Following is a letter from me to a church group departing for a tour of Japan next month. This advice would be appropriate for anyone traveling to Japan at this time.

The past several months have been difficult for much of the world.  With weather, health, and economic challenges, it has been a tough winter.  As difficult as we might have had it, the disaster in Japan has shocked the world with the intensity of suffering and number of lives lost among those kind and elegant people.  And beyond that, the biological disaster will affect our planet for years to come.

This letter is to suggest some supplemental and hygienic protections for those who will be visiting Japan in the near future.  They are suggestions that will be good to consider on a more limited basis for those of us elsewhere as well, as the radioactive contamination continues far beyond the borders of Japan.  Low-dose radioactivity affects everything living thing in some way, and usually in a bad way.

The most dangerous isotopes affecting us in our food and water are iodine, cesium, uranium, and plutonium.  There are others that either have short half-lives or which are bound to less metabolically active metals, so it’s easier to avoid them and keep them out of our bodies.  The more dangerous ones are perceived by our bodies as slightly disguised versions of normal minerals that are important to maintain good health, and the body will take them up, especially if it is deficient in that mineral.

The supplements I suggest here will nourish your body with the minerals that radioactive isotopes “imitate.”  If these good minerals are at optimal levels before exposure, it will be easier for the immune system and digestion to refrain from absorbing into the body the bad isotopes that imitate them.

Iodine nourishes and protects the body from radioactive isotopes of iodine.  Since cesium imitates potassium, uranium imitates chromium, and plutonium imitates iron, it would be a good preventative measure to nourish the body in advance with potassium, chromium, and iron.  Of course, radioactivity of any type will cause death if it is too intense, but nutritional protection will help prevent the body from taking up low-level environmental exposures to these radioactive isotopes that are known to be coming our way from Japan.

For those traveling to Japan, I would encourage you to prepare by taking the following supplements before, during, and after the trip:

• Modifilan (90 capsules)

• Lugol’s Iodine, 5% (1oz liquid dropper bottle)

• SuperSulfur, Organic Pure Sulfur Crystals

• Organic Greens and Reds

SuperSulfur is a crystalline form of MSM, which is so good for the muscles and joints.  This dissolves immediately in a small amount of hot water, and then you can dilute it with any liquid of choice to cut the natural bitterness of the SuperSulfur.  Coffee or grapefruit juice cloak it well.  This form of bioavailable sulfur has been found to improve the ability of tissue cells to absorb good nutrients and quench free-radical damage.  In addition to internal protection, the sulfur helps to eliminate natural and environmental toxins.  This latter group includes radioactive isotopes that generate the free-radical damages within the cell.

The Organic Greens and Reds is a concentrated extract of whole fruits and vegetables.  Stir 1-2 tablespoons into juice or a fruit smoothie and drink that every morning with breakfast.  The nutrients in this concentrate will provide a broad range of protective antioxidants, bioflavonoids, and minerals in a bioavailable form.  This broad range of concentrated nutritional support helps these other single-nutrient medicines cover a more digestively normal range of effects.  This tastes pretty good.  These supplements would not be as important if you already eat a lot of fresh organic produce and regularly juice fresh fruit and vegetables.  Most of us would like to do that, but somehow lack the housekeeping and service staff to keep it going.

Lugol’s Iodine Solution (5%) is one of several iodine sources available, but it is the most reliable and affordable form we know of. If drops of a colorful liquid are too fussy to deal with, you can get it as tablets called Iodoral.  Read up on dosing and testing procedures.

As a starting dose for those unfamiliar with iodine, take 2 drops of Lugol’s Iodine in water or beverages twice a day.  This will approximate 24 milligrams of elemental iodine daily.  Build up with an extra drop per dose every couple of weeks so that when you are traveling in Japan, take about 4 drops twice a day for a total of about 50 milligrams daily.

If you experience any problems from this such as muscle aches or rashes, cut the amount in half and persist.  If you are both iodine-deficient and halogen-toxic (too much chlorine, fluorine, or bromine in your system), you could have an unpleasant cleansing reaction if you take too much.  There’s no need to be uncomfortable, just dose it lower and slower for a while.

Modifilan is a concentrated, dried extract of the brown seaweed, Kombu (Laminaria japonica).  It has a fascinating story that dates back to the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident.  We have had years of experience and amazing reports from clients who use it regularly to remove heavy metals, radiation, and strengthen their thyroid and digestion.  Read up on it and decide if you want to include it in your arsenal.  I recommend that you do so.  Before travel, take 1 capsule with major meals three times a day.  While in Japan, take 2 capsules after each meal, always with a slowly swallowed full glass of water.

These four items will protect and strengthen someone in a radioactively polluted environment.

Finally, be aware that most of the risky exposure is airborne or carried on surfaces you might touch.  Be up on your hygiene and cleanliness.  Take a zip-lock bag with a soapy wet washcloth in your travel bag or purse.  After you touch public surfaces like handles, doors, or counters, take a moment and wash your hands.  At the end of the day, clean and refresh the washcloth for the next day.  You will have access to stores and markets there.  Get containers of baking soda or Epsom salt, and every two or three days take a hot bath with about 3 cups of baking soda for a long hot soak.  This will help to alkalize your skin and draw out toxins. It also just feels good and relaxing.

As for dietary advice, you all have advisors and opinions galore. Basic concepts are that you should not stress out and weaken your digestion by eating too much, and avoid the foods that have little or no nutritional value.  Traditional Japanese cuisine will be wonderful.  For the wine lovers, go slow on that, because wines are loaded with fluorides and sulfides, and alcohol exhausts the adrenal glands and pancreatic functions.  Excess sugar and pastry sweets will also ruin your digestion and energy level.  You’ll enjoy your travel and your body more if you keep the diet light and stay active.

Some of the products I have recommended have become scarce and are hard to find, while my company, NaturoDoc, has them all in stock.  Here are Internet links to the website and blog for more detailed information.

You can get these products online from the NaturoDoc Store, or you can order by phone from the U.S. and Canada by calling 1-877-867-4743.

My suggestions to products that we sell on NaturoDoc.com are to inform you about them.  I encourage market comparison out there with anything of like quality you have access to.