Balance Your Electrical Charge By Getting Your Feet On The Earth Leave a comment

“Human beings are electrically positive and our earth is electrically negative, put the two together and you create a harmoniously balanced circuit.”

 

In electrical engineering, earthing is defined as “the process in which the…discharge of electrical energy takes place by transferring charges directly to the earth…” Electrical systems are earthed so that charges from devices and appliances are shared with the earth; protecting us through grounding them.

Earthing, also known as grounding, is also a well-being trend, which has caught the attention of the scientific and medical community. Earthing involves walking barefoot on any natural surface (soil, grass, sand, etc). When our feet are able to directly touch the earth, we come into contact with the Earth’s own natural charge and our body is able to pick up free ions from the earth’s surface that act as antioxidants in our systems, this partly explains why we feel so good when we are barefoot. 

We know that our bodies are electrical systems too. Dr. Carrasco of Nourish Medicine explains that “the earth is also electrical in nature and provides us with an unlimited supply of health-promoting and grounding negatively-charged electrons. These electrons act as antioxidants.” The connection between ourselves and the planet’s electrons can reap many health benefits through the transfer from electrons from the ground into the body.

The Earthing Institute, a study and endeavour spearheaded in the 1960s by Dr Karol Pawel Solak (Poland) and Dr Clint Ober (USA) has produced “fascinating evidence of a powerful and positive shift in the electrical state of the body and the electrodynamics of blood, and a boost to self-healing and self-regulating mechanisms.”

Wellbeing benefits of walking barefoot include: 

– Reduction in inflammation

– Decreased insomnia (helps stabilise circadian rhythms)

– Controls blood pressure (reduces stress levels)

– Boosts energy levels

– Assists in reducing chronic pain (the electrons in the earth enrich our own immune system)

– Improves posture (which decreases other aches and pains)

– Moderates heart rate variability

– Supports immune function

– Regulates endocrine and nervous systems

– Increases surface charge of red blood cells – which in turn decreases blood viscosity

Dr. Carrasco recommends at least 20 minutes a day of earthing to reap these benefits. So kick off your shoes and get your feet in the dirt! Lie on the grass or do some gardening, or take a walk on the beach. As well as the benefits of walking barefoot – walking itself and spending time in nature comes with its own array of health benefits that we have previously explored.

Read More Here: 

Dr. Eliaz, I. 2020. Kick Off Your Shoes: The Surprising MD-Approved Benefits of Walking Barefoot. Available: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-9099/the-surprising-health-benefits-of-going-barefoot.html

Dr. Carrasco, A. 2016. Meet Vitamin G…The Ultimate Antioxidant. Available: https://nourishmedicine.com/meet-vitamin-g-the-ultimate-antioxidant/

Ibe, O. 2022. What Is Earthing? Available: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-earthing-5220089

Chevalier, G et al. 2012. Earthing: health implications of reconnecting the human body to the Earth’s surface electrons. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22291721/

Pulse. 2021. The health benefits of walking barefoot are incredible. Available: https://www.pulse.ng/lifestyle/beauty-health/the-health-benefits-of-walking-barefoot-are-incredible/zkee63s

Oschman, J. 2007. Can electrons act as antioxidants? A review and commentary. Available: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18047442/

Groenewegen, P et al. 2006. Vitamin G: effects of green space on health, well-being, and social safety. Available: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2458-6-149

Byjus. 2022. Earthing. Available: https://byjus.com/physics/earthing/