Earthing, or grounding, is the process of bringing the earth's free electrons into the human body to improve chronic pain, inflammation, sleep, circulation, emotional stress, wound healing and more. Though it may sound too good to be true, grounding the human body is a simple and effective way to improve your health. Here's what you need to know about how earthing works.
The earth's surface electrons have electrical conductivity, and the human body has an electrical system, that constantly interacts with each other through direct physical contact. The electrical system of the human body is composed of free or mobile electrons.
These free electrons are found in our cells, tissues, and organs, and are also present in our blood. Free electrons are negatively charged particles and the universal regulating factor for all living cells is a slightly negative electrical charge on the cell membrane.
This negative charge gives the cell its polarity and is essential for normal functioning. When the cell's electrical charge becomes too positive, it loses its polarity and can no longer function properly.
Earthing research suggests a link between chronic illnesses, chronic fatigue, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular disease and chronic inflammation with the cellular function being too positively charged. When the human body is out of balance, one major reason for this is inflammation. When there is inflammation the body produces excess free radicals.
The earth itself has a negative charge, which helps to neutralise the positive charge in our bodies. When we are in contact with mother earth—whether walking barefoot or with earthing products like a grounding mat or a ground rod—we can absorb those free electrons and negative ions to return our electrical system to a negative charge.
This is the premise of grounding therapy.
It's a scientific fact that the earth's surface is rich in free electrons which are composed of negative ions. These electrical particles are created when energy from the sun interacts with molecules of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and water vapour in the air.
The earth's energy is shared with the surface, which helps to stabilise it and keep it from eroding. The earth's electric potential also helps to protect against electrical shocks. When grounding the human body, you are actually in contact with a layer of earth's electrons. In other terms, grounding patients absorb the earth's healing energy for incredible health implications.
The human body is also naturally electrical, with negative ions that are essential for good health. In fact, many of the health benefits of being outdoors can be attributed to the negative ions in the air.
Studies have shown that negative ions can help to improve mood, increase concentration, and reduce stress levels. They can also promote better sleep and help to relieve seasonal allergies and headaches.
In addition, negative ions can improve respiratory function and increase the body's ability to absorb oxygen. In order to maintain a healthy balance, the body must constantly replenish its supply of negatively charged ions.
The easiest ways to do this are:
By keeping the body's electrical charge in balance, we can help ensure optimal health and well-being.
Free radicals are molecules with unpaired electrons. They are looking to steal electrons from other cells in order to become balanced. This causes damage to the cell membranes, DNA, and enzymes. Proteins that are necessary for cellular function are also damaged or destroyed. All of this leads to poor health and a decrease in energy levels.
The electrical system of the body is also responsible for producing the electrical impulses that travel through our nervous system. These electrical impulses allow us to feel pain, touch, pressure, and heat.
They also allow us to see, hear, and smell, regulating our blood pressure, heart rate, and respiration. It is also responsible for maintaining our body temperature at a stable level. Without the electrical system, the body would not be able to function properly.
Homeostasis is the maintenance of a stable internal environment. Mobile electrons help to maintain homeostasis by keeping our blood chemistry at a constant level.
Negative ions play a role in homeostasis by helping to remove positively charged free radicals from our bodies. Free radicals are removed from our bodies by attaching themselves to negative ions and then being flushed out through urine and sweat.
The body is also exposed to positive charges, which can come from electromagnetic fields, radiation, and other environmental factors. These positive charges can disrupt the normal functioning of cells and lead to health problems.
It is important to maintain a balance of negative and positive charges in order to maintain good health. Therefore, reducing your exposure to EMF and ELF levels plays a major factor in your overall health.
Grounding the human body has been shown to have a wide range of health benefits. Here is a list of potential benefits of grounding therapy:
As you can see the list of benefits are long and profound and are very similar to the health benefits provided by infrared light. Let's take a closer look at some of these benefits in more detail.
Several studies found that earthing therapy can help to reduce physical and emotional stress, improve sleep quality, and promote general well-being.
Neuromodulation is a process of modifying or altering activity in the nervous system, either electrically or chemically. Grounding techniques cause neuromodulation to restore the natural electrical environment of the body.
Emotional stress alters our nervous system and is measured by electroencephalography (EEG), surface electromyography (SEMG), and somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPs) - brain tests. Grounding human subjects has been shown to reverse these alterations from stress and provide a positive, calming effect on the nervous system.
Consequently, earthing therapy may offer a simple and effective way to reduce stress and improve mental health by calming the autonomic nervous system.
Nature’s Own Research Association conducted a study in 2015 that looked at the efficacy of grounding mats for healing wounds. They hypothesised that Earthing creates antioxidant effects, slowing reactive oxygenated species (ROS) from causing collateral damage to healing tissue and reducing inflammation.
The body's immune response to wounds is the release of white blood cells (WBCs). An increase in white blood cell counts also increases ROS as a part of their defence mechanism for healing, but too much ROS prevents new white blood cells from reaching the needed area. By slowing the release of ROS from WBCs, more WBC can work to fight off infection.
Grounding has also been shown to reduce blood viscosity. Blood viscosity is the aggregation of red blood cells or red blood cell fluidity. By reducing blood viscosity you lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
A major factor of chronic illness is chronic inflammation. Earthing results in better blood flow, which helps to reduce chronic pain and chronic stiffness.
A recent pilot study demonstrated that grounding people with hypertension improves blood pressure. In patients with moderate to severe hypertension, the reduction in pharmaceutical support has also been realized when grounding the patient.
In addition to lowering blood pressure, many patients commented that arrhythmia awareness was attenuated as well. As a result, earthing may be one of the easiest and most effective ways to lower blood pressure and improve chronic health conditions.
Delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, is a type of muscle pain that can occur after exercise. It is often accompanied by stiffness and inflammation and can last for several days. While there is no cure for DOMS, there are ways to manage the pain and help the muscles recover.
One promising new approach is grounding or earthing. In a pilot study, grounding the body to the earth altered measures of immune system activity and pain. Since this is the first intervention that appears to speed recovery from DOMS, the pilot provides a basis for a larger study.
Grounding therapy is a simple but effective way to improve your health. By simply walking barefoot outside or using earthing products indoors (grounding mats and grounding patches), your body's own electrical conductivity absorbs the Earth's surface electrons to support all living cells.
This helps with pain relief, improves sleep quality, reduces stress levels, lowers chronic inflammatory responses, lowers the risk of chronic diseases and supports heart health.
By understanding that both the Sun and the Earth provide our cells with all the nutrients they need to survive and thrive, it is easier to grasp the concept of modern-day wellness technologies - such as infrared saunas and grounding patches - replicating these physiological responses for better health.
If you're interested in trying earthing for yourself, simply spend time 30 minutes without shoes on, walking or sitting on the grass or seek some grounding products.
Moreover, if you would like to learn about the health benefits of infrared saunas and infrared light click here.
Clearlight would like to remind users that this should not be taken as direct medical advice, and you should always consult a licensed health practitioner before making any significant changes to your lifestyle or existing pain treatment regimen.
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