In this video, Dr. Seheult of MedCram discusses why countries around the world are stockpiling iodide tablets.
What does the thyroid gland do?
Dr. Seheult explains that the thyroid gland makes T4 (also known as thyroxine) which is later converted to T3 (also known as triiodothyronine). He describes T3 as the “oil that greases all the processes in the body.” Your body needs iodine to make this hormone. Iodine gets into your body via air and food. The iodine in a normal environment is known as I 127. On a daily basis we take in this type of iodine and it gets incorporated into the thyroid gland.
Nuclear disasters
From history, we have had some experience with nuclear disasters. In our recent past, there was the Japanese Atomic Bomb, Marshall Islands and Chernobyl that all released radiation. Unlike the latter event though, the first two events released a large amount of radiation that then dissipated fairly quickly. With the Chernobyl disaster, it was a slow release of radiation over a long period of time which actually was probably worse.
Why are nuclear events catastrophic? There are several reasons but in the video we are focusing on how these radioactive events release a type of iodine known as I 131. These events also release gamma and beta particle radiation. When I 131 gets incorporated into the thyroid gland rather than the normal I 127, it destroys the thyroid tissue and alters the DNA. It can even cause a type of thyroid cancer known as papillary thyroid cancer (PTC).
How is radiation measured?
This radiation can be measured in units called Gray (Gy). It is known that exposure to as little as 50-100 mGy may cause injury. Usually, with radiation injuries though, the time it takes for an individual to develop a cancer may be 5-10 years down the line. This is long after the exposure event has occurred. It has also been found that individuals who have had radiation exposure at a younger age i.e. under 20, have a higher risk to develop a malignancy.
Malignancy associated with radiation
When reviewing survivors of the Japanese atomic bomb, they found that there was an increased risk of 28% for thyroid cancer and that 36% of all of the thyroid cancers found were attributable to exposure to radiation.
How to protect your thyroid from I 131
An idea may be to try and avoid I 131; however, this molecule gets incorporated into everything around us i.e. the trees, grasses and even animals such as cows that humans then go on to consume directly or consume their products i.e. dairy. A way to circumvent this is by taking high doses of I 127. By saturating the iodine receptors, you can effectively block the I 131 from being incorporated into the thyroid. The potassium iodide tablets that are sold over the counter are only able to protect against injury to the thyroid and do not affect other types of radiation exposure.
What to do in a radiation exposure
When the exposure event occurs you need to have the iodide tablets on hand as you do not have time to try and acquire the tablets after the exposure. Iodide tablets are available over the counter. You want to make sure that the product is third party verified. On a NY Department of Health Fact Sheet, it lists how much potassium iodide to take based on your age group. Typically, if an exposure occurs there will be a public health announcement when to start taking it. The authorities have the ability to measure the amount of radiation in the air. The length of time you will need to consume the tablets will be based on radiation levels in the air, hence you will need to follow recommendations from the government officials monitoring the levels. For most people taking potassium iodide there will be very few side effects. However, there are some individuals with thyroid conditions that should discuss taking potassium iodide with their physician prior to initiating such a regimen. It is better to be prepared ahead of time as trying to get something done at the last minute will probably result in shortages as seen throughout the pandemic.
LINKS / REFERENCES:
Radiation exposure and thyroid cancer: a review (Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism) | https://www.scielo.br/j/aem/a/fXbJHPK…
Potassium Iodide (KI) and Radiation Emergencies: Fact Sheet (NY Department of Health) | https://www.health.ny.gov/environment…
Chernobyl disaster mapped (Vivid Maps) | https://vividmaps.com/chernobyl-disas…
Radiation Exposure to the Thyroid After the Chernobyl Accident (Frontiers) | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/…
Why the war in Ukraine has countries stockpiling iodine tablets (LA Times) | https://www.latimes.com/science/story…
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