KEEPING EMFs at Bay
We’ve all heard talk about minimizing exposure to EMFs (electromagnetic fields) because they’re ‘bad’ for us, yet many may not really understand why.
EMFs are invisible areas of energy, often called radiation, that are associated with the use of electrical power and various forms of natural and man-made lighting (1).
So if they exist in nature, such as the Earth’s magnetic field and thunderstorms, why would they be so troublesome?
Not surprisingly, just as with many other man-made things, once we begin meddling with something that exists in nature, we often end up with something potentially harmful.
EMFs coming from electrical wiring, cell phones, wifi and appliances, all have a type of radiation called non-ionizing, a low-mid frequency type which is ‘generally’ perceived as harmless due to its lack of potency.
In contrast, radiation from X-rays, for example, are mid – high frequency radiation and can lead to cellular and DNA damage.
Is it really risk-free, then, to use AirPods, which emit RF (radio frequency), using Bluetooth to transmit sound and to have 5G in every room in our homes?
Interestingly, both are classified as non-ionizing and most online searches render results suggesting advise such as, “ Scientists and oversight agencies generally agree that low-frequency EMFs pose little danger to human health.” (2)
Is this really the case, though?
Something about the concept of man made EMFs being perfectly safe to use sounds right about on par with the dietary recommendation to include everything in moderation, despite 70% of the (pretend) food on our grocery store shelves being laden with hyper palatable, ultraprocessed chemicals, rendering them not really even food anymore.
As with any study, we need to dig deeper than just a quick Google search and find out who is providing this advice and where did their information come from.
In one study (3) published by the National Library of Medicine, this exact point is the focus. Entitled, “Health risks from radiofrequency radiation, including 5G, should be assessed by experts with no conflicts of interest”, it is stated that, “it is important that all experts evaluating scientific evidence and assessing health risks from RF radiation do not have Conflicts of interests or bias” and goes on to state, “it is recommended that the interpretation of results from studies on health effects of RF radiation should take sponsorship from the telecom or other industry into account.”
May sound obvious, yet perhaps a valid point that is all to often overlooked.
Who funds a study, like it or not, can have significant impact on what the published outcome is.
Diving a little deeper, I changed the search terms to include ‘functional medicine’s EMF recommendations’ and found just what I was looking for.
According to the Institute for Functional Medicine, “advancing technologies and higher electricity usage have increased daily exposure to artificial EMF sources, and some research studies, from animal models to human-based observational studies, suggest potential negative health impacts associated with long-term EMF exposures.” (4)
We can also approach from another angle- we know that oxidative stress is something we want to avoid and work to repair any that’s already occurred.
Oxidative stress is linked to ancer, cardiovascular diseases (atherosclerosis, hypertension), neurodegenerative disorders (Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s), diabetes and CPOD (5).
We also know that EMFs can cause oxidative stress.
In another study (6), indications for increased oxidative stress caused by RF-EMF and ELF-MF were reported in the majority of the animal studies and in more than half of the cell studies.
We don’t need a even a slight science background to read between the lines here.
Even common sense should tell us that too much exposure to microwave ovens, power lines, cell phones and bluetooth is not a good idea.
Yet EMF is literally everywhere.
Rather than feel our only choice is to escape to live on a mountain top in isolation, there are a few things we can do to minimize exposure where we cannot control it, and mitigate it where we can.
Reduce WIFI in your home. Do we really need it in every single part of the house? Easier said than done, perhaps, yet totally possible and arguably a good way to also encourage less screen time and more time with the other humans in our home.
Go with wires over AirPods. AirPods and other Bluetooth earbuds emit radiofrequency (RF) radiation (microwaves) while they sit in or near your ears. The radiation is absorbed by tissues in the ear, skull, and brain. Because these devices emit continuously, the exposure is constant, even when you are not actively using them. While the power is lower than a cell phone to the head, the RF radiation exposure adds up to hours of cumulative exposure over years of use.
Create space and distance between yourself and your devices and keep them out of your bedroom – even if they’re in airplane mode (and some research shows – even if they’re turned off!) they may still be emitting radiation.
Try using crystals to mitigate- while not ‘scientifically proven’, there is much to be said for learning about and using crystals. Naturally occurring, clearly, crystals work by absorbing, deflecting, or neutralizing the harmful electromagnetic waves that are emitted by electronic devices. The most popular ones include shungite, black tourmaline, hematite, and orgonite.
Our planet is far more toxic now than it was even a century ago.
Many are waking up, shedding light that this could in fact be a time of upward progress; at the same time, we have a long road ahead and the concept of protecting ourselves in order to maximize health is real.
Do the best you can with all the things you can control and your physical body then has the bandwidth to metabolize and stay resilient to those you cannot.
https://www.niehs.nih.gov/health/topics/agents/emf
https://www.healthline.com/health/emf
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7405337/
https://www.ifm.org/articles/emf-health-reducing-exposures
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10669448/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8038719/
Are AirPods Safe? Health Risks of AirPods and Bluetooth Earbuds
https://www.mooncatcrystals.com/blogs/news/emf-support
