Earthing is the practice of being connected to the earth. It involves being connected via the skin, usually the feet. Standing in conductive sources like grass, sand, water, snow, and asphalt can have a tremendous amount of health benefits. Up until recent times, our ancestors were connected the the earth 24/7. Now, we are pretty much disconnected from the earth 24/7. Humans are conductive beings because of our mineral content. This is why we can be shocked, and why doctors use EKGs (electrocardiogram) and EEGs (electroencephalogram), which measures the electric energy the heart and brain puts out. The earth itself is very conductive, and is brimming with free electrons. A free radical essentially is an unpaired electron, and for it to be neutralized, it needs a free electron. This is what the earth is brimming with, and because were both conductive, it’s been shown that we can absorb these free electrons through the earth. We always talk about getting antioxidants through food, yes do that, but that doesn’t compare to the actual source of where it comes from, the earth.

Benefits of Earthing

1. Reduce inflammation

Connecting to the earth has been proven to reduce inflammation, which is the basis for chronic disease. When we eliminate free radicals with the influx of free electrons, we also eliminate inflammation.

2. Improved sleep

Sleeping while grounded has been shown to stabilize circadian cortisol and reduce stress. study involved 12 subjects who were in pain and had problems sleeping. They slept grounded for 8 weeks with a setup that allowed for this indoors. During this period, their diurnal cortisol profiles normalized, and most of the subjects reported that their sleep improved and their pain and stress levels declined.

3. Hormonal balance

Earthing the body has been to shown to regulate thyroid hormones and nutrition status. It also has been shown to regulate cortisol levels. In another study where participants were grounded for 1 hour, they reported much improvement in mood.

4. Improves blood flow

Earthing has been shown to increase charge on RBCs, which reduces aggregation and clumping. In this study, study participants were grounded for 1 hour, and through infrared imaging, blood flow had increased through the torso, which leads to better blood flow to the brain and face as well.

5. Recovery

In a report investigating the effect of earthing on recovery after eccentric exercise, the experimental group had much lower creatine kinase than the placebo. Creatine kinase is a marker of muscle damage. In this study, earthing has been shown to decrease markers of muscle damage and inflammation. The study participants also experienced less of a decrease in performance.

How to Start Earthing

It is a good idea to ground at least 20-30 minutes per day in order to get the benefits. The term earthing usually refers to going on the earth, while grounding refers to using technology to accomplish this. Earthing is always better, but technology has its place. There is a variety of technologies out there from sleep mats, patches, and standing mats. A lot of the ones on the market are not very effective, and sometimes not safe. Low quality materials will off gas, causing other health issues. The one company that I know does a good job is ultimate longevity. They make great mats with high quality materials, and actually come with a way to see of the mat is grounded. There are also grounded straps that connect to shoes, as well as grounded shoes themselves.