Is Using Radiated Salt from the Supermarket Beneficial for Health?

In summary, the conversation discusses the controversial practice of using radon baths and speleotherapy for health benefits, particularly in treating degenerative spinal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and ankylosing spondylitis. While there are short-term improvements for both groups in the studies, the long-term effects are only sustained in the radon arm. The conversation also mentions the potential use of potassium iodide pills as a protection against radioactive iodine in the environment. Overall, the effectiveness of radon therapy is still uncertain and further research is needed.
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  • #2
I'd look at it more like any other "psuedo treatment" or whatever you want to call it. It probably only works because the peope THINK it works. Call it the placebo effect if you want.
 
  • #3
Radiation Hormesis is not a treatment for anything, just a theory that there isn't a purely linear relationship between ionizing radiation and harm to human tissue/life.

Personally, if that's the case, we already have that exposure from common sources, and there's no other possible benefit beyond its relationship to radiation. I'd add, Hormesis is not a commonly accepted model for radiation exposure, nor is it meant or believed to have ancillary benefits.


So yeah, let's call it social-Darwinism, even if it's just at the level of liberating money from fools.
 
  • #4
In the late 20th century and early 21st century, some "health mines" were established in Basin, Montana which attracted people seeking relief from health problems such as arthritis through limited exposure to radioactive mine water and radon.[66] The practice is controversial because of the "well-documented ill effects of high-dose radiation on the body."[67] Radon has nevertheless been found to induce beneficial long-term effects.[55]...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_effects_of_radon

Results. The two groups showed a similar baseline situation. After completion of treatment, relevant clinical improvements were observed in both groups, with no notable group differences. However, the follow‐up revealed sustained effects in the radon arm, and a return to baseline levels in the sham arm. After 6 months, marked between‐group differences were found for both end‐points (pain intensity: −16.9%, 95% confidence interval −27.6 to −6.2%; AIMS score: 0.57, 95% confidence interval 0.16 to 0.98). The between‐group differences were statistically significant for both overall means (pain intensity, P = 0.04; AIMS, P = 0.01).
Conclusion. Marked short‐term improvements in both groups at the end of treatment may have masked potential specific therapeutic effects of radon baths. However, after 6 months of follow‐up the effects were lasting only in patients of the radon arm. This suggests that this component of the rehabilitative intervention can induce beneficial long‐term effects...
http://rheumatology.oxfordjournals.org/content/39/8/894.long

Results
Five clinical trials with a total of 338 patients and comparing the effect on pain of radon baths (three trials) or radon speleotherapy (two trials) with control intervention in degenerative spinal disease (two trials), rheumatoid arthritis (one trial) and ankylosing spondylitis (two trials) met the inclusion criteria. In meta-analysis, the pooled data showed no difference immediately after treatment (P=0.13) but significantly better pain reduction in the radon group than the control group at 3 months (P=0.02) and 6 months (P=0.002) after treatment...
http://www.springerlink.com/content/39vbmv9gqg73b7qe/

Not sure what to make of this yet, but Google Scholar is your friend. :biggrin:
http://scholar.google.com/scholar?q=radon+therapy&hl=en&as_sdt=1,38&as_sdtp=on
 
  • #5
Yeah, I'd really try to avoid Radon baths, or the Polonium 210 burgers. :bugeye:

Remember 'Radium Water'?
 
  • #6
I wonder if Potassium Iodide Pills would work against that.
 
  • #7
Against what?

Potassium iodide pills ONLY make it less probable for your thyroid to collect radioactive iodine from the environment. They don't block radiation in any way.
 
  • #8
I guess radiated salt from the supermarket.
 
  • #9
Mr.CityColleg said:
I guess radiated salt from the supermarket.

Yeah. If the salt contained radioactive iodine, the Iodine pills would protect against your thyroid absorbing the radioactive iodine since it already has plenty.
 

What is radiation?

Radiation is a form of energy that is emitted from a source, such as the sun or nuclear materials. It can be in the form of particles or waves.

What are the potential health benefits of radiation?

Radiation can be used in medical treatments, such as radiation therapy for cancer. It can also be used in imaging techniques, like X-rays, to diagnose and monitor health conditions.

Are there any risks associated with radiation exposure?

High levels of radiation exposure can be harmful and increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer. However, low levels of exposure, such as from medical procedures, are generally considered to be safe and have not been linked to negative health effects.

How can I protect myself from radiation exposure?

There are various ways to protect yourself from radiation exposure, such as wearing protective gear when working with radioactive materials and following safety protocols. It is also important to limit exposure to sources of radiation, such as through proper shielding and monitoring.

What are the regulations and guidelines for radiation exposure?

The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) and other organizations have set limits and guidelines for radiation exposure to ensure the safety of individuals and the environment. These guidelines are regularly reviewed and updated based on scientific research.

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