It's Not "Just a Myth" - Surprising Health Effects of Earthing

If you have never heard about earthing yet, maybe it's high time to take this subject more seriously if you want to live a healthier life. Health professionals are more even concerned because it can change radically the evolution of a long list of diseases.

Earthing means literally connecting an electrical device to the ground and in our case walking barefoot on the ground generally a forest or a beach.It's also referred as Grounding.

Reactive oxygen molecules are oxygen molecules deprived of 2 electrons (O2-) also known as free radicals are the product of cell's metabolism.Every living cell have its own metabolic reactions in order to survive, divide or sustain a particular function, therefore free radicals are made consistently as long as the cell survives.Due to their lack of electrons free radicals need electrons to achieve their equilibrium, thus they become highly reactive and can alter a healthy cell's membrane, DNA or proteins.That's why they can also be made in large quantities by innate immune cells especially phagocytes like macrophages and neutrophils in order to eliminate pathogens.

Unfortunately, our own damaged cell needs to be removed, so the immune system sends other cells to process it, starting the entire cycle over again. This is how chronic inflammations are set in motion. In general, free radicals from endogenous metabolism are taken care off by antioxidants which neutralizing substances like vitamin C and E but today we live in a world where free radical-generating substances are very abundant all around us including cigarettes, alcohol, processed food, air pollutants, microwave radiations, even the sun's rays.This creates an overall state of imbalance and promotes the incidence of chronic diseases.

On the opposite side, earth surface has an infinite supply of free electrons.The human body is an electrical conductor,  so when a person is contacted to the ground, those electrons naturally flow between the earth and the body, reducing free radicals and static electrical charges. 

The epidemiological incidence of autoimmune diseases especially Rheumatoid arthritis and Lupus was actually lower in farmers and gardeners compared to the standard numbers, suggesting the role of grounding in inhibiting the endless cycle of chronic inflammation.

Many studies were dedicated to understanding health benefits of earthing and the results were astonishing.One study published in 2015 found that earthing speeds up the healing process of the wound especially in diabetic persons, in fact, many famous athletes establish ground sleeping patterns to reduce muscle soreness.

The same study also involved 12 subjects who were in pain and had problems sleeping. They slept grounded for 8 weeks and during this period the scientists found that their diurnal cortisol profiles normalized, I remind that cortisol is glucocorticoid that represents the main stress hormone and it has many functions including the regulation of sleep patterns, anxiety, and many other functions.At the end of the study, most of the subjects reported that their sleep improved and their pain and stress levels declined.

Grounding can also be a good news for those who suffer chronic pain when a tissue is inflamed, the immune cells release cytokines, prostaglandins and other substances which can stimulate pain receptors.By reducing inflammation we can reduce pain and that's what the study found: Delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS), the muscular pain and stiffness that takes place hours to days after strenuous and unfamiliar exercise was significantly reduced in patients who slept on the ground opposing to who didn't.

Not to mention that it has shown to be effective in glucose regulation and delaying or even preventing the occurrence of type 2 diabetes alongside with reducing cardiovascular diseases because of a reduced blood viscosity.The overall outcome is increasing life expectancy and life quality.

Many research and study are yet to be done but the future seems promising for those who suffer chronic diseases or have a high risk of developing one.We know for fact the healthy effects of antioxidants on the human body so the hypothesis ''Oxidant-antioxidant'' is actually very satisfying, simple practices such as walking barefoot or sleeping on the ground from time to time can be a life-changing practice backed with real science.

References :   

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4378297/

https://goop.com/wellness/the-gravity-of-emotional-pain-other-stories/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3154031/

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