Grounding: How Contact with the Earth can be Good for Your Health
- May 9, 2023
- 5 min read
Updated: Jun 8, 2023
I remember about a year ago when my daughter suggested to me that walking barefoot outside could actually be good for my health. Now, I consider myself to be 50% natural-hippy-love everything about nature-kind of person, and 50% hard science-prove it to me-medical professional. I should tell you that, although I love being out in nature and was hopeful that doing so could be beneficial to my health, I was initially very skeptical about the logic behind that suggestion. And then, I actually looked into the science behind "grounding", or being in contact with the earth, and I have to say, I had to eat my skeptical words!
So, let's talk about the science behind grounding.....First, it is necessary to stir up some of your long-lost memories of high school chemistry class --I apologize in advance! But, if you try to remember, I am sure that you can at least easily recall that all matter has an overall "net charge". That charge is either "positive", "negative" or "zero". Even the molecules in our body have a net charge, and it is the difference in the charges of those atoms or molecules that encourages them to interact and then carry out bodily processes like contracting muscle or allowing water into the kidneys to process urine.
Our bodies are constantly dealing with an overall change in the "electrical charge" in our tissues. In general, the body should attempt to re-establish a neutral charge, but often, it has difficulty in returning to homeostasis (balance), and we end up with imbalances in the charge of our tissues. If you recall last week's blog on oxidative stress, you will remember that in the process of producing energy, our cells also produce energy byproducts called free radicals, which have the potential to damage our tissues. Free radicals are unstable molecules in need of an electron (they are positively charged), and antioxidants are stable molecules that can neutralize free radicals by offering an electron (or a negative charge).
Anti oxidants are just one thing that help our body restore a more balanced charge in the tissues.
It is pretty common knowledge that they can help promote good health by reducing oxidative stress, although most high school chemistry haters are not aware that they do so by changing the electrical charge of the molecules! One can't underestimate the importance of getting enough anti oxidants in the diet. Phytonutrients, or antioxidants, are compounds found in plants, and phytonutrients are always high in brightly colored fruits and veggies!
But, I digress. You might be wondering if there other ways to decrease oxidative stress and help the body manage the electrical charge of the tissues besides getting anti oxidants from food? The answer is yes! And grounding is one way to do so! Grounding refers to being in contact, or connected to the earth. The earth has an endless supply of available electrons which can neutralize free radicals, and the electrical charge of the earth can have nearly immediate effect on the electrical nature of the tissues! Grounding is like a "quick acting anti oxidant"! Grounding can occur by being barefoot outside, gardening in the dirt, or using a grounding mat which grounds an electrical outlet to the earth. (A summary by Sinatra et al. suggests that we may experience increased electrical imbalance in our tissues because we do not walk barefoot outdoors and wear synthetic footwear, with rubber soles, that does not conduct the electrical charge of the earth to our bodies. See study below).
If you are a little skeptical that an electrical current can significantly impact the tissues, let me assure you that different forms of electricity/electrical currents have been studied and used for centuries for things such as pain management, wound healing, changing the rhythm of the heart, and generating muscle contractions, to name a few. And, it is clear in the scientific literature that many disease processes are related to changes in the electrical nature of the cells and tissues. For example, tumor or cancer cells have a different surface electrical charge than other normal cells, which changes their behavior: they have greater ability to group together, and are able to use glucose more rapidly for energy, which allows them to reproduce quickly. Likewise, red blood cells, which carry oxygen through the blood, typically have a negatively charged cell membrane, which under normal circumstances, repels the cells from each other and keeps them from grouping and clotting together. Research has shown that parasitic and bacterial infections, or viruses like COVID, can change the surface charge of red blood cells, which can allow them to unnecessarily bond and form clots.
One of the most incredible things about grounding is that it can promote quite significant changes in the body in a very short time. It truly is a "rapidly-acting anti oxidant"! Here's a summary of just a few of the impressive findings in the research related to grounding:
1. Grounding can decrease overall inflammation. This is significant, because chronically high levels of inflammation are associated with every chronic health condition which we face: diabetes, cancer, pain, obesity, heart disease to name a few.
2. Grounding improves heart rate variability (HRV). HRV refers to the tendency of the heart to increase its output when we are physically or emotionally stressed or active and then return to a more relaxed output when we are resting or sleeping. Some people do not demonstrate healthy HRV and remain either at very high heart rate/cardiac output or remain at very low heart rates even when a higher cardiac output is needed. Grounding improves the ability of the heart to move more normally between higher and lower heart rates based on what is needed.
3. Grounding decreases blood viscosity or the "thickness and stickiness of the blood". High blood viscosity is considered a risk factor for heart attacks and strokes, because increased stickiness/thickness makes blood harder to pump, which increases the work of the heart and leads to high blood pressure and resultant changes in the arteries like atherosclerosis. In one study grounding for a mere two hours, resulted in a 273% reduction in blood viscosity! https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/10.1089/acm.2011.0820
4. Because grounding can decrease the stickiness of the blood, it can also decrease the tendency for red blood cells to stick together and form clots. By restoring the negative charge to red blood cells, grounding makes the cells more likely to repel each other versus binding together. Abnormal blood clotting has been associated with the COVID virus and long COVID, and is also a potential complication after COVID vaccination according to the World Health Organization--please see link below. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9055170/
If you are interested in reading a more in-depth summary about the physiological impacts of grounding, or in checking out a grounding mat, please peruse the following links. I receive no compensation for the endorsement of any products.
Disclaimer: This BLOG is for Educational Purposes, Only. This information provided is educational and informational in nature and is made only as general information. The information does not establish a patient-provider relationship, establish a standard of care, or offer medical, dietary, or therapeutic care, advice, opinion, diagnosis, or treatment. This information does not replace independent professional or medical judgment and should not be relied upon as medical, psychological, or other professional advice of any kind or nature whatsoever. This information should not be used for diagnosing or treating any mental or physical health problem or disease. You are solely responsible for any action taken based on your interpretation of this information and you are responsible for your own health care decision-making by obtaining any necessary consultations with appropriately licensed health care professionals such as physicians and psychologists.
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