By Dr. Mercola
When's the last time you kicked off your shoes and reveled in
the feeling of the Earth under your feet?
Been awhile?
It may sound hard to believe, but engaging in this simple
pleasure could give your health a much-needed boost.
Often it is the case that engaging in activities that feel
good on an intrinsic level really are good for your health --
like the feeling of the afternoon sun warming your bare skin.
Walking barefoot outside, with the soles of your feet free to
mesh with the surface of the Earth – an activity known as
Earthing, or grounding -- is another such case.
I have been personally intrigued with grounding for nearly
seven years and have been seeking to ground myself most of the
time.
This is a fascinating leading-edge concept, and I would
strongly encourage you to carefully read the featured article
for more details.
You are an Electrical Being, and the Earth's Surface is
Electrically Conductive
You are an electrical being -- your body regularly produces
positive charges, which can oxidize and harm you if it is
excessive..
The Earth's surface is electrically conductive; it maintains
a negative charge with its free electron supply continually
replenished by the global atmospheric electrical circuit.
As such, as reported in the Journal of Environmental and
Public Health:
"It is an established, though not widely appreciated
fact, that the Earth's surface possesses a limitless and
continuously renewed supply of free or mobile electrons.
… Mounting evidence suggests that the Earth's
negative potential can create a stable internal
bioelectrical environment for the normal functioning of all
body systems. Moreover, oscillations of the intensity of the
Earth's potential may be important for setting the
biological clocks regulating diurnal body rhythms, such as
cortisol secretion."
There is growing research showing that this connection to the
Earth's surface plays a vital role in preventing disease and
offers a host of benefits from improved sleep to pain relief.
The problem, of course, is that while humans have historically
spent much of their days with their bare skin next to the Earth
(both while walking and sleeping, including on animal skins,
which still allow electrons to enter the body), today this vital
connection has been lost.
Researchers continue:
"Throughout history, humans mostly walked barefoot or
with footwear made of animal skins. They slept on the ground
or on skins. Through direct contact or through
perspiration-moistened animal skins used as footwear or
sleeping mats, the ground's abundant free electrons were
able to enter the body, which is electrically conductive.
Through this mechanism, every part of the body could
equilibrate with the electrical potential of the Earth,
thereby stabilizing the electrical environment of all
organs, tissues, and cells.
Modern lifestyle has increasingly separated humans
from the primordial flow of Earth's electrons. For example,
since the 1960s, we have increasingly worn insulating rubber
or plastic soled shoes, instead of the traditional leather
fashioned from hides… Obviously, we no longer sleep on the
ground as we did in times past."
What Happens When You Absorb Free Electrons from the Earth?
The scientific theory behind the health benefits seen from
this simple practice is that since the Earth has a greater
negative charge than your body, you end up absorbing electrons
from it. This is, in my understanding, one of the most potent
antioxidants we know of and may have an anti-inflammatory and
antioxidant effect on your body. As written in the Journal
of Alternative and Complementary Medicine:1
"It is well established, though not widely known,
that the surface of the earth possesses a limitless and
continuously renewed supply of free or mobile electrons as a
consequence of a global atmospheric electron circuit.
Wearing shoes with insulating soles and/or sleeping in beds
that are isolated from the electrical ground plane of the
earth have disconnected most people from the earth's
electrical rhythms and free electrons.
… A previous study demonstrated that connecting the human
body to the earth during sleep (earthing) normalizes the daily
cortisol rhythm and improves sleep. A variety of other benefits
were reported, including reductions in pain and inflammation.
Subsequent studies have confirmed these earlier findings and
documented virtually immediate physiologic and clinical effects
of grounding or earthing the body."
To put it simply, it's thought that the influx of free
electrons from the Earth's surface will help to neutralize free
radicals and reduce both acute and chronic inflammation, which
is at the root of many health conditions and accelerated aging.
A Review of Earthing Research Shows Significant Benefits
In a new article published in the Journal of
Environmental and Public Health2,
researchers reviewed the Earthing research, revealing an
impressive impact on a variety of health conditions. Most of the
studies involved indoor testing methods that simulated being
barefoot outdoors. This was found to offer improvements in the
following conditions:
Sleep disturbances, including sleep apnea |
Chronic muscle and joint pain, and other types of pain |
Asthmatic and respiratory conditions |
Rheumatoid arthritis |
PMS |
Hypertension |
Energy levels |
Stress |
Immune system activity and response |
Heart rate variability
|
Primary indicators of osteoporosis
|
Fasting glucose levels among people with diabetes |
Another invaluable benefit is this: when your body is
grounded, researchers write, "its electrical potential becomes
equalized with the Earth's electrical potential through a
transfer of electrons from the Earth to the body." This, in
turn, offers an "umbrella" of protection against the
electromagnetic fields that are now ubiquitous in our
environment. The paper continues:
"The study confirms the "umbrella" effect of earthing
the body explained by Nobel Prize winner Richard Feynman in
his lectures on electromagnetism. Feynman said that when the
body's potential is the same as the Earth's electric
potential (and thus grounded), it becomes an extension of
the Earth's gigantic electric system. The Earth's potential
thus becomes the "working agent that cancels, reduces, or
pushes away electric fields from the body."
Most of the scientists working in this area now believe that
the beneficial effects are mediated through reduction in
inflammation and a thinning of the blood. In fact the blood
thinning effect is so profound that if you are taking blood
thinners it is recommended to immediately consult with your
doctor, as most likely your blood thinner will need to be
lowered.
Two Ways to Make Sure You Stay Grounded
The effects of grounding appear to be so profound that
researchers suggest health practitioners prescribe outdoor
"barefoot sessions" as the weather permits. This is as simple as
it sounds – you kick off your shoes and socks and walk barefoot
on the grass, the dirt, the sand or whatever "Earth" is
available to you. Studies suggest that benefits such as pain
relief and stress reduction may occur in just 30-80 minutes of
barefoot time a day.
This can obviously be a challenge during the winter, or if
you live in an urban area without easy access to parks or other
barefoot-friendly surfaces, so the other option is to use a
grounding or Earthing pad, which allows you to get the benefits
of the Earth's electrons even if you're indoors, especially when
you're sleeping. I've been using one for several months now,
especially when I travel by plane, as air travel is a suspected
cause of weakening bio-electric currents.
So, like access to regular sun exposure, walking barefoot
outside is a grossly neglected foundational practice that you
can easily correct. In the Journal of Environmental and
Public Health, researchers concluded:
"Emerging evidence shows that contact with the
Earth—whether being outside barefoot or indoors connected to
grounded conductive systems—may be a simple, natural, and
yet profoundly effective environmental strategy against
chronic stress, ANS [autonomic nervous system] dysfunction,
inflammation, pain, poor sleep, disturbed HRV [heart rate
variability], hypercoagulable blood, and many common health
disorders, including cardiovascular disease.
The research done to date supports the concept that grounding
or earthing the human body may be an essential element in the
health equation along with sunshine, clean air and water,
nutritious food, and physical activity."
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