h a l f b a k e r yIncidentally, why isn't "spacecraft" another word for "interior design"?
add, search, annotate, link, view, overview, recent, by name, random
news, help, about, links, report a problem
browse anonymously,
or get an account
and write.
register,
|
|
|
Please log in.
Before you can vote, you need to register.
Please log in or create an account.
|
Potassium-40 is a radioactive element present at ~100mM concentration inside the cells. It is capable of emitting either beta or gamma rays, both with energies > 1MeV. If all potassium intake is the stable potassium-39 or potassium-41, the amount of radical production and DNA damage by K-40 will be
lowered.
The diet has two parts. First, the patient must consume a low potassium diet. Special nutritional supplements and shakes will likely be required. Secondly, the patient must take a potassium pill that does not contain potassium-40. I would imagine that a 1000mg daily dose would be astronomically expensive, but the diet is designed for reclusive billionaires, so cost is of no concern.
[link]
|
|
// I would imagine that a 1000mg daily dose would be astronomically expensive // |
|
|
Not really, since if you ingested a gram of pure metallic potassium you'd be unlikely to live to see another sunrise ... one dose is all that's needed. |
|
|
A potassium pill implies pottassium salts, same as any other nutrition supplement, not pure metalic potassium. US RDA 3500mg |
|
|
Cutting out all naturally occuring radioactives is going to be difficult though. |
|
|
As I understand it this is why potassium iodide is given to victims of radiation poisoning. Potassium-40 and iodine-131 are both unstable isotopes that the body can absorb. Providing it with a plentiful source of non-radioactive atoms makes it less likely to retain the dangerous radioactive ones. |
|
|
wait... are my bananas radioactive? |
|
|
Yes. Everything contains minute amounts of radioactivity, and you live in a blizzard of "cosmic rays" (highly energetic Gamma photons). |
|
| |