Zap! The chilling sound of X-rays piercing your body may be all too familiar if you’ve recently been to the dentist, doctor, or chiropractor. Each time you get “zapped” your body’s cells are permeated with powerful ionizing radiation, ripping electrons from DNA and other cellular material. Yet most health professionals do little to prevent unnecessary X-ray exposure or even inform us of the risk.
The ionizing force of X-rays creates “free radicals”, which are potent cell destroyers. Dr. Ernest Sternglass, Ph.D, professor of radiation physics at the University of Pittsburgh, explains: “It takes incredibly tiny amounts of free radicals to kill cells. A single molecule of a free radical can puncture an entire giant cell. It is as if you threw a dart at a balloon. Free radical oxygen can unzip a lipid cell membrane in a matter of minutes or hours.” According to Dr. Sternglass, X-rays are a primary source of free radical damage.
For years, doctors and dentists have falsely assured patients of the safety of X-rays. “It’s just like going out in the sun,” a dental assistant recently told me. Yet in 1990 the National Research Council concluded that the risk of developing tumors and leukemias from X-rays is 3-4 times higher than previously estimated. “The combined evidence now makes it fully reasonable, scientifically, to infer that all kinds of cancer can be induced by radiation,” states Dr. John W. Gofman, M.D., Ph.D., Director of the Committee for Nuclear Responsibility, Inc., professor emeritus in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at U.C. Berkeley.
Much X-ray exposure is blatantly unnecessary. According to medical professionals, doctors could reduce the power of X-rays by 50% without sacrificing the accuracy of their diagnosis. Dr. Gofman estimates that 75% of all breast cancers are caused by radiation exposure, with X-rays as a primary source. Many doctors over rely on mammograms for early detection of breast cancer, while neglecting a thorough breast examination. According to Dr. Simone, “The physician breast examination is as effective or more effective than mammograms. Physicians who spend 10 to 15 minutes doing the exam have a higher likelihood of identifying problems. Also, there is no survival benefit in mammography screening for women aged 40-49 or those older than 65-absolutely none.”
William Fry, Director of the American Metabolic Institute in San Diego, CA, explains that patients can prepare themselves when X-ray exposure is medically necessary. For a few days prior to receiving the X-ray, he recommends taking a lot of green foods such as spirulina, alfalfa, barley grass, and blue-green algae. This helps to create strong, healthy cells which are able to resist X-ray damage. He also suggests taking green cabbage juice, which coats and protects cells. After radiation treatment, patients can detox by taking a warm bath with 1 cup of sea salt and 1 cup of baking soda as well as 2 to 3 tablespoons of ginger root powder.
