Why is iodine important to the thyroid gland?
The thyroid gland takes iodine from the bloodstream and uses it to make thyroid hormones. Without the required amounts of iodine, the thyroid would not be able to make these hormones. Most of the iodine in peopleís bodies comes from the food they eat. Why is radioactive iodine harmful? Radioactive iodine can harm your thyroid gland and can increase your risk of developing thyroid cancer years after exposure. Only operating nuclear power stations produce large amounts of the type of radioactive iodine that KI protects against. When should I take KI? You will be told when to take KI through the Emergency Alert System (EAS) broadcast over your local television and radio stations. Not every radiation emergency will result in the release of radioactive iodine. To provide maximum effectiveness, KI should be taken four hours or less before exposure. This will allow time for the KI to be taken up into the bloodstream and to the thyroid before exposure. KI will stop most of the radioactive iodi
