The sequence of physical signs and symptoms of individuals with radiation sickness:

1. Cutaneous hemorragic purpura or bleeding skin lesion-1 week
2. Bleeding gingivitis or mouth gum bleeding-1 week
3. Diarrhea- 1-2 weeks
4. Fever- 1-3 weeks
5. Oral pharyngitis or inflamed throat- 1-3 weeks
6. Death of many at 17 days after bomb exposure
7. Cataracts of the eyes- 2 months
8. Hair loss- 2 months
9. Menstruation arrest lasting 1 year
10. Leukemia cancers as the first type of cancers
11. Solid organ tumors-10 years

Forward to Dr. Furo's book on the project: 

Through my work with the Kushi Institute on the "Best Case Series," with the National Institute of Health, I accidentally read the book by Tatsuichiro Akizuki of Nagasaki, Japan 1945, who noted that it was the simple foods that saved him as well as his group (all exposed to the bomb within 2 kilometers) from the radiation sickness which plagued the whole city. He was modest and never claimed to be a scientific researcher, but I felt his observations needed further exploration.

On my first trip to Hiroshima 2003, I had the great fortune of meeting Hiromitsu "Tonko" Watanabe of the radiation biology section of the Hiroshima University. He was the most generous to share with me the irradiated animal data to corroborate Dr. Akizuki's claims. Dr. Watanabe who was educated in Japan, did a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin with expertise in developmental biology. His research suggested that miso had a protective effect on tissues from radiation injury. On my second visit 2005, we met the librarian of the Hiroshima, Ms. Kikuraku, and learned that Dr. Akizuki had recently passed away but Mrs. Akizuki was still alive with other survivors from St. Francis Hospital. Dr. Wantanabe showed me his latest work which noted that 160 to 180 days old miso was the most effective against radiation injury. The freeze dried miso fed to the animals was just as effective as the miso paste. The salt in miso did not induce hypertension in hypertension-prone animal models.

Destiny paved the way for me to find a talented, energetic, young professor, Hiroko Furo, at Illinois Wesleyan University who was fluent in English and of course fluent in Japanese and totally sensitive to Japanese culture and style of "doing things." She is professor, marathon runner, and had a passion for understanding nutrition in health. Such a research project was irresistible for her no matter how busy. A Caucasian American could not have pulled off these interviews as she did. With providence on our side, we all put our efforts together to get an emergency funding and off she went in the little time she had. She did the work of three humans with a limited budget.

What is incredible about this document is that these people survived under the most toxic conditions. Because they did not have enough food, and green vegetables were burnt from the high temperature exposure, they were left with stored short grain brown rice, miso, dried seaweed, Wakame, umbeboshi pickled plum, shoyu broth, sea salts and the only surviving vegetable, pumpkin. They ate this meager diet and survived to tell their story. 90% of the survivors from close range of the bomb exposure survived, ate these "meager" foods and lived, whereas most of those who were in the range of 2 kilometers died. Sugar consumption immediately showed "radiation rash," the hemorrhagic purpura or skin bleeding which occurred during the first week after bomb exposure. Stopping sugar resolved the skin lesions immediately. This work is the continuation of the legacy of Dr. Akizuki's first observation of the protective effects of pro biotic miso.

- George W. Yu, M.D. August 29th, 2007

The Forward was written by Dr. George W. Yu, M.D. circa August 29th, 2007

Last building standing after the Atmoic Bombings in August of 1945

After going to the beach and taking a short swim, have you wondered why you "feel so great!"