Sales of Potassium Iodide Pills at All-Time High
Americans fearing radiation fallout from Japan will reach the United States are scrambling to stock up on potassium iodide pills and tablets.
Although many experts are saying the chance is low that dangerous levels of radiation from Japan will reach the United States, US Surgeon General Regina Benjamin said that stocking up on iodine tablets is not an overreaction.
Many stores located in states along the western coastline of the U.S. are already sold out of iodide pills, and Internet orders are at an all-time high.
Following the Chernobyl nuclear reactor meltdown, the largest negative health effect was found to be thyroid cancer. Potassium iodide has been proven to help protect the thyroid gland from the radioactive form of iodine that is found when radiation is released by a nuclear reactor disaster.
Potassium iodide pills and tablets have not been found to protect against other forms of cancer caused by radiation.
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