There are many people who think that grounding or earthing is some sort of crazy new-age fad the doesn’t really do anything to make you feel better. There are many claims that grounding can create an immune response and as a result, has some incredible positive health effects – but are these claims backed by science?
In short, there has been some earthing research that has shown us promising results including a reduction in pain and positive interactions with the nervous system.
In this article, we are going to be looking at various pieces of research and demonstrating why earthing grounding is a viable alternative practice that may be able to complement modern medicine.
What Is The Science Behind Grounding?
Grounding has long been used by humans as a way to make a connection with the earth and benefit from its energy. But in the interests of public health, and since more and more people are taking an interesting in grounding, it is important that we understand the science behind this phenomenon.
Science dictates that there is energy everywhere and in everything, grounding the human body works on this concept since there is electrical energy within the earth and within the body. Grounding is a way to reconnect the body to the earth and benefit from the effects of grounding. The electrical charges found within the planet and on the earth s surface can have many positive benefits to your health.
In the human body, there is a living matrix that serves as a connector between our cells. This matrix is able to conduct the energy from the earth. Since it acts as a defender of the immune system, this is excellent news for anyone suffering from autoimmune diseases. Furthermore, there have been several studies that have demonstrated the healing energy of this practice – but we will look at these studies in a little more detail later on.
Our white blood cells create free radicals which do serve a purpose in killing microbes, however since these molecules do not have a partner molecule, they can cause more harm than good if they remain in the body. Research has shown that grounding earthing works to connect these radicals with free electrons from the earth and this promotes better health.
Does Grounding Really Work?
One detailed study that was conducted in New York by Oschman JL, Chevalier G and Sinatra, ST on the health implications of earthing has shown us many promising results that demonstrate the excellent health effects of grounding, although there is much more research to be done.
There have been several smaller studies aside from the L Oschman research that also points towards a positive effect of grounding where inflammation, pain and other chronic conditions were improved.
A piece of research that was conducted by Mr Oschman on blood viscosity and how grounding effects it showed us that blood viscosity was reduced and this could be extremely promising for those suffering from cardiovascular disease. The blood viscosity refers to the stickiness of the blood and is one of the leading aspects that contribute to poor heart health.
Furthermore, this study revealed that when patients were hooked up to earthing pads, a product used to ground you, there were several positive effects on the red blood cells as well as the blood pressure. All of these things along with things like blood cell health could mean a lowered risk of contracting heart disease.
Those suffering from chronic pain as a result of muscle damage were tested in another set of studies and once again, the results were undeniable. We seen that pain levels were drastically reduced when the subjects used grounding products – but even if you did not want to use these, going outside barefoot is a very effective way of achieving the same results.
Grounding is also thought to have a positive effect on your mood, with a lot of people struggling with stress, anxiety and depression, this is potentially a great way to complement the therapies offered by modern medicine. Research studies have shown that there have been changes in the cortisol levels as well as heart rate variability, both of which contribute to our stress levels and sleep patterns. You can find the results of these studies here and here.
Does Grounding Reduce Inflammation?
If you have problems with inflammation then you will be delighted to discover that earthing is known to have an anti-inflammatory effect. This is largely to do with the effect the electrical charge from the earth has on the chemicals and hormones that are moving around inside the body.
As we have already discussed, our white blood cells produce radicals that need something else to latch onto yet there is nothing within our blood, or anywhere else in our bodies that they can pair with. This means they remain in the blood stream and can cause an inflamed reaction. Yet when we ground ourselves, this is reversed.
One of the most sought after results of those turning to grounding is a reduction in inflammatory conditions. After this, people aim to reduce pain and stress levels.
How Do You Do Grounding?
Grounding simply requires you to make contact with the earth – this couldn’t be any simpler and one of the best ways to see the effect of grounding is by walking barefoot on the earth. We spend much of our time wearing soled shoes and this limits our contact with natural ground but when we walk barefoot, it is far easier to become grounded.
Going barefoot can be done on any natural ground such as sand, soil or grass and fast healing has been noted. However, if you don’t like the idea of a barefoot walk, you might also lie on the ground which is also an effective way of gathering the necessary electrons.
Furthermore, you can become grounded by immersing yourself in a natural body of water such as the ocean or a stream – it doesn’t matter whether you paddle or take a full swim, you will notice a difference.
It is also important that we are sleeping grounded as during this restful time of sleep, our bodies are far more easily able to heal. You might understand this in a similar way to when we are sick, we will sleep, yet when we have the added benefit of the energy from the earth, our bodies are able to heal far more quickly and effectively.
Finally, if none of these things is available to you, you might consider using a grounding product such as a mat or mattress that is connected to an earth rod and wire to transmit the energy directly to you.
Conclusion
Grounding is a technique where we can reconnect our bodies with the earth as a way of taking advantage of the free electrons within it. This electrical charge works with the radicals that are produced in the blood and can cause problems if they cannot find a pair.
However, despite the science of grounding, which is sometimes called earthing, there are still a lot of people who are sceptical about its effects. But when we look at the pieces of research that have been conducted, it is difficult to deny that there are a lot of positive outcomes from taking a barefoot walk along the earth or making use of one of the hundreds grounding products on the market.
There have been several pieces of research that have taken place surrounding grounding but there is no doubt much more to come and as society becomes more and more familiar with the concept, there will undoubtedly be further studies to demonstrate the power of this alternative therapeutic practice.
