Oats clean up nuclear waste?
Pease porridge hot, pease porridge cold, Pease porridge in the pot, nine days old; Some like it hot, some like it cold, Some like it in the pot, nine days old. Old English nursery rhyme
Food as Medicine and Nuclear Waste Cleanup
Oats, breakfast porridge, have been found by UWA and two research groups in China and Switzerland to remove radioactive strontium from contaminated soils. Oats beat out wheat and barley because of the mighty oat's ability to absorb high levels of strontium. Strontium is absorbed into us through our foods and high doses are linked to cancers and skeletal abnormalities.
That is the best reason to eat oats in the morning considering all of our environmental exposures to nuclear waste later in the day. Oats may be able to clean up soil contaminated with heavy metals. Eating oats may absorb metals in our gastrointestinal tract and safely move them through with our next bowel movement.
The study of plants used to remove metals and other noxious organic environmental pollutants is called phytoremediation. I would have majored in this field if it was available 20 years ago. I am remediating my patients with environmental medicine.
Bring on the oatmeal. Use plant-based milks, heaping teaspoons of cinnamon, raw local honey or maple syrup or dried fruits and toasted walnuts. Yummy.
Share your best oatmeal recipe.