While it is common knowledge that radiation exposure can cause serious harm to our bodies, the most common diagnostic tests that confirm medical conditions often use radiation as their energy source. This irony (and later on considered misconception) caused a lot of people to refuse CT scans and medical professionals to choose less accurate diagnostic modalities to avoid getting exposed to radiation. Here’s the catch: the risks of radiologic imaging are far less than the benefits that come from the knowledge gained because of the procedure, prevention of harm from undergoing less efficient or more invasive alternatives, and lower costs associated with not undergoing more tests just to arrive at the correct diagnosis.

Understanding Radiologic Radiation

Radiation is present in our environment from both natural and human-made sources. Natural sources of ionizing radiation include cosmic radiation from space and radioactive materials in the earth, while medical imaging procedures such as X-rays and CT scans are important human-made sources. Unlike ultraviolet radiation from the sun, which is classified as non-ionizing, X-rays and CT scans use ionizing radiation, which has enough energy to affect atoms and molecules within the body.⁴

Radiation is used by these diagnostic machines to create images of bones, tissues, fluids, tumors, and even foreign bodies that may be lodged inside the body. Diagnostic imaging has become an essential part of modern medicine, helping healthcare professionals identify disease, guide treatment, and avoid unnecessary or more invasive procedures.

The Ongoing Fear

Ionizing radiation, although widely used in health imaging, can be harmful to your health in high amounts. A lot of people worldwide choose not to undergo imaging studies that use radiation in light of the fear that their exposure may cause more harm than good to their health. Although other imaging modalities that do not use radiation are available, these can be expensive and may not be helpful in visualizing certain body structures. Scientifically, ionizing radiation can damage the body at the atomic level, causing cell death and destruction through damaging human deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA).² The body is wonderfully made to repair these damages immediately. However, if the damages are irreparable, the cells die or undergo mutations that can lead to the development of aberrant cells and tumors.²

Risks vs Reality

We are all exposed to small amounts of ionizing radiation as part of everyday life. In the United States, natural background radiation contributes approximately 3 mSv per year, although the amount varies depending on where you live. When medical radiation and other sources are included, the average annual exposure in the United States has been estimated at approximately 6.2 mSv, but an individual person’s medical exposure can be much higher or lower depending on the imaging procedures they undergo.⁵

Radiation doses from individual imaging studies also vary widely. For example, a chest X-ray exposes an average adult to approximately 0.1 mSv, while a CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis is approximately 7.7 mSv.⁶ These numbers should always be considered alongside the medical reason for the test and the valuable information it can provide.

Imagine you're taking a flight across the United States. During that journey, you're exposed to a small amount of ionizing radiation from cosmic rays. A one-way flight from the East Coast to the West Coast exposes you to approximately 0.035 mSv of radiation.⁷ A typical screening mammogram involves a somewhat higher, but still relatively low, radiation dose of approximately 0.4 mSv.⁶

When considering that radiation exposure, however, it is also important to consider what the test can accomplish. Mammography remains the recommended primary imaging method for breast cancer screening and can identify cancers at early, more treatable stages.  Thermal imaging, on the other hand, may sound appealing as it doesn't involve ionizing radiation, but it's significantly less effective in diagnosing breast cancer. Thermography may be used only as an adjunctive tool rather than as a standalone breast cancer screening test.⁸ 

Natural Ways to Protect the Body

Foods, herbs, and supplements that are rich in antioxidants and flavonoids can help nurture your body’s natural wonders. These components can help detoxify free radicals from radiation, regulate your body’s inflammatory response against damage, and attenuate pathways responsible for regulated cell death.³ All these act as your body’s personal defense team, dedicated to preventing and combatting cancer. Additionally, healthy sleep promotes the body’s repair and detoxifying process and getting enough rest every day can help with recovery.

Because radiation exposure is normal whether you are feeling sick or doing your daily activities, nurturing your body’s abilities to repair and control the damage brought by radiation exposure is very important.

When exploring your health options, safety and guidance are paramount. It is important to remember that some supplements and herbs may not be suitable for everyone. Despite being natural products, certain herbs can be contraindicated, especially if you have specific medical conditions or are pregnant or breastfeeding. Choosing the right supplements and herbs for your health is essential and should be done under the guidance of a qualified naturopathic doctor. They will help ensure that the use of natural medicine is appropriately monitored and regulated to align with your individual health needs. By doing so, you can safely incorporate the benefits of herbs into your wellness journey.

The Naturopathic Approach

Discovering the right regimen for your optimal health is very important, which is why our team at Natural Path to Wellness is committed to guiding you in selecting the most suitable nutrition, lifestyle, and health choices for your optimal well-being. Since radiation exposure is an inevitable part of our daily lives, and medical imaging may sometimes be necessary during hospital visits, it is important to understand both its potential risks and its important role in medical diagnosis while continuing to support your overall health. To learn more about how to discover the right sources of antioxidants for you, talk to us today!

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References

1. Ribeiro A, Husson O, Drey N, et al. Ionising radiation exposure from medical imaging - A review of Patient's (un) awareness. Radiography (Lond). 2020;26(2):e25-e30. doi:10.1016/j.radi.2019.10.002
2. Akram S, Chowdhury YS. Radiation Exposure Of Medical Imaging. In: StatPearls. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; November 14, 2022.
3. Yahyapour R, Shabeeb D, Cheki M, et al. Radiation Protection and Mitigation by Natural Antioxidants and Flavonoids: Implications to Radiotherapy and Radiation Disasters. Curr Mol Pharmacol. 2018;11(4):285-304. doi:10.2174/1874467211666180619125653
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Non-Ionizing Radiation. CDC; 2026.
5. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Calculate Your Radiation Dose. EPA.
6. American Cancer Society. Understanding Radiation Risk from Imaging Tests. American Cancer Society.
7. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Facts About Radiation from Air Travel. CDC; 2026.
8. Omranipour R, Kazemian A, Alipour S, et al. Comparison of the Accuracy of Thermography and Mammography in the Detection of Breast Cancer. Breast Care (Basel). 2016;11(4):260-264. doi:10.1159/000448347