This has probably been covered before but I could not find a post in the search area.

I was wondering if anyone keeps Potassium Iodide tablets in their emergency supplys? Does anyone know what kind of shelf life these products have?

I also do not quite understand how they exactly work on the human body!

Since I am not at home, I will pull this out of my RAM.

I have 2 bottles at home. This has a long shelf life when stored properly, at room temperature away from sunlight.

These provide thyroid protection, primarily in children, from radiation effects.

There is some great info on KI t be found at: http://www.standeyo.com

Basically the iodine from the tabs is absorbed into the thyroid, making sure that any radioactive iodine from a nuclear accident doesn't get into the thyroid, thus protecting it from the radioactivity.

If you do a google of potassium-iodide or 'Iosat', you'll find the expiration-date. I think it was 7 years or so..

Hmmm. Could you just load up on iodized salt? A box of Morton's should be cheaper, easier to find, and have a much better shelf life.

I don't think there's enough Iodine in table salt...it's such a low percentage you'd do more damage than good by the time you ate enough. I believe the industry standard is 0.01% Sodium Iodide.

Personally, I don't think they are worth it unless you live near a nuclear plant. The trick is, you have to get the KI into your thyroid before the radioactive isotope of iodine is ingested- basically, if the thyroid is "full", it has no were to go. Prophylaxis would be the most effective way to go, but your body wouldn't thank you for it.

Keeping that in mind, if I was to live down by Vt Yankee again, I'd have some. It won't block the first exposure, but it will limit the total amount you ingest. Or if I lived down wind of a significant target- I'm not worried about an all out nuclear exchange, but there are odd people in the universe who might some day get lucky.

I was just watching an old Roger Corman film about 7 survivors of a nuclear exchange. The father was a proto survivalist with food, supplies and one model 10 revolver in a valley surrounded by heavy lead deposits. They were attacked by this mutated ex boyfriend of the girl, now looking like some Nietzche nightmare. Potassium Iodide will protect your thyroid, true. But think about it, the rest of you is going to look like a Roger Corman special effect anyway.

ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!

That is a very good point, Chris.