How do anti-radiation pills work?!
Question: How do anti-radiation pills work?
Answers:
Different mechanisms for different drugs. One such drug called amnifostine for example reduces xerostomia with head and neck patients undergoing Radiation treatment. Amnifostine inside cells detoxifies reactive metabolites of platinum and alkylating agents, as well as scavenges free radicals. It may also aid in accelerated DNA repair, induce cellular hypoxia, inhibit apoptosis (program cell death) etc...
Anything that helps to scavenge hydroxyl ions (free radicals produced by interaction of radiation with water in your body) can aid as an anti radiation drug technically. Even Vitamin C (what people call an "anti oxidant") helps. Although it is obviously not nearly as effective a radioprotector as amnifostine.
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Interestingly enough I was given anti-radioactive pills as part of a government emergency programme many years ago. The emergency never happened thank god but I've still got the pills.
They are potassium iodide and work by filling up your thyroid with iodine, before your thyroid is filled up with radioactive iodine (i.e. you take them as soon as you know there's been a release of radiation). The theory being that you'll get away from the radiation source before the thyroid iodine can be depleted.
I dont think they do.