Iodine in black walnut tincture may be effective against radiation exposure

Monday, April 11, 2011 by: Donna Rae
Tags: iodine, black walnuts, health news

(NewsTarget) Concerns over the Fukushima nuclear power plant explosion in Japan in March 2011 continue to grow. China began reporting traces of radioactive material along its coastline on March 27, 2011. An article in Discovery News dated March 28, 2011 reports that radioactive dust and other materials are falling onto farm crops and other vegetation. Highly radioactive water is seeping into the Pacific Ocean. A Reuters report published on March 29, 2011 stated that radioactive iodine in trace amounts were being detected in Eastern Russia. As the supply of kelp and potassium iodide dwindle across the United States, many people are searching for safe and natural alternatives for iodine. One such alternative is black walnut tincture.

Black Walnut Tincture Is a Safe and Effective Source For Iodine

Black walnut tincture is not only high in a bio-assimilable, plant form of iodide, but it also has anti-bacterial, anti-parasitic, and fungicidal properties. The amount of iodine in black walnut tincture is so high that it can be used as a substitute for iodine antiseptics. Black walnut tincture works as an iodine antiseptic because it is an oxidizing agent. This means it acts as an electrolyte which upsets the cellular balance of any bacteria or other microbial it comes in contact with.

In his blog, master herbalist Dr. Richard Schulze mentions using black walnut tincture with his students during the Chernobyl nuclear power plant meltdown. Dr. Schulze says he suggested that patients be wiped down with iodine tincture or black walnut tincture. The iodine in the two tinctures was absorbed into the body through the skin. Testing later showed that the patients who had been "painted" with black walnut or iodine tinctures were just as protected against radiation exposure as the patients who took potassium iodide (SSKI). Simply wiping a small amount of black walnut or iodine tincture on a knee cap or the palm of one hand was enough to meet the body's need for iodine, according to Dr. Schulze.

How to Make Black Walnut Tincture

Black walnut tincture is easy to make, but it is not easy to get high quality black walnut hulls. Dark black walnut hull powder can be obtained from reputable herb companies. However, master herbalists agree that the "greener" in color the black walnut tincture is, the better the tincture will be. Many herbalists like to wildcraft black walnuts off of male trees soon after the trees bud in the spring. They look for an emerald green color on the hulls. About fifteen green black walnuts are needed for every quart (or liter) of 100 proof vodka in order to make the tincture.

Clean a quart sized glass canning jar, and fill the jar with black walnut powder to the halfway mark. Pour enough vodka over the powdered hulls to cover the herbs and to create a two-inch float line of vodka above the herbs. As the herbs absorb the vodka, they will begin to swell. Add more vodka in order to keep the float line at two inches. Screw on the lid, shake well, and store in a cool, dark place for three days.

After three days, pour the contents of the jar into a high quality blender. Whirl the herbs in the blender for a few minutes, then pour this blend back into the canning jar. Add more vodka to make a two inch float. Allow this mixture to sit for a minimum of two weeks, shaking the jar once or twice daily. After two weeks, the black walnut tincture will be ready to use.

Sources:

Discovery News.com, "Radiation From Japan Plant is Seeping Into Pacific"
http://news.discovery.com/earth/nuclear-plan...

Bloomberg.com, "China Finds Traces of Radioactive Material in Atmosphere of Coastal Areas"
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-03-28/rad...

News.Yahoo.com, "Radioactive Iodine From Japan Found in Russia" http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110329/ts_nm/us...

United States Department of Energy.gov, "Iodine As an Antiseptic" http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen01/...

Herbdocblog.com, "Alert: Radiation Exposure," by Dr. Richard Schulze https://herbdocblog.com/#home_container

About the author

Donna Rae is a freelance writer, blogger, and herbalist. She owns Donna Rae Online Writing Services (ANCHOR TEXT) , niche writing regularly in the alternative health care and education industries. Donna also owns Donna Rae At Home.com, a college prep home education website, and Bluebonnet Natural Healing Therapies.com ANCHOR TEXT, a blog site dedicated to educating people new to using herbs and natural methods to improve health.