Part 6 (1/2)

”I now tell the athletes I train to make every effort to ground themselves. They willingly do so because they have a sense that something is working. They say they have less pain, and that allows them to train more consistently and recover faster. That's a big deal because consistent training is so important to success.

”I personally experienced the benefit of grounding when I had a right knee replacement in 2009. I needed it after years of being physically active at a fairly high level. This is my second knee replacement surgery. The first was ten years ago. Subjectively, I felt I was improving a little bit faster. But five weeks after the operation, when I went to the surgeon for a checkup, he looked at my leg and looked at my movement and said, 'At five weeks, you are where most people are at three months.' He was speaking in terms of movement, wound healing, and swelling. I obviously attribute that partly to my knowledge of rehabbing, but the grounding certainly didn't hurt, and I honestly believe it helped. It had a positive effect.

”I sleep grounded, and I also use grounded electrode patches locally. Before surgery, I noticed that when I put the patches on the area of the knee that was hurting, it definitely reduced the pain compared to when I didn't have the patches on. I needed surgery for about a year but kept putting it off because I had things to do. And so at night, my leg got really painful. So I slept on the grounded sheet and slept better, and further knocked the pain down with the patches.”

The careful process of scientific experimentation in the Brown study shows that inflammation is reduced and doc.u.ments why Earthing has caught on big time in the sports world, where living with inflammation and injury is a way of life. Simply put: the body is different-and heals much faster-when connected to the Earth. Earthing=Power Healing.

REDUCED RISK OF METABOLIC SYNDROME.

Preliminary results from an ongoing animal study revealed significant improvements from Earthing in several biochemical factors a.s.sociated with metabolic syndrome in humans, a widespread-and rapidly growing-precursor to obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The substances monitored were alkaline phosphatase (an enzyme), triglycerides, blood sugar, and C-reactive protein (a widely used indicator of chronic inflammation discussed in the previous chapter).

The values of these substances were considerably lower in grounded animals, suggesting they have less risk for metabolic syndrome. Just as in the DOMS study, there were also fewer white blood cells measured.

In this experiment, two healthy groups of thirty rats each were used. One group was housed in cages fitted with grounded mats. The control animals lived in similar, but ungrounded, cages. Blood samples were taken every month for six months and a.n.a.lyzed. Continued grounding resulted in progressive improvements. For this reason, the study was extended beyond the first six months of data collection. Final results are expected in mid-2010.

The preliminary results of this animal study tie in neatly with the increase in metabolic activity doc.u.mented in the earlier experiment with human subjects where a relations.h.i.+p between Earthing and a more efficient cardiovascular, respiratory, and nervous system function was observed. It makes sense that an increase in metabolic activity results in a lower risk of developing metabolic syndrome.

Although we don't have the final conclusion yet from this study, we believe that preliminary results, along with other observations over the years, permit the suggestion-if nothing more at this time-that living in an ungrounded state may create another important cause of metabolic syndrome. One has only to look at today's youth, who generally consume large amounts of inferior quality convenience food and drinks high in sweeteners and calories, who are increasingly sedentary, and who wear insulated running shoes from morning to night. For young people as well as for adults, the unholy trinity for metabolic syndrome, and the serious disorders it gives rise to, may thus be poor diet, lack of exercise, and lack of grounding. It is something to think about.

Earthing and Weight Loss? Maybe!

Abdominal obesity is one of the important factors characterizing metabolic syndrome. While abdominal obesity was not measured during the rat study above, the animals were weighed in at the first pre-test day and then again at each monthly blood collection time. The random difference in average weight between the two groups of ”middle-aged” female rats at the beginning of the study was only 1.2 percent (the ungrounded rodents happened to be insignificantly heavier at the start than the grounded animals) and then grew steadily each month to reach 3.7 percent after six months, the last date that we have received data in this ongoing study.

What the numbers mean is that the ungrounded group added an extra 2.6 percent in weight after six months. Both groups were fed the same type and quant.i.ty of food. While the difference seems like a trifling amount, it translates to an extra five pounds for a person weighing 200 pounds. At that rate, by mid-2010, when the study will end, the difference in weight could grow to 7.8 percent, the equivalent of an extra sixteen pounds for a 200-pound person.

The results, along with the biochemical differences cited in the study, suggest that the grounded rats function at a higher metabolic efficiency than ungrounded animals.

Do these preliminary results infer that Earthing can generate weight loss in humans? We can't say. The prospect is certainly tantalizing. Imagine losing weight without doing anything. A dieter's dream.

According to the American Heart a.s.sociation, metabolic syndrome is characterized by a group of metabolic risks that include the following: *Excessive fat tissue in and around the abdomen.

*Blood fat disorders-high triglycerides, low ”healthy” HDL cholesterol, and high ”harmful” LDL cholesterol-that contribute to plaque build ups in arterial walls.

*Elevated blood pressure.

*Insulin resistance or glucose intolerance-conditions that interfere with the body's ability to properly use insulin or blood sugar.

*A tendency to form clots in the blood.

*A pro-inflammatory state in the body, that is, the presence of chemical substances a.s.sociated with inflammation (such as elevated CRP).

THE EARTHING HYPOTHESES.

The studies we have been describing have uncovered a simple but powerful fact: people who are grounded function better than they do ungrounded. They are, in fact, different. Based on the research, two scientists who have extensively studied and written about Earthing have made a number of intriguing hypotheses. They are James Oschman, Ph.D., and electrophysiologist Gaetan Chevalier, Ph.D.

The following is a summary of these ideas.

Living Longer and Better Anti-aging medicine involves the search for factors that can restore and maintain adequate energy resources and the circulation of vital energy throughout the body. This quest has been going on with humans throughout history. It's nothing new.

Our research clearly shows that grounding has a powerful influence on the delicate balance between health and illness, and looming behind that, the prospect of living longer and better. This anti-aging prospect is clearly one of Earthing's most attractive aspects.

The dominant theory of aging-the concept of free-radical oxidative damage to the body-was first proposed by Denham Harman, M.D., of the University of Nebraska in 1956. The idea here is that aging results from the c.u.mulative damage to the body produced by free radicals. These molecules can damage DNA, leading to mutations and disease. They are formed by metabolic processes in mitochondria, the ”power plants” inside cells, and can gradually harm mitochondrial functioning and energy production throughout the body. They cause cross-linking of proteins, chemical reactions that interfere with normal enzyme activity. This is what causes skin to wrinkle for example. There is no way to prevent the formation of free radicals, because every breath we take and every morsel of food we eat feeds the natural mitochondrial production of energy and free radicals as a byproduct. Because of the constant threat of free radicals, we are encouraged to eat foods rich in antioxidants.

The living matrix, as one of its main biological functions, is set up to protect tissues from free-radical damage. It represents a natural, built-in anti oxidant defense system. The matrix is all-pervasive, reaching into every corner of the body. If your matrix functions properly, and if you are connected to the Earth, any free radical formed anywhere in your body will be neutralized by mobile electrons from the Earth. This idea alone should motivate anyone to connect with the Earth as much as possible, day and night.

By understanding that the living matrix is a conductive fabric extending throughout the body, and that grounding connects this system to the Earth and an infinite source of free electrons, one can see that Earthing could prove to have far-reaching anti-aging, antioxidant, and anti-inflamm-aging effects. Long-term, controlled animal studies will enable us to verify or refute this profound hypothesis.

Research done in Germany has described the matrix in terms of a systemic reservoir of charges designed to maintain electrical balance and supply electrons in times of normal inflammatory need. Earthing provides recharging and keeps the reservoir full. Disconnection from the Earth dries up the reservoir.

A New Definition of ”Normal” Immune Response A common deficiency of electrons in the ungrounded body appears to distort and weaken the function of the immune system. But it can be readily restored to normal functioning by Earthing. The research suggests that Earthing may, in fact, create a whole new definition of what is a ”normal” immune response.

As explained in Chapters 2 and 6, the inflammatory basis of disease has become a major focus of biomedical research. It is becoming widely accepted that chronic inflammation and chronic diseases, including so-called diseases of aging, are closely related. The cla.s.sical inflammatory response may actually be an abnormal condition caused by separation from the Earth's readily available bank of free electrons. When the body is connected to the Earth, the cla.s.sical signs and symptoms of inflammation are greatly reduced or absent, among them pain.

Promotes Healing of Injuries The body forms an ”inflammatory barricade” around sites of injury, where the immune system focuses on elimination of pathogens and damaged tissue. Free radicals involved in this process can spread from these sites and attack nearby healthy tissue, leading to chronic inflammation.

Earthing research gives the impression that free electrons can penetrate the barricade and thereby neutralize free radicals that have acc.u.mulated in pockets of inflammation. This ability appears to be a factor in accelerated healing.

A New Definition of ”Normal” Physiology When the body is connected to the Earth, a variety of beneficial physiological changes take place instantly. The studies that utilized a conductive patch placed on the bottoms of the feet and the palms of the hands made it possible to record the precise instant of connection to the Earth and doc.u.ment the sharp differences in various physiological parameters before and after grounding.

As scientific investigations continue, we expect to see countless more changes. The changes suggest that normal physiology may require a whole new set of ranges and definitions.

Restoring Your Internal Electrical Stability The body evolved utilizing Earth's electrical energy (ground) to maintain its internal electrical stability for the normal functioning of all self-regulating and self-healing systems. The modern way of life prevents contact with the Earth most of the time, creating electrical instability. This lack of stability results in body system dysfunctions that lead to inflammation, inflamm-aging, disease, and aggravation of existing disorders.

The Earth serves the human body as a source of energy similar to a power line feeding electrical energy into electrical equipment and appliances. It is widely accepted that equipment will not function well without a ground. We recently rented a very sophisticated oscilloscope for graphing electrical signals with the most advanced technology, and yet when improperly grounded, the equipment did not function well. There was a need for a stable reference point. The Earth also plays that role for living beings, including human beings. To read more technical information about the electrical effects produced by grounding, refer to Appendices A and B.

Resetting Your Biological ”Clocks”

Biological clock systems are found not only in humans and mammals, but in lower organisms as well, such as fish and insects. They are linked to survival. Although the human body packs several biological clocks (called peripheral clocks), researchers have found they are all under the control of a master clock located in the head, more precisely in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, a pair of distinct groups of cells in the hypothalamus.

One of the most important hypothalamic functions is to connect the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland, the master gland of the body. Through hormonal secretions, it governs a multiplicity of activities affecting all body systems. Another function of the hypothalamus is to control the secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone from the anterior pituitary gland, which in turn stimulates the secretion by the adrenal cortex of cortisol (the stress hormone). This system is so important for understanding the stress response that it is known as the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis.

The master biological clock receives its clues about prevailing light conditions from specialized cells in the retina. Signals about light conditions travel from the hypothalamus to the pineal gland, which controls the secretion of melatonin. Melatonin is secreted only in conditions of darkness.

The biological clocks control virtually all body system functions, including, of course, the wake-sleep circadian cycle.