Fears over radiation leakage from Japan’s Fukushima nuclear facility sparked a run on iodized salt in China. Taking iodine pills before or during radiation exposure can protect you from developing thyroid cancer. However, according to NPR : You’d have to consume 3 1/2 pounds of iodized salt to obtain the 130 milligrams of iodine that’s contained in a single tablet of potassium iodide for use in a radiation emergency, according to the Salt Institute