Our modern lifestyles have increasingly separated us from the fundamental flow of Earth’s electrons. During the last few decades, chronic illness and inflammatory diseases have increased dramatically, with some researchers citing environmental factors as the cause. However, the possibility of our modern disconnection to the Earth’s surface as a reason has not been considered.
Does earthing have health benefits?
Physically touching the Earth could counter this, as we humans co-evolved with nature. After all, spending time outdoors can feel like coming home. But does it actually come with any scientific health benefits? The Earth’s surface has an abundance of negatively charged electrons that rapidly reduce the positive charge. So when we stand barefoot on the Earth, the body absorbs these free electrons and equalizes to the Earth’s negative charge.
Our nervous system is an electrical system of the body and influences all these activities. A flow of negative electrons from the Earth’s surface has proved to calm the nervous system by switching the autonomic nervous system from the sympathetic, “fight-or-flight” branch toward the parasympathetic “rest-and-digest” branch. New research also shows that grounding can positively affect the inflammatory response and the immune system, which could have far-reaching health benefits. We already know that grounding improves cortisol levels. Grounding appears to improve sleep, help manage pain, and normalizes cortisol to reduce the stress response.
