When my friend Anil casually told me that he’d just visited Chernobyl, I flipped out! He was there for more than 4 days! I asked him exactly which sites he had visited to understand how much radiation he was exposed to. And I told him, “Anil, you have to follow a protocol to help your body reduce the impact of radiation exposure – when you’re young, you feel immortal, but this radiation remains in your body for life, and will have an impact later.” So here’s what Anil learned…
What is ionizing radiation?
First of all, we are constantly being affected by radiation, no matter where we are: rocks, water, air, and plants all emit various types of radiation. These are ionizing radiation which are dangerous and can damage living cells. How so? When our body is exposed to ionizing radiation, large molecules in the cells are ionized or excited. This can cause changes in the molecular structures which then affect the function and metabolism of the cells. Hence, when in an environment where ionizing radiation is present, it’s important to know:
- the strength of the radiation
- the duration of exposure
- the distance from the source of radiation to the body
We can detect and measure radiation in the environment with a specific device called the Geiger counter.
The received radiation can be measured in 3 ways:
- Sievert (Sv), milliSievert (mSv), and microSievert (µSv), depending on the strength of the radiation. (The Geiger counter measures in microSievert, i.e.: X µSv per hour). A microSievert is 1 million times smaller than a Sievert.
- Rem (Roentgen equivalent man). This is an older unit of measurement, still used in the USA. 1 Sievert = 100 rem
- R (Roentgen). 1 R = 0.877 rem = 0.00877 Sievert
Just to get a sense of radiation strength and its impact on our body:
- 10,000 mSv = fatal
- 6000 mSv = death within 4 weeks (this is what Chernobyl firemen absorbed)
- 400 µSv/h = radiation on the site of the Fukushima nuclear disaster
- 350 mSv = radiation levels for Chernobyl residents who had to move after 1986 (many are suffering horrific cancers or are already deceased)
- 100 mSv = minimum annual radiation causing an acceleration of cancer development
- 9 mSv = annual radiation exposure for flight crews taking New York/Tokyo round trips via the North Pole
- 4.5 mSv = natural radiation to which we are exposed each year in Europe with the exception of Finland at the rate of 7 mSv (80% from nature, 20% from medical exams and other human impact)
- 1 mSv/h = radiation detected at Fukushima before the nuclear accident
- 0.4 mSv = a mammogram
Note: Geiger counters are often worn by tourists at waist or chest level, and are thus providing a measurement at more than 1 meter above the ground, where the radioactivity is stronger. Therefore, it is important to accurately measure at two points: ground and air. It’s also important to discard contaminated shoes or to wash them in water in order to get rid of radioactive dust.
Granted the radiation in Chernobyl today is incomparable to that of 1986, but there are still dangerous areas such as hospital basements, the roads around reactor 4, cemeteries, steel material used for cleaning damaged areas, cooling towers, etc. Poorly managed nuclear plants also exist in other places, such as Bulgaria.
Don’t confuse contamination with irradiation
Contamination is when the substance has penetrated into the body: for example, eating a radioactive mushroom.
Irradiation is when the body is exposed to radiation which can be stopped with proper protection.
The impact of radiation on the body:
- Irreparable DNA damage, causing breakage in the DNA chain. I worked on this subject with a French Professor at the University of Berkeley who discovered these breakages.
- Short term failure of our metabolic functions and cells as a result of the above.
So here’s what you should do, if:
- You fly a lot and are exposed to cosmic radiation throughout the year
- You work in a place where radiation exposure is significant and constant
- You visited a place which has high radiation levels
Scientists who studied and worked with children of Chernobyl have published a lot of literature on the subject; here is a summary of their findings:
- Take high doses of antioxidants right after exposure to ionizing radiation (i.e. visiting a nuclear site): 2g of vitamin C per day for 10 days.
- Eat foods which detoxify the body, including the apple which was the subject of serious research by Ukrainian scientists. Note: choose organic because you must eat the skin. Have 3 per day for 30 days.
- For airplane travel, take 1g of effervescent vitamin C per 3 hours of flying, and choose an aisle seat over the window even if it means less beautiful photos :).
- Increase consumption of antioxidants: cruciferous vegetables (cabbage, broccoli, kale, etc.), citrus fruits, eggplants, blueberries.
- Drink antioxidant-rich beverages like green tea.
And even if you’re not doing any of the activities listed above, i.e. no air travel, and no visits to nuclear power plants, still, consuming more antioxidants in your diet reduces the impact of free radicals on the body and helps repair the breaks in our DNA to some extent.
So, for daily menus rich in antioxidants, join me on LeBootCamp!
To your health!
PS: As with all supplements, always consult your doctor to confirm that the specific supplements do not pose any risks to your current health and/or medical condition.
Tags: air travel antioxidants chernobyl coach coaching free radicals health healthy ionizing radiation irradiation lebootcamp nuclear contamination nuclear disaster nuclear power plant nuclear radiation radiation radiation exposure toxins Valerie Orsoni vitamin C
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