Stop The Government Plan For Radioactive Cookware!

Dr. Isaac Eliaz | Feb 22, 2013 | Comments 7

It sounds like a horror movie: A government agency decides to recycle surplus radioactive scrap metal and let the tainted metal be incorporated into cookware and other consumer items. But it is not science fiction. It is a real, imminent health disaster on the verge of taking place in the near future in the United States.

Late last year, the Department of Energy (DOE) released a proposal to recycle at least 14,000 tons of radioactive metal into the consumer market. And there’s a lot more where that’s coming from. It’s quite possible that DOE could eventually unload even more radioactive scrap.

The metal comes from a variety of objects from decommissioned nuclear sites, including tools, filing cabinets and structural steel from buildings. According to the DOE’s plans, the material will be mixed with ordinary scrap to make belt buckles, water bottles, food cans, braces, cookware and wide variety of other items.

Radioactive Menace

To add to the danger, once the metal enters the supply chain, there is no way for consumers to identify which products are radioactive. People will need their own personal Geiger counters to determine whether a product is safe.

This is not the first time such a plan has been floated. A similar scheme briefly saw daylight in the 1990s before it was tabled due to consumer complaints. Since 2000, the DOE has banned recycling radioactive materials. However, the department is now trying to reverse that policy.

Why is DOE doing this? That’s a very good question. Nobody is asking for these materials to be used in products. Consumers don’t want them because they could pose serious health risks. Steelworkers want them even less, since they would experience the most exposure. Clearly, the DOE has other motivations.

Protect And Detoxify

Perhaps the most troubling aspect of this plan is that the DOE even thinks it is worth considering. This highlights an important fact of modern life: The government allows us to be exposed to a certain threshold level of “safe” radiation, but the truth is that we still have to protect ourselves. The effects of radiation are cumulative. The more we’re exposed, the more at risk we are for related damages, such as DNA mutations and abnormal cell growth.

To help your body cope with radiation, diet, as always, is your first line of defense. Certain foods, particularly anti-inflammatory fruits and vegetables, are known to protect our cells from radiation damage and detoxify the body. Antioxidants are also important. They help safeguard DNA, the most worrisome potential radiation target, while boosting immunity.

There are many potent antioxidant supplements, including vitamins A, C and E; selenium; honokiol; sea buckthorn; and CoQ10. Glutathione is a powerful natural antioxidant produced in the body. A variety of foods, such as cilantro, garlic, dandelion and whey powder, can act as precursors for glutathione. Supplements such as lipoic acid also support the body’s glutathione production.

Cellular Defense

Medicinal mushrooms, such as Reishi and Cordyceps, have been shown to prevent cellular damage from radioactivity. Mushrooms also boost immunity, reduce inflammation, detoxify the body and even help repair damaged cells.

My top recommendation for removing radioactive particles from the body is Modified Citrus Pectin (MCP), a form of regular pectin modified for enhanced absorption and bioactivity. Pectin has been proven to bind to radioactive isotopes, heavy metals and other toxic substances and safely remove them. Modified alginates are similarly useful to detoxify the body and reduce the risk of radiation. Both have been used in the Chernobyl aftermath to help protect and detoxify victims of the nuclear disaster. For in-depth information about heavy metal and radioactive detoxification using safe chelation methods, click here.

Sign The Petition

Of course, the best way to protect ourselves from radiation exposure is to prevent it in the first place. An online petition on the Food & Water Watch website describes the potential dangers of this plan and provides an outlet to help prevent it from becoming policy. Remember, this idea was toyed with more than a decade ago, but was never adopted because public outcry stopped it. Here is an excellent opportunity to repeat our message to the government. The petition can be found here. Alternately, you can email the DOE directly to oppose this plan at: Scrap_PEA_Comments@hq.doe.gov. While the official 30-day comment period for this proposal has ended, comments are still being accepted, so it’s critical we voice our concerns.

As a physician, I recognize the medical advantages of radiation when used judiciously. X-rays and CT scans can be potential lifesavers that detect cancer and other diseases. However, physicians are becoming increasingly aware of the long-term consequences of even small amounts of radiation, and there are movements to prescribe these diagnostic tests only when absolutely necessary. If you do have to undergo regular radiation imaging, you can help protect and detoxify your body with MCP, alginates, antioxidants and an anti-inflammatory diet.

The DOE maintains that radiation levels in this scrap metal are within safe parameters. But let me assert my belief that there is really no such thing as a safe parameter for this type of material. It’s one thing to choose radiation as part of a diagnostic test that could potentially save your life. It’s another thing entirely to be exposed regularly for absolutely no reason. I strongly encourage everyone to oppose this plan and help prevent radioactive scrap metal from being an uninvited guest into our homes.