Health Tips Library - Air Travel and Supplements
Twice through X-ray ruins the health benefits of most supplements. It's best to take only the number of tablets you will use. Upon your return, if you are not sure whether they have been through X-ray, throw away any leftovers.
Options to reduce radiation:
- With carry-on bags, use a lead-lined film protector pouch found in camera stores. As these are small, you will need to put your tablets in zip-lock bags. Secu-
rity employees will often take out the pouch to inspect it. While they sometimes just approve the supplements, they may also ask you to put the baggies through X-ray anyway. - We will shortly have sheets of lead shielding for sale that will cover any amount of bottles. Labelled bottles may help to increase the security staff's certainty as to what they are inspecting.
- Ask your personal doctor to write a request on their letterhead that your supplements be hand checked instead of X-rayed. If this note is given to a security check-point supervisor in the USA, they must cooperate with this. Average security employees may not be aware of this and are often too busy to help you.
- Put the lead-lined pouch on top of your luggage contents within a checked bag. Tape a note on the outside of the pouch saying “HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE - DO NOT X-RAY”. Place the letter from your personal doctor inside the pouch. When your bag is opened to inspect the pouch, report has it that it is less likely to get X-rayed.
- If you need a large quantity of supplements, try shipping the bottles to your destination via UPS with “HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE - NO X-RAY” marked all over the box. While this does not guarantee that the box will not be X-rayed, it reduces the risk.
Happy travels!
Dr. Pepi
April 3, 2008
