout for the reasons already explained, the post-Chern.o.byl fallout was a.s.sociated with an overall rise in mortality for all ages. Ma.s.sachusetts was the highest, with an increase in total deaths for all ages of 43%, and California and Washington state were next, with an increase in total mortality rates of 39% and 40%. The statistics show 35,000 more deaths for all ages in the US in the eight months following the arrival of Chern.o.byl radioactivity than would be expected based on the normal rates for this time in previous years. Dr. Sterngla.s.s thinks that his Chern.o.byl accident observations can explain the unexpectedly large increases of infant and total mortality rates in areas located near nuclear reactors. Sterngla.s.s further points out that the ... effect of the radioactivity appears to have been similar to that of the intense (radioactive) air pollution episodes of the 1950s and 1960s during the period of large-scale, atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons.

According to Diet for the Atomic Age by Sara Shannon, as of 1980, about thirty million Americans live within thirty miles of a nuclear power or weapons plant, and are thus exposed to abnormally high doses of radiation.

Something Can Be Done.

ISHARE THIS INFORMATION TO ALERT PEOPLE to a situation that the government of the United States apparently wants to ignore or minimize. On the positive side, there is a lot we can do to minimize the negative effects of radiation. In addition to the general prescription to live as healthful a lifestyle as is possible, there is a specific radiation protection diet that maximizes the preservation of health and specifically neutralizes the effects of radiation.

Decreasing one's susceptibility by improving one's overall health is one place to begin. A person's susceptibility usually is not included in calculating risk factors among radiation workers and those exposed to radioactive fallout by members of the medical profession who use nuclear medicine (including X-rays). Taking the average dose does not allow for the increased danger for those who are not in optimal health or who fall into the more susceptible age groups. This point was driven home by Dr. Stewart's study ent.i.tled, "Delayed Effects of A-Bomb Radiation: A Review of Recent Mortality Rates and Risk Estimates for Five-Year Survivors," published in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health in 1982. She established the fact that those who were the healthiest were the ones with the best survival rates. Dr. Irwin Bross, in his article published in the New England Journal of Medicine in July 1972, was able to select which children would be twenty-five times more likely to develop leukemia from X-ray exposure. His work reinforces the point that one cannot determine "safe levels of radiation exposure" based on an "average exposure" of "average individuals." This fallacious concept of an "average," safe exposure limit does not provide an exposure limit that protects the most susceptible groups. There is no such thing as an average or safe dose of radiation.

Principles of Dietary Protection from Radiation.

THE POPULATION GROUPS that are most susceptible to radiation poisoning are those in poor health, fetuses, infants, young children, and older people. The older people are more affected because their immune systems are often weaker and because of a preexisting acc.u.mulation of radiation exposure throughout their lives. Whether one is in a susceptible group or even in optimal health, the ability to minimize the effects of radiation can be greatly enhanced by a healthy diet and lifestyle and the inclusion of special foods in the diet known to maximize protection from all forms of nuclear radiation. We have already discussed extensively the meaning of a healthy diet, so now we will explore the use of foods and herbs that specifically minimize the effect of radiation.

The antiradiation diet is built on four principles. The first is the principle of selective uptake, which essentially means that if one has enough minerals in the system, the cells become saturated with minerals. Once cellular mineral saturation occurs, there is less opportunity for the radioactive minerals to be absorbed into the system. For example, with such minerals as calcium or iodine, if there is sufficient natural calcium, or iodine in the system, the body will not tend to absorb additional strontium-90, which is a close equivalent to calcium or iodine-131. If the normal mineral levels are low, then strontium-90 and iodine-131 will be more easily absorbed. When any of these radioactive minerals are absorbed into a particular tissue, they immediately begin to irradiate the surrounding cells and tissues. Each element is attracted to the organs in which it is normally utilized. The main radioactive minerals and the organs they specifically target-and therefore irradiate-can be seen on the chart on page 606. Also listed are the healthy minerals that inhibit this cellular damage by the principle of selective uptake.

The second main concept in protection against radiation exposure is that of chelation. This means there are certain foods that will actively draw the radioactive materials to them and pull them out of the body via the bowel excretion process.

The third concept is to keep the body high in antioxidant nutrients and enzymes, which will nullify the free radicals created by the radiation exposure.

The fourth concept is that there are certain foods and herbs that specifically protect against the overall effects of radiation or radiation treatments.

There are other ways to protect against radiation exposure. Research published in the International Journal of Radiation Biology in 1980 indicated that the pH of the cellular fluid could influence the cell's response to radiation. Diet for the Atomic Age, by Sara Shannon, says that many studies have suggested that a slightly alkaline to middle range of body pH enhances the resistance to radiation.

Stopping smoking is an immediate way to reduce self-induced radiation exposure. Dr. Schechter, in his book Fighting Radiation and Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs, and Vitamins, estimates that pack-a-day smokers expose themselves to the equivalent of 300 chest X-rays per year. Avoiding living near nuclear plants and avoiding unnecessary diagnostic X-ray procedures are other ways.

Radiation Protection from Selective Uptake.

THE PRINCIPLE OF SELECTIVE UPTAKE gives us specific ways to minimize the dangerous effects of radiation exposure. As revealed in the Chern.o.byl studies, one of the main causes of radiation sickness and death is radioactive iodine-131. In a November 1987 East-West Journal article, Dr. Schechter points out that Dr. Russel Morgan, who served as the chief radiologist of Johns Hopkins University, reported that one milligram of iodine for children, and five milligrams for adults, per day would reduce the amount of radioactive iodine acc.u.mulated in the thyroid by 80% from direct I-131 exposure. This is the equivalent of five to ten tablets of kelp per day or one to two teaspoons of kelp granules. For preventative purposes one needs closer to one milligram per day for an adult, which is about one-half ounce of dulse or other sea vegetables per day. Other high-iodine foods are Swiss chard, turnip greens, wild garlic and onions, watercress, squash, mustard greens, spinach, asparagus, kale, citrus, watermelon, and pineapple. These vegetables may be lower in iodine in the Great Lakes area and the Pacific Northwest of the United States due to a low iodine in the soil.

Too much iodine may cause an overstimulation of the thyroid. If one is being treated for thyroid disease, hyperactivity, or cardiovascular disease, it is important to consult your physician or health pract.i.tioner before adding high-iodine tablets or lots of sea vegetables to your diet.

Principles of Selective Uptake Healthy Minerals Radioactive Minerals Organs Protected Calcium Strontium-90, Strontium-85 Barium-140, Radium Bone Pota.s.sium Cesium-137, -134 and Pota.s.sium-42, -40 Muscle, Kidney, Liver, Reproductive Organs Iodine Iodine-131 Thyroid and Gonads Iron Plutonium-238, -239 and Iron-238, -239 Lungs, Liver, and Gonads Zinc Zinc-65 Bones, Gonads Vitamin B12 Cobalt-60 Liver, Reproductive Organs Sulfur Sulfur-135 Skin An additional approach to radiation exposure is to avoid eating foods high on the food chain (animal foods), which dramatically concentrate these radioactive minerals. Radioactive particles can originate in the air, such as in fallout, or through water contamination, as has happened with the leakage of cesium-137 at a Georgia radiation sterilizer plant. Statistics adapted from the Radiological a.s.sessment of the Wyhl Nuclear Power Plant by the Department of Environmental Protection of the University of Heidelberg, Germany, in 1978, showed that as a result of air exposure to radiation, cow's milk is about fifteen times more concentrated with radioactive materials, and beef is more than thirty times more concentrated, than are leafy vegetables. Root vegetables are about four more times concentrated than leafy vegetables and about three times more concentrated in radioactive material than grains. In the area of radiation exposure from water, fish were the most concentrated on the food chain. They contained about fifteen times more radioactivity than leafy green vegetables. It is also important to note that the concentration of radioactive nucleotides in freshwater fish is considerably higher than salt.w.a.ter fish because the latter have more minerals and therefore are better protected.

In general, however, foods lower on the food chain have less radiation contamination than those higher on the food chain, such as milk and flesh foods. Milk is the main carrier for strontium-90 and also is a major carrier for iodine-131 to enter the human system. One interesting point about the food chain is that it does not necessarily mean that the concentration of radioactive materials dissipates the farther away one is from the contaminating source. Aside from wind currents, which in the Chern.o.byl accident carried contaminants in high concentrations to such places as Ma.s.sachusetts, the concentration of radioactivity up the food chain definitely makes the problem worse. Therefore, eating low on the food chain is the best way of minimizing dietary-sourced radioactivity

Chelation Protection.

ANOTHER IMPORTANT WAY OF NEUTRALIZING radioactive buildup is chelation. The best chelator for pulling radioactive material out of the system is sodium alginate. According to studies by Yukio Tanaka and other researchers at the Gastrointestinal Research Laboratory at McGill University in Canada, sodium alginate reduces the amount of strontium-90 absorbed by the bone by 53-80%. The sea vegetables containing the most sodium alginate are in the kelp family, which includes kelp, arame, wakame, kombu, and hijiki. Other research reported by Dr. Schechter suggests that sodium alginate not only protects us from absorbing strontium-90, but also helps pull out the existing strontium-90 from our bones. What is especially interesting is that sodium alginate does not seem to interfere with normal calcium uptake. Work by J. F. Sara at the Environmental Toxicology Laboratory of the EPA, and A. Huag, reported in the Composition and Properties of Alginates, Report no. 30, showed that the alginate binds other metal pollutants, such as excess barium, lead, plutonium, cesium, and cadmium. Research by Tanaka showed that the alginate decreased the uptake of stron-tium-90, strontium-85, barium, and radium by a factor of twelve. These radioactive elements are then transformed into harmless salts and excreted by the system. Schechter points out that the different sea vegetables seem to be selective in regard to which radioactive element they tend to bind the most. Brown sea vegetables bind excess strontium and iron. Red sea vegetables, such as dulse, are best for binding plutonium. The green algaes bind cesium-137 most effectively.

The United States Atomic Energy Commission, which has recognized the effectiveness of sea vegetables for minimizing the intake of radioactive minerals, recommends a minimum dosage of two to three ounces of sea vegetables per week, or ten grams (two tablespoons) per day of sodium alginate supplements. Dr. Schechter, in his optimum antiradiation diet, also recommends three ounces per week of sea vegetables. During an actual acute radioactive exposure, Dr. Schechter believes the dosage should be increased to two full tablespoons of alginate four times per day, or six ounces per week of sea vegetables.

Fortunately, sea vegetables are great-tasting foods as well as our antiradiation friends. Sea vegetables have all the fifty-six minerals and trace elements our bodies require. This is about twenty more minerals than land vegetables have. They have the highest amounts of magnesium, iron, iodine, and sodium, ranking second in calcium and phosphorus. For example, four ounces of hijiki contain 1,400 mg of calcium. Dulse ranks first in pota.s.sium of any plant food.

Sea vegetables are high in vitamin A, chlorophyll, enzymes, all the Bs, some vitamin E and D, and vitamin C content equal to that of green vegetables. They are an excellent source of human-active B12. They have about 25% protein, 2% fat, and are very high in fiber. Laver nori, for example, has approximately twice as much protein as tofu per weight and more insoluble and soluble fiber than oat bran. Because sea vegetables often come with sea salt still on them, I recommend soaking them before using to rinse off the salt.

Another chelating agent that protects the body from absorbing radioactive materials is zybicolin, a fiber that is especially good for drawing out radioactive materials. It is found in miso. Other fiber foods with high chelation properties include the fiber found in whole grains, nuts, seeds, and beans. Fiber contained in pectin, which is a soluble fiber found in fruits and seeds, especially sunflower seeds, also has high chelation properties. Phytates, found in grains and beans, and sulphur-containing amino acids, found particularly in the cabbage family, are also good chelators. Not only do these have a chelating effect, but the sulphur-containing amino acid vegetables prevent the uptake of sulphur-135.

Chelation Nutrients Chelation Agents Sodium Alginate Kelp-best chelates Strontium-90, Strontium-85, Barium-140, Radium Dulse-best chelates Plutonium Blue-Green-best chelates Cesium-137 Other sea vegetables Pectin Soy, apples, sunflower seeds Zybicolin Miso.

Phytates Grains, beans, peas.

Cellulose & Lignin Nondissolvable food fibers.

Special Foods That Protect Against Radiation Exposure.

MISO IS A FOOD THAT HAS BEEN ACCLAIMED as a general protector against radiation sickness and chronic disease. Miso is an alkaline-forming, fermented paste made from soybeans which may also be mixed with rice or barley. Unpasteurized miso, which is the only type to eat, has many healthy bacteria and enzymes which help digestion and keep the bowels healthy. Its B12 protects against the absorption of cobalt-60. Miso has many other minerals which protect against the uptake of other radioactive minerals.

The anecdotal evidence that made miso famous as an antiradiation food was the story of Dr. Akizuki of the St. Francis Clinic in Nagasaki during World War II. Dr. Akizuki's clinic was one mile from the blast when the atomic bomb went off in Nagasaki. Dr. Akizuki and his staff, who ate miso regularly, did not suffer radiation sickness as they cared for the victims of the atomic blast in the weeks and years following the event. Unfortunately, according to Dr. Schechter in a personal communication, when scientists such as himself tried to validate this great story, they were not able to find any proof of its veracity or any doc.u.mentary research.

In Macrobiotics for Personal and Planetary Health, Autumn/Winter 1990, there is an article that supports the antiradiation power of miso. Scientists in j.a.pan found that laboratory mice who were fed miso daily were five times more resistant to radiation than mice who were not eating miso. One consideration about miso is its high sea salt content. Those with high blood pressure or heart disease should monitor their intake carefully.

Beets are another special food. Not only are they known as a liver and blood detoxifier, but they protect the nervous system and also help to treat anemia. Radiation may cause difficulties in all these areas. Beets are high in iron, which protects against absorption of plutonium-238 and 239, iron-55, and iron-59. The most startling study done on beets was reported in the Journal of Dental Research by J. Wolsieffer in 1973. Rats fed a diet of 20% beet pulp had 97-100% less cesium-137 absorption than rats exposed to the same radiation but not given the beet pulp. Work by Dr. Siegmund Schmidt, reported in Raw Energy by Susan and Leslie Kenton, indicated that raw beet juice has been successfully used to prevent and cure radiation-induced cancers. The beet juice is particularly high in a specific anthocyan which is active against cancer and leukemia. It must be mentioned that if one lives in an area where the groundwater might be contaminated with radioactivity, beets-since they are below-ground vegetables-may be more exposed to the radioactive water than above-ground types of vegetables.

Bee pollen is another potent antiradiation food as well as a general health enhancer. Bee pollen helps to support the immune system and protects both red and white blood cells against their usual depletion from radiation. Bee pollen is also high in vitamins A, B, C, and E, nucleic acids, lecithin, cysteine, and vital minerals such as selenium, calcium, and magnesium. All of these nutrients contribute in their own way in helping to protect against radiation.

One study-reported in Fighting Radiation and Chemical Pollutants with Foods, Herbs, and Vitaminsconducted by Dr. Peter Hernuss at the University of Vienna Women's Clinic, showed that bee pollen significantly reduced the usual side effects of both radium and cobalt-60 radiotherapy in twenty-five women treated for inoperable uterine cancer. As compared to the women who did not receive bee pollen, subjects had one-half as much nausea, 80% less loss of appet.i.te, 50% less urinary, rectal, and sleep disorders, and 30% less general malaise and weakness after the treatment. They were given approximately two tablespoons of bee pollen three times per day. Other clinical research has shown similar results. Scientists at Stanford Research Inst.i.tute found that bee pollen protected mice against X-ray treatments.

Bee pollen has 15% lecithin, which helps to protect the nervous system and brain against radiation. Lecithin is useful in protecting against stron-tium-90, X-rays, iodine-131, krypton-85, ruthenium-106, zinc-65, barium-140, pota.s.sium-42, and cesium-137. Bee pollen specifically protects the gonads against the acc.u.mulation of iodine-131 and plutonium-239. It also gives some protection against environmental contaminants such as lead, mercury, aluminum, DDT, nitrates, and nitrites. Bee pollen is high in nucleic acids, which a variety of research has shown to increase survival of mice against radiation. One Soviet study showed a 40% survival rate increase in rats after they received nucleic acids before radiation exposure.

Bee pollen is much more than simply a radiation protection food. It, along with sea vegetables, is a food I recommend taking regularly as part of the conscious eater's approach whether or not you are concerned with radiation protection. Bee pollen is the procreative life force of the plant world.

Pollen is the finest food and best medicine ever discovered. Pollen contains the richest source yet revealed of vitamins, minerals, proteins, amino acids, hormones, enzymes, and fats. Pollen also contains other substances which so far defy identification.

This is the opinion of Dr. G. J. Binding, M.B.E., F.R.H.S., a British scientist, author, and world-famous expert on nutrition. Dr. Binding believes that the honeybee pollen has a powerful life force that ... not only builds up strength and energy in the tired body, but acts as a tonic. People have more vigor, vitality, and increased resistance to infection.... Honeybee pollen has shown itself to be a complete nourishment in every sense of the word.

The high life force in the pollen comes from the millions of living plant forces contained therein. Each pollen granule contains four million pollen grains. One teaspoon contains about two and one-half billion to ten billion pollen grains. Each of these grains is the male s.e.m.e.n, seed, or germ cell of the plant kingdom. Every pollen grain has the power to fertilize and create a fruit, a grain, a vegetable, a flower, or a tree. Pollen is the ultimate biogenic food. It is filled with life force of the entire plant kingdom.

The Bible mentions bee pollen sixty-eight times. The Talmud, the Koran, ancient Chinese scriptures, and Roman and Greek civilizations, as well as the Russian and Slavic people, have all praised bee pollen and honey as a source of rejuvenation and health. Many Greek philosophers claimed that bee pollen held the secret to eternal youth. The original Greek Olympic athletes used pollen-rich honey as part of their training diets.

Pollen is said to contain all the elements necessary for the sustenance of human life. The San Francisco Medical Research Foundation estimates that pollen has more than 5000 different enzymes and co-enzymes, which is more than any other food in existence. The high amount of enzymes, such as catalase, amylase, and pectin-splitting enzymes, makes pollen an aid to digestion. Some research suggests that pollen is absorbed directly from the stomach into the bloodstream. Pollen is a vegetarian source of human-active B12, most of the B vitamins, vitamins A, C, D, and E, rutin, all the essential amino acids, the essential fatty acid called linoleic acid, fats, complex carbohydrates, simple sugars, RNA and DNA, steroid hormone substances, a plant hormone similar to a secretion of the human pituitary called gonadotropin, 15% lecithin, and many other unknown factors. According to research by doctors from France, Italy, and the former USSR, pollen is the richest source of protein in nature. Gram for gram, pollen contains an estimated 5-7 times more protein than meat, eggs, or cheese. The protein in pollen is in a predigested form and therefore easy to a.s.similate. Pollen is also abundant in minerals and trace minerals, such as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, manganese, pota.s.sium, copper, silicon, sulphur choline, t.i.tanium, and sodium. These minerals are highly a.s.similable because they are bound organically from plant metabolism.

According to Dr. Airola, research in Russia and Sweden has found that bee pollen is both rejuvenating and life-prolonging. Bee pollen seems to improve general health, prevent disease, boost the immune system, and stimulate and rejuvenate the glandular system. M. Esperrois, M.D., of the French Inst.i.tute of Chemistry, concluded from his experiments that pollen contains potent antibiotics and also reverses the aging of the skin. Research reported by Dr. Airola has found that bee pollen is good for prostate difficulties, hemorrhoids, asthma, allergies, digestive disorders, curing intestinal putrefaction, chronic bronchitis, multiple sclerosis, gastric ulcers, arthritis, and hay fever, and possesses anti-aging properties. According to Dr. Alain Caillais, in Le Pollen, 35 grams of bee pollen per day would satisfy the total nutritional needs of the average person. That is about three and one-half tablespoons per day. Dr. Airola believes that it fulfills Hippocrates' requirement of the ideal food: Let your food be your medicine ... let your medicine be your food.

Pollen is harvested by the female worker bee when she brushes up against anthers of the flower. The pollen sticks to her legs. When she returns to the hive, she pa.s.ses through a man-made screen that rubs off some of the pollen pellets. Like harvesting fruit, obtaining bee pollen does not require the killing of the plant. Some beekeepers feel that pollen turns rancid in as short a time as one week, even in the hive, if the harvesting is done less than weekly and the weather is hot. Dried pollen is also said to become rancid easily. The best technique for eating pollen, given these possibilities, is to get it from a local beekeeper within a week of harvest and put it in the freezer and not the refrigerator. Curiously enough, pollen doesn't seem to freeze in most freezers. This may be because pollen is only 3-4% water. In the freezer, it goes rancid a lot slower than out in the open or in the refrigerator. Other beekeepers do not seem to think it is necessary to freeze or even refrigerate it. The final test is whether or not it has a bitter, rancid taste. If it does, do not buy it. Research of Haydak, et al, reported by the San Francisco Medical Research Foundation, suggests that one-year-old bee pollen loses 76% of its effectiveness when not refrigerated. This organization estimates that after five months bee pollen loses up to 50% of its potency. The implications of these diverse opinions lead me to suggest that one should try to get bee pollen that has been at least refrigerated as soon as possible after harvest. The best way to do this is to make a connection with a local beekeeper and get it directly from him or her. Depending on one's health, taste, and sensitivities, a good supplemental amount is one teaspoon to one tablespoon per day.

Yeast is another antiradiation food. It is particularly high in selenium, all the B vitamins including B12, and nucleic acids, all of which give protection against the side effects of radiation. A study done at Montefiore Hospital in New York, in which three tablespoons of yeast were given daily for one week before cancer patients received radiation treatments, showed that these patients did not develop any side effects to the administered radiation. The control patients, who were not given yeast, developed severe vomiting and anemia. Although initially there was some confusion about avoiding all yeasts if people had candida infections, it has now become clear that the yeast that causes candida infections is Candida albicans, and not Saccha-romyces cerevisiae, which is primarily grown yeast and a different genus and species. Unless a person's immune system is so deranged that it begins to cross-react against all yeast in the system, there is no major problem taking yeast. The dosage for radiation treatments is one tablespoon three times per day. Yeast and lecithin are high in phosphorus, so taking a calcium supplement or eating high-calcium foods is a good way to balance the phosphorus excess.

Garlic is another specific antiradiation food. Although garlic has many different health-producing qualities, the properties that may be most active against radiation are amino acid cysteine, the high-quality organic sulphur, and an unidentified substance named vitamin X by the Soviets, which both prevents the absorption of radioactive isotopes and helps to draw them out of the body. Wild onions and wild ginseng also seem to have this vitamin X. The sulphur, which is high in all members of the cabbage family, prevents the uptake of sulphur-135.

Cysteine may be the most active factor in garlic, however. Cysteine is an antioxidant which helps to quench free radical production. Cysteine also binds with, and deactivates, cobalt-60. It also protects against X-rays. Dr. Schechter points out that the j.a.panese first reported the protective effects of cysteine in 1972 when they found that mice fed cysteine were able to survive 600 rads of radiation, when 70% of the mice who did not receive cysteine did not survive the radiation. This finding of cysteine's protection against cobalt-60 radiation has been confirmed by several researchers.

Foods containing chlorophyll have long been known to protect against radiation. Generally speaking, any green foods have chlorophyll. From 1959 to 1961, the Chief of the US Army Nutrition Branch in Chicago found that high-chlorophyll foods reduced the effects of radiation on guinea pigs by 50%. This includes all chlorophyll foods: cabbage, leafy green vegetables, spirulina, chlorella, wheatgra.s.s, any sprouts, and the blue-green algae from Klamath Lake called Aphanizomenon Flos-aquae (AFA). This variety of blue-green algae is an excellent antiradiation food because of its high cellular immutability and high regenerative energy, as well as its high chlorophyll content. It should be taken in a dose of four capsules (one gram) four times per day for one week before, and several weeks after, radiation exposure.

One gram of the freeze-dried AFA, taken directly from Klamath Lake and prepared for regular consumption, also contains 0.279 milligrams of the active form of vitamin B12 for humans. Much of the B12 found in other algae, like spirulina or even the various marine algae, are primarily in a.n.a.log form. This means that it is close to B12 in chemical structure but it is not utilizable in the same way by humans, and actually might compete for receptor sites on the cellular level with the real B12. The implication of all this is that one gram of AFA supplies the minimum daily need of B12 as established by researchers.

AFA also seems to help balance blood sugar and the mood swings a.s.sociated with glucose fluctuations found in hypoglycemia. With a well-designed diet for hypoglycemia, AFA has been a helpful adjunct. It is important to note that my clinical findings on hypoglycemia and other medical conditions have not been tested by strict research procedures. Further formal research studies need to be done to corroborate my limited clinical findings before a definitive statement can be made.

The most unique property of AFA, however, is its effect on the mind-brain function. In my work with AFA, I have observed with myself and with my clients that it has an extremely high subtle organizing energy field (SOEF) that seems to regenerate mind and body energy I use two forms of AFA. One is a unique, concentrated liquid, which is live and unprocessed until just before bottling. This fresh, liquid preparation is the only one of its kind available today The other form is freeze-dried, available either in powder or capsules.

I find that the liquid works synergistically with the freeze-dried form. The freeze-dried form is about one hundred times more concentrated than the liquid, live form. The liquid form seems to have more of a pure energetic mind-brain effect. The freeze-dried form adds the energized neurotransmitters, sulfonolipids, and B12.

As I point out in my book Spiritual Nutrition and The Rainbow Diet, AFA seems to activate mind-brain function in about 70-80% of those who use it. It has been a blessing for those who do a great deal of mental work. It is also excellent for those doing a lot of high-stress work or for students taking exams. Of course, I do not recommend it as a subst.i.tute for healthy living habits or adequate sleep.

I have found that AFA also enhances one's ability to sustain concentration while taking or giving workshops. In my spiritual nutrition workshops, I teach nonstop from 7:30 AM to 10 PM at night. I find AFA to be a tremendously useful adjunct that helps me sustain my energy and mental concentration. It seems to create a subtle clarity of mind that potentiates both creative thinking and deep meditations.

Because of the brain-enhancing qualities I observed with this algae, I became interested in exploring its effect on Alzheimer's disease. In my preliminary research, which was published in the Journal of the Orth.o.m.olecular Society, Winter/Spring 1985 issue, I reported two cases of people who had been diagnosed as having Alzheimer's disease at two highly respected university medical centers. In one person, the course of Alzheimer's was partially reversed; in the other, a rapidly moving senility was halted.

Along with bee pollen and sea vegetables, I recommend AFA as a wholefood supplement for regular use in one's diet.

Antioxidant enzymes from wheat sprouts not only protect against all types of radiation exposure, but protect against the dangerous level of air, water, and food pollution, which also increases our exposure to free radicals. Mental stress and severe viral infections can greatly increase the amount of free radicals in the system. As explained in detail in Spiritual Nutrition and The Rainbow Diet, free radicals are intimately connected with speeding up the aging process.

These live enzymes are specially formulated, organic, whole-food supplements which are designed to neutralize free radicals. The entire dehydrated sprout is used in this product so it remains essentially a whole, live food when taken as a supplement. Nowadays, many antioxidant nutrients are offered in a variety of multivitamins. These work to some extent but are usually synthetic vitamins, and thus they lack a wholeness and integrity that is only found in whole foods and whole-food supplements. These wheat sprouts are genetically selected and grown in a way that produces a high concentration of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dis.m.u.tases, methionine reductases, glutathione peroxidases, and catalases.

The two main enzyme companies that produce these wheat sprout antioxidants are Bioguard and Biotech. According to Dr. Steven Levine and Parris Kidd, in their book Antioxidant Adaptation: Its Role in Free Radical Pathology, antioxidant enzymes are the first line of defense against free radical stress. I also recommend them to protect against radiation exposure in my jet lag program.

These enzymes adequately support the antioxidant systems in the body that protect us from free radicals. It is important to note that the free radicals are most commonly active at the cellular level, but none of the ordinary vitamin-based antioxidants act as free-radical scavengers at the cellular level. The vitamin antioxidants, such as C, A, and E, act primarily as free-radical scavengers in their free form in the blood. The antioxidant enzymes, on the other hand, act as free-radical "quenchers" at the cellular level.

The number of wheatgra.s.s antioxidant enzyme tablets one takes varies and depends upon one's body weight and the amount of free-radical exposure to which one is subjected. The maximum number of tablets per day from either of the two main companies presently manufacturing the wheat sprout product is about twelve. For maximum free-radical stress, three tablets taken four times a day at least one-half hour before eating food is optimal. The doc.u.mented research suggests that as one increases the tablets up to a certain level per day, the enzyme activity in the blood increases. After a certain amount per day, the enzyme activity does not seem to increase in the blood and taking any more is redundant. Those who lead more toxic lifestyles, or who live in more toxic environments, should take close to the maximum suggested per day Antiradiation Food and Herbs.

FOODS.

Miso High Minerals, Zybicolin, 5% Ethyl esters (anticancer elements) Sea Vegetables, Kelp Iron, Pota.s.sium, Iodine, and the rest of the 56 land/sea minerals, Sodium Alginate Sunflower Seeds, Apples, and Soy Pectin Cereals, Fruit, Vegetables Fiber, Phytates Raw Food Alkalinizes the system and has a general detox effect Sulfur Vegetables (Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower & Radish) Sulfur, Cysteine Bee Pollen B6, B12, Inositol, Folic Acid, RNA, DNA, and improves survival from X-ray treatment by 40%; contains 15% lecithin which protects nerves, brain, and gonads from radiation Chlorophyll-Containing Foods Reduces radiation side effects by 50% Beets 97-100% protection against Cesium-137 Garlic, Ginseng, and Onion 97-100% protection against mutagenesis, high selenium, anti-oxidative effect Blue-Green Algae Protects against Krypton-85, Cesium-137, improves cellular immutability; high in chlorophyll HERBS.

Siberian Ginseng Adaptogenic, doubles post-radiation lifespan of rats.

Chaparral Potent anti-oxidant NGRA.

Wash and peel produce in bleach-removes 100% of immediate radioactive fallout.

Herbs That Protect Against Radiation.

SIBERIAN GINSENG, ALSO KNOWN AS ELEUTHERO, or Eleutherococcus senticosus, despite its name is not the ginseng we usually a.s.sociate with the name ginseng. Siberian ginseng comes from an entirely different herbal family and originates in Russia and China. It comes from a bush, unlike Ginseng panax, which is a root. Most of the research on it has been done by the Russians.

Siberian ginseng is referred to as an adaptogen because it produces a generalized rebalancing and healing effect on the body from all types of physiological, emotional, and environmental stressors, including radiation. In the book Fighting Radiation and Chemical Pollution with Foods, Herbs, and Vitamins, many Russian research articles are quoted which essentially show that Siberian ginseng is one of the best herbs for minimizing the effects of radiation. It has been used successfully in situations of acute or chronic radiation sickness, including the conditions of hemorrhaging, severe anemia, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, and headaches due to X-rays. Siberian ginseng has been shown to lengthen survival time after exposure as well.

In one study, Siberian ginseng given one hour before radiation treatments improved the patient's general state, appet.i.te, and sleep, and normalized unhealthy shifts in the vital signs. Russian medical researchers found that the best post-radiation treatment results were observed when the Siberian ginseng was started two to four days before the X-ray treatment. When two milliliters of the herbal extract was used per day, patients showed almost no usual reaction to the X-ray treatments (such as mental imbalances and irritability, dizziness, nausea, and loss of appet.i.te). Many were able to maintain a state of well-being. Other research has suggested that even when the radiation is combined with chemotherapy, there are minimal side effects when the Siberian ginseng is used. The recommended dosage during the time of radiation therapy is approximately thirty drops of extract, five times per day.

Siberian ginseng seems to enhance the general resistance to all aspects of the toxic side of anticancer radiation and chemotherapy. My experience in using Siberian ginseng clinically for many years is that it boosts almost every aspect of body function. It is especially good in supporting the endocrine and immune systems against physical, emotional, chemical, biological, and radiation stress.

A general dosage to combat stress is 20-40 drops of the liquid extract in room-temperature water three times per day before meals. According to Dr. Schechter in a personal communication, the extracted, organic form of Siberian ginseng is the most potent. For children, give one drop for every year of their age, two times a day. When there is no obvious stress, one can take twenty to forty drops one time per day and also have intervals not taking it at all.

Astragalus and echinacea are also very important herbs for supporting the immune system during radiation therapy. These are best taken daily for about one week before and one week afterwards, during the time of radiation. Ginseng panaxis an important antiradiation herb, particularly because of its ability to protect the immune system and bone marrow production, as well as its general energizing effect on many organ systems. Chaparral is another excellent herb for helping the body resist the effects of radiation.

Summary of the Radiation Protection Diet.

ALOW-FAT, HIGH-NATURAL-CARBOHYDRATE, high-fiber, high-sea-vegetable, 80%-raw vegetarian diet shifts the body into a slightly alkaline condition that has the effect of optimizing protection from radiation. This type of diet keeps one eating low on the food chain, avoiding all flesh foods and dairy, which are high carriers of iodine-131 and strontium-90.

The radiation protection diet has more emphasis on sea vegetables. For prevention and buildup of a mineral reserve, three ounces per week is sufficient. As pollution increases in the ocean, it is important to know whether one's sea vegetables are contaminated. There is at least one sea vegetable company that checks their products for potential pollution at each harvest. It is the Maine Coast Sea Vegetables Company located in Franklin, Maine (207-565-2907). All their sea vegetables come from the still-unindustrialized and relatively unpolluted northeastern end of the Gulf of Maine. Their sea vegetables are checked by the Maine Public Health Laboratories for forty-seven different chemical pollutants. These include PCBs, hydrocarbons, nine different insecticides, and thirty-six different herbicides. No traces of any of these pollutants have ever been detected. The University of Maine's Department of Food Science tests the sea vegetables for lead, a.r.s.enic, mercury, and cadmium. As can be expected anywhere in the world, there are some trace heavy metals, but they are very low as compared to the United Nations FAO/WHO codex of tolerable daily intake limits. Tests at the University of Maine show that no harmful organisms, including coliform and E. coli bacteria, or yeast and molds, have exhibited any unusual microbial activity in the sea vegetables themselves or as a result of the drying, storing, or packaging process.

Antiradiation Supplements Germanium Anti-oxidant Cysteine Removes free radicals, protects against X-rays, Cobalt-60, Sulphur-35 Vitamin C with Rutin Reduces radiation side effects by 50%, supports blood vessels Vitamins A/D Removes Strontium-90 from bone Vitamin E Protects fetus from Cesium-137, boosts immune system, anti-cancer effect, protects from free radicals Detox Bath 1 lb. Sea Salt + 1 lb. Bicarbonate of Soda I regularly eat sea vegetables in their raw state and recommend them on almost a daily basis as part of the general diet. Because each sea vegetable helps remove different radioactive particles, I rotate among kelp, dulse, alaria (wild Atlantic wakame), and laver (Atlantic nori). Some folks report that sea vegetables are something for which one has to acquire a taste. See the recipe section in Lita Lee's Radiation Protection Manual for a further discussion of sea vegetables. I, too, recommend them. Sea vegetables have many healing qualities and they are high in sulphur. Also see Chapters 5 and 23, as well as the book's index.

Miso is available in an organic and raw form and can be used in soups that are warmed to below 119 F, or in tahini sauces and salad dressings. The sulphur vegetables such as garlic are helpful. For those who are sensitive to raw fresh garlic, there is a variety of sun-dried garlics that do not have the irritating and activating effect that the fresh garlic oils may have. Live fermented foods such as sauerkrauts and kim-chi are recommended.

Although this radiation protection diet has plenty of chlorophyll, I recommend the blue-green algae from Klamath Lake as a general enhancer of the mind-brain and also as a radiation protector. One tablespoon of bee pollen per day is also excellent.