Earthing (grounding) the human body reduces blood viscosity-a major factor in cardiovascular disease
Chevalier G, Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, Delany RM
Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) · 20 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Controlled clinical trial (indexed by PubMed)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Mechanisms only
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Funding not disclosed
Publication
- Published
- 2012-07-03 · J Altern Complement Med · vol. 19 · issue 2 · pp. 102–110
- Publisher
- Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
- Cited
- 44 citations · more than 89% of similar papers · 3.1× the field average
- References
- 37 works
- Access
- Open access (repository copy)
- Research areas
- Exercise and Physiological Responses · Therapeutic Uses of Natural Elements · Biofield Effects and Biophysics
- Keywords
- Ground, Zeta potential, Blood viscosity, Viscosity, Biomedical engineering, Medicine, Electrical engineering, Materials science, Engineering, Cardiology, Nanotechnology, Composite material
- MeSH
- foot, hand, erythrocytes, humans, cardiovascular diseases, erythrocyte aggregation, risk factors, electricity, viscosity, reference values, human body, adult, middle aged, female, male, earth, planet
4 authors
From US
- Gaétan ChevalierUniversity of California, Irvine
- Stephen T. SinatraUniversity of Connecticut
- James L. Oschman · corresponding
- Richard M. Delany
Abstract
Objectives
Emerging research is revealing that direct physical contact of the human body with the surface of the earth (grounding or earthing) has intriguing effects on human physiology and health, including beneficial effects on various cardiovascular risk factors. This study examined effects of 2 hours of grounding on the electrical charge (zeta potential) on red blood cells (RBCs) and the effects on the extent of RBC clumping.
Design/interventions
SUBJECTS were grounded with conductive patches on the soles of their feet and palms of their hands. Wires connected the patches to a stainless-steel rod inserted in the earth outdoors. Small fingertip pinprick blood samples were placed on microscope slides and an electric field was applied to them. Electrophoretic mobility of the RBCs was determined by measuring terminal velocities of the cells in video recordings taken through a microscope. RBC aggregation was measured by counting the numbers of clustered cells in each sample.
Settings/location
Each subject sat in a comfortable reclining chair in a soundproof experiment room with the lights dimmed or off.
Subjects
Ten (10) healthy adult subjects were recruited by word-of-mouth.
Results
Earthing or grounding increased zeta potentials in all samples by an average of 2.70 and significantly reduced RBC aggregation.
Conclusions
Grounding increases the surface charge on RBCs and thereby reduces blood viscosity and clumping. Grounding appears to be one of the simplest and yet most profound interventions for helping reduce cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular events.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher.
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