As it turns out, the skies may not be so friendly after all. In fact, they are downright dangerous to people who fly regularly, like frequent business travellers, flight attendants and pilots.
The reason has nothing to do with the possibilities of crashing. Just being there at a cruising altitude of 35,000 feet can be hazardous to your health because of increased exposure to the sun’s damaging radiation.
The airplane cabin does not offer enough protection, so at cruising altitude, those aboard are receiving 50 to 100 times more radiation than those on the ground. Studies have shown that one transatlantic flight is equal in radiation exposure to an x-ray. And since the protection of the atmosphere thins as you move away from the equator, flights that take a polar route are even more exposed.
The exposure experienced by pilots and airline flight attendants makes their jobs among the riskiest on the planet. Some studies have indicated that their exposure is worse even than those working at nuclear power plants.
Glutathione Provides Protection From Cosmic Radiation
There is a way of protecting yourself from most of the dangers of radiation, though, that is far short of wearing a HAZMAT suit when flying. Experts strongly suggest that frequent flyers should ingest a glutathione supplement in the form of a glutathione accelerator.
Glutathione is the body’s master sergeant antioxidant in the battle against free radicals, which are the lone gunman of the human immune system and can cause serious cell damage, particularly when charged with radiation. By increasing the body’s production of glutathione, the body has better protection at the cell level.
Glutathione, which is produced naturally by the liver and found in fruits and vegetables, is frequently prescribed by doctors in the treatment of such conditions as cataracts, asthma, heart disease, cancer, hepatitis, Alzheimer’s, and general aging. It protects the cell from inflammation, which is the root cause of many medical complaints.
Simply taking a glutathione supplement is not enough to fend off the results of radiation exposure, though. Instead, doctors recommend pilots and other flyers take a glutathione accelerator.
Radiation Can Cause Extreme Health Conditions
Without this added protection, radiation has been shown to cause increases in birth defects and may be the cause of a doubling of the breast cancer rate among female flight attendants.
Radiation exposure has a cumulative effect on the body, so the longer the time spent in the air over weeks, months and years, the greater the dose. As a result, the entire body is at risk.
Other health problems connected with radiation from flying include:
- Cataracts, in the form of a certain kind called “radiation cataracts”
- Cancer, including skin cancer and leukemia
- Alzheimer’s
- Arthritis
- Heart disease and stroke
- Diabetes
- Fibromyalgia
- Muscular dystrophy
- Cerebral palsy
- Macular degeneration
- General mental and physical traits connected with cell aging
Given the evidence that flying can be a health hazard along the lines of smoking, should airlines be required to offer frequent flyers access to a glutathione accelerator before each trans-oceanic or trans-continental flight?