Being a relatively new concept, many people are unaware of the huge number of benefits of grounding.
At Miller & Everton, we are huge advocates of grounding and actively encourage our gentlemen to participate in this. Read on to find out what exactly grounding is, how it works, and how you can try it yourself.
What Is Grounding?
Grounding (US term), also known as earthing (UK term) is the practice of connecting the human body to the Earth’s surface through direct contact with the ground.
Examples include walking barefoot on the grass or sand, or sitting or lying on a grounding mat or sheet.
What Are the Benefits of Grounding?
There is a growing body of research that suggests that grounding has a number of benefits for the human body including:
Reduced Inflammation
Grounding has been shown to reduce inflammation in the body, which is a major underlying factor in many chronic diseases.
One study found that grounding for 30 minutes a day for 10 days reduced levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, by 25%.
Improved Pain Relief
This one surprises a lot of people, but grounding can also help to reduce pain, both chronic and acute.
One study found that grounding for 45 minutes a day for 5 days reduced pain levels in people with chronic back pain by an average of 40%.
Better Sleep
Grounding has been shown to improve sleep quality, both quantity and quality.
Another study found that people who slept grounded for 7 nights in a row reported sleeping an average of 46 minutes longer per night and waking up feeling more refreshed.
Lower Stress Levels
A lot of our busy gentlemen say they feel stressed in their corporate work environments, but grounding can also help to reduce stress levels.
One study found that grounding for 30 minutes a day for 5 days reduced levels of cortisol, the stress hormone, by 23%.
Enhanced Mood
Grounding has also been shown to improve mood.
One study found that people who grounded for 30 minutes a day for 5 days reported feeling more positive and less anxious.
Boosted Immune Function
Grounding may also help to boost the immune system.
One study found that grounding for 30 minutes a day for 5 days increased levels of natural killer cells, which are white blood cells that fight infection.
Faster Wound Healing
Grounding may also help to speed up wound healing.
One study found that grounding for 30 minutes a day for 5 days increased blood flow to the wound site and reduced inflammation, which can both help to speed up healing.
How Does Grounding Work?
The exact mechanisms by which grounding produces these benefits are not fully understood, but it is thought to involve a number of factors.
One theory is that grounding helps to neutralise the body’s electrical charge toward a positive voltage which can become imbalanced due to exposure to environmental factors such as non-native electromagnetic fields (nnEMFs) from electronic devices and other sources such as WiFi, overhead and underground powerlines, electrical outlets in the house and more.
Electromagnetic fields naturally occur in the environment, in fact, it is postulated that magnetic fields from the earth help to set our circadian rhythms alongside exposure to natural sunlight. So if you are disconnected from the earth and barely see natural sunlight, your body’s internal clocks are completely off.
nnEMFs are thought to contribute to the disruption intracellularly by disturbing the efficiency of the mitochondria inside them, producing too many free radicals which are unstable molecules that can damage cells, while antioxidants help to protect cells from damage. Grounding may help to increase antioxidant levels and reduce free radical levels, which can protect the body from damage by shifting the ‘redox’ balance (the two processes of reduction and oxidation at a subatomic level).
Over time, this disconnection from the earth and disruption to our circadian rhythms can lead to health problems.
Finally, grounding may also help to improve the body’s ability to regulate cortisol, the glucocorticoid ‘stress’ signalling molecule.
Chronically elevated cortisol can have a number of negative effects on health, including increasing inflammation further through disrupted redox balance and suppressing the immune system. Grounding may help to reduce cortisol levels, which can protect the body from these harmful effects.
Is Grounding/Earthing Safe?
Grounding is a completely safe and natural way to improve your health, you are simply lying on the ground with bare skin.
Who would have thought something so simple could have such profound health benefits? If you are looking for ways to reduce inflammation, pain, and stress, and improve your mood, sleep, and immune function, grounding or earthing may be a good option for you.
Grounding Techniques
There are a number of ways to do grounding and earthing, including:
Walking barefoot on the ground, preferably in natural areas such as parks or forests but your back garden can also be fine.
Sitting or lying on a grounding mat or sheet either directly in contact with the ground or plugged into the ground/earth outlet in your house’s electrical circuit.
Comments