EMFs- What you should know, and how to protect yourself!
EMFs, for those who may not yet know, stands for electromagnetic fields and it refers to the wireless wave form that gets emitted from devices. EMF strength can vary from different devices, from cell phones to wifi routers to electricity towers, etc. And to be clear, we are electromagnetic creatures and so is every living creature. I wrote an introductory piece with a bit more of origin research and data that you can find HERE. Since then, I have learned more recent information with larger studies based off of more broader resources that I felt I just HAD to share!
If you already are familiar with EMFs, you probably already know that the increased exposure can affect our bodies on a cellular level, but how? Here are the things I have recently learned that I think you should know too.
1. Increased EMF exposure, especially wireless wave forms, are increasingly associated with altering the shape of Vitamin D receptors. Vitamin D is thought of mostly for bone density, but it recently won the Nobel Prize for immunology as well. So if the receptors become altered for Vitamin D in the body, then it can negatively affect our immune systems.
2. EMF exposure opens the voltage gate of the calcium ion channel that accelerates the death of neurons. When the calcium ion channels are forced open, calcium floods the channel and causes neuron damage and death, to where there is a certain syndrome called Havanna Syndrome where exposure of the brain to certain EMF will exhibit brain damage that looks similar to traumatic brain injuries, but without the trauma! Before, previous research only would associate this type of damage with the production of heat, but recently, it has been found that microwaves can have this effect on the calcium channels, and has found to have a biological impact even at non-thermal levels.
3. EM depth penetrates all the way through the brain of a 5 year old from one ear to the other. It penetrates 75% depth of the brain from 6-10 year old and 25% of the brain of an adult. It is recommended to keep wireless devices off a person's body altogether, especially the ears for that reason!
4. A California study at Kaiser in Oakland in 2017 looked at exposure to magnetic field non-ionizing radiation and its risk to miscarriage. There was 913 female participants who wore meters on their wrists that measured the exposure and found that those with the highest exposure readings had 300% increase risk of miscarriage.
5. NIH found that cell phone radiation contributes to cancer, and that 4-5G is worse than 2-3G from 20 years ago. A study came out in 2020 on cell phone exposure that was
the most comprehensive study and found that the carcinogenicity was found to be over 17 min/day over 10 years. The key takeaway was a recommendation to keep off from the head! They noted that the the danger and severity drops off with distance.
Now that's some scary stuff. Being a holistic family health and wellness chiropractor and mom of little ones, I grow increasingly concerned about the rapid increase in wireless tech like bluetooth, cell phones, wifi etc. and how much earlier our children are being exposed to these devices. So what can we do about it to protect ourselves and our kids?
Here are the two main solutions we should all consider to protect ourselves and our loved ones that I have found:
Magnesium! Magnesium helps to close the calcium ion channel in order to prevent the rush of calcium that kills neurons, protecting them from premature death. Problem- It is low on EVERYONE! In her new book, Toxic Legacy, Dr. Stephanie Seneff, a researcher from MIT has written a book on glyphosates in Round UP that has led to a plethora of musculoskeletel problems from contaminating our food (mostly corn and soy), but she found it is also the most incredible chelator they have ever seen and it depletes magnesium in the soil and therefore our food.
EMF Harmony products! So there are a lot of EMF protecting products on the market these days, and in my previous BLOG I go into detail about why I decided to go with this company (Hint: the research and references they had were best by far). I even beta tested their products with my office and myself and my family for 2 months before presenting it as an option for my patients. Feel free to read more there. Here is an affiliate link for 20% off if you are interested.
Other additional things you can start doing RIGHT NOW is to limit screen time for yourself, your family, and especially your little ones and avoid having wireless devices close to or touching your and their face/ears. Use wired buds instead of wireless when possible to further minimize direct exposure to the brain. I personally put my phone on airplane mode when I charge it at night and make my husband do the same. We charge and in the far corner of the bedroom (it's suggested to have it charge in a totally separate room from where you sleep, but ours are still in our bedroom because of the alarm - and the alarm function still works in airplane mode, just not data or wifi). Get grounded in nature- some studies out of Japan have shown that barefoot activities on grass, sand, earth, etc for at least 20 minutes can reduce stress hormones in the body by 15-20%. The theory is that we are grounding ourselves like a lightening rod to the earth so it absorbs the excess EMF and helps us recalibrate our own lowered natural EM fields back to our baseline. Of course when you do that, just leave your devices at home!
Technology is not slowing down for us anytime soon. It is another invisible stressor on our bodies. And living in the heart of Silicon Valley, it seems like EMF exposure is only getting stronger so we need to take things into our own hands. It may seem daunting, but I want to arm you with knowledge and support with solutions that are low cost and easily able to be implemented for your longterm health and longevity!
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Sources: the Body Electric, Explaining unexplained diseases, Disconnected, Toxic Legacy, National Institute of Health.
