According to chemical manufacturers of the base chemicals of Potassium Iodate tablets (KI03) and Potassium Iodide tablets (KI): KIO3 has a health risk of “1” (slight) KI has a health risk of “2” (moderate) (Either of these are preferred over Radioactive Iodine from Nuclear Fallout.) KIO3 is not bitter, which means that children can take KIO3 with less difficulty than KI. This is extremely important: If children are the most susceptible to the harmful effects of Radioactive Iodine, then the possibility of children not able to take the pills or tablets or keep them down is dangerous. For this reason, we ask those of you who have children to purchase KIO3 instead of KI.
These Potassium Iodate tablets (85 mg USP Grade KIO3 each, yielding 50 mg of elemental Iodine to the Thyroid Gland just like Potassium Iodide) 200 tablets to a bottle (2 tablets is an adult daily dose). Easily dose children under age 3 with non-bitter partial tablets! Label dosing recommendations mirrors new WHO guidelines, (especially important for dosing children).
Radioactive Iodine—The bad Iodine (131-I) is always released in any type of nuclear reaction. It can be in the form of a gas or particle and will be taken up by the thyroid either by ingestion i.e. breathing the gas or particle, drinking or eating. Once in the body it will lodge in the thyroid and do irreparable damage.
Very small amounts of inhaled or ingested Radioactive Iodine can do serious damage because it will always be absorbed and held in the thyroid gland. Eventually, by absorbing a large amount of radiation in the thyroid, abnormalities are likely to result, such as nodules in the thyroid, loss of thyroid function, or thyroid cancer.
What age groups of the population are most at risk? All are at risk if the release is heavy. However, the older you are, the higher the absorbed radioactive dose has to be to cause immediate damage. Young children, babies, newborns and babies in the womb will be affected first and suffer most from 131-I poisoning. The younger the child, the worse the damage will be.
How will KIO3 help? KIO3 is a thyroid blocker. If there is a nuclear event and fallout is headed your way then—and only then—should you take KIO3 or any thyroid blocker. Taking a thyroid blocker will saturate a healthy thyroid with “good Iodine” which will prevent the thyroid from absorbing 131-I “the bad Iodine”.
What happens if I do not take a thyroid blocker? If there is a nuclear event—and you are caught in fallout—and your thyroid is not “blocked” with good Iodine then your thyroid will absorb the radioactive Iodine. Your thyroid does not know the difference between good Iodine and Radioactive Iodine.
Use KIO3 when directed by authorities or exposure to radioactive fallout is imminent.
Daily dosage: Adults 12 years and older 2 tablets daily for 3-14 days. If need be, children 3-12 years 1/2 tablet for 3 days or longer. Children 1 month to 3 years 1/4 tablet daily for 3 days or longer. Newborn to 1 month 1/8 to 1/4 tablet for 1 to 3 days.
Your thyroid runs on iodine and will absorb all it can until it is absolutely full. This fullness is called saturation or blockade. However, your thyroid does not know the difference between good iodine and bad iodine. Good iodine is taken up by the thyroid in the form of potassium iodate (KI03) or potassium iodide (KI). Bad iodine, I-131, is a radioisotope of iodine which is produced in nuclear reactions such as a bomb or nuclear power plant. I-131 is what we call a beta emitter and if you get it on your skin it will burn you in much the same way as when you get bad sunburn. It has a half-life of roughly 8 days (8.01 to 8.07). One of the reasons spent fuel rods are stored in pools of water for months at a time, is that they will be off-gassing I-131 for roughly 10 half-lives (approximately 80 days).
If you are caught unprotected and downwind from a nuclear reaction and the plume or cloud of fallout reaches you, your thyroid will absorb this bad iodine. You now have sunburn in your thyroid and it is not going to go away. Eventually that sunburn in your thyroid can give you cancer (the FDA doesn’t like me saying “will” give you cancer).
Now that your thyroid has absorbed the bad iodine, is there anything you can do to clean the thyroid out?
The answer is no. There are a few things that will help, but in reality you now have this radioactive sunburn in your thyroid and you are in big trouble. All of the good iodine or Prussian Blue or activated charcoal we can throw at the problem is not going to help.
Iodine–including I-131 and the other iodine isotopes–are from the halogen group. They act like a gas, which combines with things such as soil or metal. In a plume they float along and when conditions are right they “plate out” and come down like microscopic rain where growing plants, animals, and humans absorb them. We may breathe, eat or drink I-131 and even absorb it through the skin. And yes, your pets are at risk too, as well as your livestock. In fact, it is best not to eat exposed plants or food animals for at least 90 days, and this includes eggs and milk. Remember, your thyroid doesn’t care if it is bad or good iodine, nor does it care where it comes from.
When taken for the proper length of time and in the proper amounts, KI03 acts as “thyroid blockers”. When the thyroid is filled to capacity with good iodine, the bad iodine is blocked from entering. If you had KIO3 on hand and had taken it before the plume or cloud reached you, then your thyroid would have been about 99% saturated with good iodine. The bad iodine would then biologically slough from your body through natural bodily functions. The bad iodine will only affect those who haven’t prepared.
How do you Take KIO3?
KIO3 can be taken in tablet form or sprinkled on food or dissolved in drinks. It is not bitter and children won’t throw it up–which is the point. However, taking KIO3 on an empty stomach feels like taking an aspirin on an empty stomach so take it with food or water. If food or water is not handy then by all means don’t delay–just swallow or chew up the proper dose.
Caution! KIO3 in tablet form is for nuclear emergencies, only, and is not a supplement for thyroid health. You want your thyroid to function normally during peacetime and the amount of iodine you receive in your food and salt should be adequate for normal thyroid function. Do not take a thyroid blocker unless you expect an imminent exposure to radioactive fallout. Medical Corps’ KIO3 will block the thyroid from working, which is exactly what you want to happen during a nuclear emergency. The directions are on the bottle and are very important.
How long should you take a thyroid blocker?
You will need to take your KIO3 for 3 to 14 days depending on the event. For a period of 80 days after the last known nuclear event, do not drink the milk from cows or goats and eat only canned foods. Small babies should not take a thyroid blocker for longer than 3 days unless absolutely necessary. This means a baby in the womb, too! If pregnant, do not take a thyroid blocker for more than 3 days or nurse your baby while taking the blocker. If babies block their thyroid for longer than 3 days then a doctor may need to give them a thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH). If your thyroid has been surgically removed then you do not need to take a thyroid blocker.
