Man-made nuclear fission products like radioactive iodine and strontium, which did not exist in nature prior to 1945, are created in nuclear weapons and reactors and are released into the atmosphere, contaminating soil, food, and water. From 1945 to 1963, fallout from above-ground nuclear bomb tests deposited huge amounts of lethal fission products, particularly affecting baby boomers born during those years. These health problems include high infant mortality rates and increased low live birthweight rates of less than 5.5 pounds. The only way to be completely free of these elements is to stop them from entering the environment. However, although exposure to radiation increases the risk of illness, it does not guarantee illness.
Nutrition plays a vital role in health and in the prevention of radiation-induced cancer.
Antioxidants, primarily vitamins A,C,E, selenium, and beta- carotene, are found naturally in fruits and vegetables, and can be taken as food supplements. The diet should be high in calcium to retard Sr-90 uptake, which is mistakenly identified as calcium by the body. Many health food stores have staff people knowledgeable about antioxidants, calcium supplements, and green concentrates which boost nutrition. That study was instrumental in the banning of above-ground nuclear weapons testing by the US and USSR in 1963. For temporal comparisons of Sr-90 in baby teeth, RPHP needs teeth from all areas of the country, and at least 100 teeth for each birth year.