Grounding on the earth is good for you

Posted on Mon, 12 Dec 11

If you have walked barefoot on the warm sand of a tropical beach you might recall how good it felt. Our ancestors spent most of their time barefoot, or in close contact with the earth, but modern life has removed us from the earth’s natural electrical field perhaps with adverse health consequences.

Rubber soled shoes, and living in buildings that isolate us from the earth’s natural electrical plane have disconnected us from our natural bioelectrical environment. The concept of earthing (or grounding) is built on the rationale that the earth’s natural surfaces are a source of free electrons that conduct through skin and influence our wellbeing (1).

There are some interesting studies to support the idea that grounding is good for you.  One such report found that grounding (by sleeping on a conductive mattress that was connected to a rod buried in the ground outside) resulted in an average 467 fold decrease in body voltage and improvements  in sleep dysfunction as well as decreases in stress hormones and relief of stress and pain (2).

While the transfer of electrons through the soles of your bare feet might sound farfetched, emerging evidence suggests that not only does earthing occur; it may have important and ancient health effects (3).

References:

1. ChevalierG, et al. The effect of earthing (grounding) on human physiology. European Biology and Electromagnetics. Jan 31, 2006; 600-621.

2. Ghaly M, Teplitz D. The biological effects of grounding the human body during sleep, as measured by cortisol levels and subjective reporting of sleep, pain and stress. J Altern Complement Med 2004 10(5):767-776.

3. Ober C, et al. Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever? Basic Health Publications; 1 edition (25 April 2010).