Chinese panic-buy salt over Japan nuclear threat

[Aurora]

The Guardian - 17/03/11

Beijing supermarkets have run out of salt after false rumours circulated that iodised salt can help ward off radiation poisoning.

Article continues ...

[UndercoverElephant]

The Guardian - 17/03/11

Beijing supermarkets have run out of salt after false rumours circulated that iodised salt can help ward off radiation poisoning.

Article continues ...

This looks likes misinformation to me. As I understand it the situation with iodine and radiation is that children are more at risk because their thyroids are still developing. The children therefore need more iodine and are likely to absorb more iodine from their environment. They are therefore given high-dose iodine tablets if there is a risk of exposure to radioactive iodine. Iodised salt doesn't contain enough iodine to make a difference? It might have enough to make a difference to an adult - just enough to make sure their bodies don't need any iodine. And it won't do any harm to a child.

It is becoming increasingly difficult to seperate truth from propaganda. People do not trust what officialdom is saying, and I don't blame them.

[PS_RalphW]

Feeding a child enough iodinised salt to protect it from radioactive iodine would kill the child outright with sodium poisoning.

[UndercoverElephant]

Feeding a child enough iodinised salt to protect it from radioactive iodine would kill the child outright with sodium poisoning.

Then one has to wonder what the point of iodinised salt is.

[adam2]

Feeding a child enough iodinised salt to protect it from radioactive iodine would kill the child outright with sodium poisoning.

Then one has to wonder what the point of iodinised salt is.

It is alleged to be good for other reasons, not against radiation.

A growing child needs iodine to ensure proper development of the thyroid.
In most parts of world a normal balanced diet contains sufficient iodine.
Some diets in some places are defficient in iodine, this results in the thyroid becoming enlarged, known as goitre sp?
This may be counteracted by the use of iodised table salt in place of regular non iodised salt.

A nuclear accident is likely to release radioactive iodine, this is liable to be absorbed by the thyroid, and then to cause cancer of that gland.
The risk may be reduced by taking iodine tablets, this "floods" the body with non radioactive iodine and therefore greatly reduces the amount of radioactive iodine that will be absorbed.
Iodine tablets dont protect against the general adverese effects of radiation, only against thyroid cancer.

Iodised table salt contains only traces of iodine and as posted above would likely cause sodium/salt poisioning before doing any good against thyroid cancer.

Expect a run on iodised salt in the UK any day now !