One CT scan hits you with a year’s worth of radiation in a single dose. It’s about the same level of radiation some survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki atomic bombs were exposed to in WWII.1
Now, I would never tell you NOT to get this potentially life-saving test. I’ve even recommended it for patients myself…
But only after I determined it was absolutely essential. Because up to 50% of the 85 million scans performed every year in the U.S. are not medically necessary.
When the CT scan was invented in 1972, it was seen as a game-changer. But it allowed doctors to get lazy.
Instead of gathering detailed information about a patient’s symptoms and relying on their own diagnostic experience, they started sending patients for scans as a first response.
But it’s not just laziness…
Nearly 35% of imaging tests are ordered as a defense against medical malpractice lawsuits.2
Then there are the financial incentives. Doctors who have money invested in these machines order many scans than those who don’t have a financial stake.3
Like X-rays, CT scans use ionizing radiation, but at a much higher dose. This radiation causes damage to your DNA, and that can lead to the formation of tumors.
Each time your doctor scans your body, you’re exposed to 10 millisieverts (mSv) of radiation. To put this into context, one CT scan of the abdomen is equal to 500 chest X-rays, 1,500 dental X-rays and 200,000 airport screenings.4
A large-scale study found that just one CT scan could be linked to cancer.5 It also found an increase in DNA damage and cell death, as well as increased expression of genes involved in cell repair and death.
If your doctor recommends a CT scan, speak up and ask questions.
- Why is it necessary?
- What if I don’t have it?
- Is ultrasound or MRI an alternative?
- Can I show you an earlier scan?
- What dosage is right for me?
- Do you have a financial interest in the test?
If your doctor doesn’t answer or you don’t like the answers you get, it may be time for a second opinion.
Protect Your DNA From Damage
Like I said, some scans are necessary. Luckily, there are supplements that minimize DNA damage.
Start taking them five days before your scan, or as soon as you book your appointment. Take them for at least five days after.
- Try this blue-green algae. After the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986, radiated children who were given 5 grams of spirulina for 45 days had dramatic improvements.6
Their bone marrow and blood cells regenerated; low white blood cell counts of 1,000 (typical of leukemia) rose to 3,000 in three weeks; and radioactivity in their urine was 50% lower after 20 days.
I recommend taking four to six 500 mg tablets spread throughout the day.
- Eat this cancer-fighting fruit. Blueberries are loaded with compounds that help fight cell damage, including an antioxidant called pterostilbene that stops cell mutations caused by radiation.
This little fruit is so powerful that NASA scientists are looking for ways to use blueberries to protect astronauts from the cosmic radiation they encounter in space.
Since it’s hard to get what you need from the fruit, I recommend using blueberry extract. Take 1,000 mg two to three times a day.
To Your Good Health,
Al Sears, MD, CNS
1. Semelka RC, et al. “Imaging strategies to reduce the risk of radiation in CT studies, including selective substitution with MRI.” J Magn Reason Imaging. 2007;25(5):900-909.
2. American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons. “Fear of Lawsuits May Be Leading to Extra Medical Tests.” February 15, 2011. www.consumerhealthday.com.
3. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. “Health care spending: Study shows high imaging costs for defensive purposes.” Science Daily. 16 February 2011.
4. “Improving the Safety of Medical Imaging.” Testimony before the Subcommittee on Health. U.S. House of Representatives.
5. Matthews J, et al. “Cancer risk in 680 000 people exposed to computed tomography scans in childhood or adolescence: Data linkage study of 11 million Australians.” BMJ. 2013;346:f2360.
6. Bodri B. How to Help Support the Body’s Healing After Intense Radioactive or Radiation Exposure. Reno, Nevada. Top Shape Publishing, LLC, 2004.