People across Europe are stocking up on iodine tablets against the backcloth of fears that the Russian invasion of Ukraine may “ go atomic . ”
scare purchasing has also hit the US with mellow need for I tablets seeingpackets selling on eBayfor upwardly of $ 149 . But can iodine tablets really protect against radiation syndrome toxic condition ?
Stable tincture of iodine come in the form of the saltpotassium iodide(KI ) . It ’s an important chemical needed by the thyroid gland secretory organ at the al-Qaida of the neck to make hormone that check many function like growth , metamorphosis , and development . The body does n’t of course make iodine , so the only way to get this nutrient is through food and accessory .
tincture of iodine can be a useful tool in the event of a nuclear incident , but it ’s by no mean a curative - all against radiation .
In the immediate consequence of a atomic onrush or accident , radioactive iodine can be release into the air where it go into the body of anyone within the fallout zone .
take atomic number 53 just before or just after a nuclear incident will effectively satisfy the thyroid up with so much iodin it can not absorb any more , whether it ’s radioactive or not . This block radioactive iodine from entering the gland and can assist protect it from injury . One pill should be sound for around 24 hours of some kind of protection .
Taking an appropriate dose of iodine at the fourth dimension of radiation exposure can , at least in theory , avail to reduce this risk .
plainly put : no . People should n’t take iodin as a even prophylactic criterion . Not only will it be largely pointless until the mean solar day a atomic incident does occur , it can also cause a caboodle of unpleasant side effects , including terms to the heart and kidney . As such , I pad should only be taken on the advice of health authorities .
Furthermore , iodine will not protect you from many of the nasty impacts of irradiation vulnerability . First of all , iodine will only protect you from radioactive iodine , not other kinds of radioactive material . second , it only provides trade protection for the thyroid gland , not other part of your eubstance .
All “ explainer ” articles are confirm by fact checkers to be correct at fourth dimension of publishing . school text , images , and links may be redact , removed , or total toat a later dateto keep entropy current .
