EARTHING: THE MOST IMPORTANT HEALTH DISCOVERY EVER?

Authors: Clinton Ober, Stephen Sinatra MD., Martin Zucker
Sometimes the simplest ideas are the most profound. If the revolutionary concepts and research presented in the book "Earthing" prove to be consistently true, through further research, clinical experience and personal testimony, we may be one step further towards understanding, preventing and alleviating chronic illness.

The more technologically advanced our society becomes, the further we separate ourselves from the rythmns and sustenance of nature. The authors of "Earthing" reveal one of the most fundamental ways that we can reconnect with the environment which our bodies were designed to interact with.

The authors' hypothesis states that the more time we spend outdoors with our bare feet planted firmly on stone, earth, grass, sand or cement, the healthier we will be. The ground is one of the main sources of negative electrons which neutralize free radicals. A free supply of negative electrons is essential for optimal health. A quote from page 92 elaborates on this idea. " The living matrix, as one of its main biological functions, is set up to protect tissues from free radical damage. It represents a natural built-in antioxidant defense system. The matrix is all-pervasive, reaching into every corner of the body. If your matrix functions properly, and if you are connected to the earth, any free radical formed anywhere in the body will be neutralized by mobile electrons from the Earth. This idea alone should motivate anyone to connect with the Earth as much as possible, day and night. By understanding that the living matrix is a conductive fabric extending throughout the body, and that grounding connects this system to the Earth and an infinite supply of free electrons, one could see that Earthing could prove to have far-reaching anti-aging, antioxidant, and anti-inflamm-aging effects. Longterm, controlled animal studies will enable us to verify or refute this profound hypothesis."

The authors tell about several different types of studies which have been conducted, that show the benefits of earthing or grounding to the earth's electrical matrix. Microphotographs and thermography images are also included. They have found that direct connection to the earth's negative electrons changes thick sludgey blood to blood that is more the consistency of wine. The explanation given is that the conductance of negative electrons into the body re-establishes the zeta potential of the blood cells and this "zeta potential" helps to keep the blood cells at a healthy distance from each other.

Another documented benefit is the lessening of inflammation. Infrared imaging shows the vast differences in the degree of inflammation when comparing a patient's inflammation before grounding and after grounding.

A study done by Dr. Maurice Ghaly and published in the 2004 issue of The Journal of Alternative and Complimentary Medicine, concluded that "Earthing during sleep resynchronizes cortisol secretion more in alignment with its natural normal rythmn....highest at 8:00 AM and lowest at midnight. Subjectively, the participants reported improved sleep along with reduced pain and stress. Even more impressive was the fact that the improvements often occurred within the very first days of sleeping grounded." Other improvements reported by the participants were ...falling asleep faster, waking fewer times during the night, feeling more refreshed and less fatigued in the morning, reduction in depression, anxiety and irritability. Some participants reported improvements in gastrointestinal health, PMS, hot flashes and TMJ.

It is the contention of the authors that because of our modern living, we have almost totally insulated ourselves from the earth's healing energies. We don't have to be "New Age" disciples to understand that we are electrical beings which were created to live in harmony and balance with the energies around us. Cell phone towers and other sources of electromagnetic frequencies may be causing havoc with our human electrical systems. The book Earthing claims that by connecting to the earth through walking barefoot or by using simple technology, we can shield ourselves from this possibly harmful sea of electromagnetic frequencies that surrounds us. One of the main offenders which insulates us from the protective negative ions of the earth......are our rubber or plastic soled shoes. The authors feel that while walking barefoot is most likely best...that leather soles or some other yet to be invented shoe technology could help to reconnect us with these negative electrons. There is grounding technology currently in use in the electronics world which prevents a person with too much static electricity from charging or shocking and thereby damaging the electronics they are working with. One of the authors of the book, Clinton Ober, has develped some useful technology to help people reconnect or ground to the earth even while sleeping, working at their computor, etc. These inventions are described in the book and are pictured in the sidebar of this blog. They are available from Amazon or from http://www.earthing.com/ 

Athletes in the Tour De France successfully used this technology to help recover from injuries and the physical stress they encoutered in this grueling race. While the authors feel that Earthing is a groundbreaking concept, they realize the need for more study into this area. This morning I was made aware of another study which is described in the video below. The basic idea is that the massive amount of electromagnetic frequencies in our atmosphere is actually increasing the growth of harmful bacteria and mold. Could this be a piece of the puzzle concerning our growing pandemic of infectious and mold related diseases? Could grounding or "Earthing" help us to offset the effects of this electromagnetic pollution?

For more information....there are several interesting videos about Grounding here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=te4WPdIsBtQ " The book Earthing is very interesting and easy to understand, with several personal testimonies included. We may think that the idea of acquiring health benefits from grounding to the earth, is a bit far fetched but the explanations and scientific evidence presented in the book sound very reasonable. It has convinced me to walk around barefoot outside...and it does feel wonderful. Its too soon to notice any longterm benefits but I will report any further interesting experiences in future posts. I may be a sucker but I have ordered one of the grounding sheets so that I can sleep connected to the earth. Time will tell if my sleep and overall health improves.

Please watch the video below which talks about an experiment which shows that bacteria and mold increase in numbers when exposed to ambient electromagnetic frequencies.