Research studies suggest that the ever-increasing EMF pollution in our surroundings is a contributing factor to the ever-growing autoimmune disease numbers globally.
An individual develops autoimmune disease when their body’s natural defense mechanism can’t differentiate between the body’s own cells and foreign cells (like microbes). Because of this, the immune system attacks normal cells, which creates a range of problems.
In this article, we’ll look at autoimmune disease, the role of EMF in its development, and things you can do to reduce your risk of developing this problem.
So, let’s begin.
Difference Between Natural and Human-Made EMF
Before proceeding further and understanding the role of EMF in autoimmune disease development, let’s first look at the difference between natural and human-made EMF.
Every day, we receive natural radiation from the elements around us, such as the sun, lightning and cosmic radiation"Radiation" in the context of Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) refers to the process by which energy is emitted and transmitted through space or a material medium in the form of electromagnetic... from space. The difference is that these natural sources emit vastly less and exponentially lower powered electromagnetic radiationElectromagnetic radiation refers to the waves of the electromagnetic field, propagating through space, carrying electromagnetic radiant energy. It includes a wide range of electromagnetic waves, from very long radio waves... than that which comes from human-made sources, making them weaker and generally safe for us.
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Human-made sources of EMF include cell phones, television, WiFi signals, and other devices.
EMF radiation from electronics interacts with the human body on a cellular level. This is because the human body also has its own electromagnetic fieldIn the context of electromagnetic fields (EMF), the term "field" refers to a region in space where electric and magnetic forces are exerted. An electromagnetic field is generated by electrically.... Our blood, nervous system and lymphatic system all use electromagnetic signals as a means of communication throughout our entire body for all of its basic and complex functions.
And research studies say that chronic exposure to electromagnetic radiation, at levels found in the environment, significantly alters your immune system and leaves a damaging impact on nervous, cardiovascular and reproductive systems.
Learn more about EMF in my post, “What Is EMF In Simple Words? EMF Explained.”
What is Autoimmune Disease?
Depending on the type of damage, immune system disorders can cause an individual’s immune system to under-react or overreact. In the case of autoimmune disease, the body attacks and damages its own cells and tissues. This results in problems like:
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Lupus
- Inflammatory bowel disease
- Multiple sclerosis
- Type 1 diabetes mellitus
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy
- Psoriasis
- Graves’ disease
- Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
- Myasthenia gravis
- Scleroderma
- Vasculitis
Research studies say prolonged EMF exposure can initiate problems that can later transform into autoimmune diseases. Have a look.
EMF and Autoimmune Disease: What Research Says
Here’s what research says so far about the link between EMF and autoimmune disease.
Metabolic Effects Similar to Stress
Studies suggest that autoimmune disease is prevalent in people with chronic stress. And it’s been long known that prolonged EMF exposure can induce stress in your brain, causing several physiological changes.
Researchers from Italy, in their 2014 systematic review, said that “there is clear evidence that exposure to EMFs produced by radio, television broadcasting stations, radars, or electricity induces changes (within the physiological range) in number and percentage of circulating immune cells as well as in the immune response.”
The papers they reviewed demonstrated that “exposure to electricity induces metabolic effects similar to those of stress. Women residents near high power"Power" in a scientific context refers to the rate at which work is done or energy is transferred. In simpler terms, it's how fast something is using energy. For example,... lines showed reduced melatonin production as in workers performing stressful night shifts. Employees with prolonged conversation time on mobile phones showed lower levels of serum TSH (index of increased thyroid metabolism) as in situations of stress.”
Increased NET Formation
Neutrophil is a type of white blood cell that plays a vital role in your immune system. These cells form in your bone marrow and travel throughout your body in your tissues, blood, and lymph nodes.
Just like any other cell, neutrophil goes through a natural death after completing its lifespan, to be replaced by a new one.
A dying neutrophil extrudes the content of its nuclei into the surrounding environment creating something called the Neutrophil Extracellular Traps or NETs.
The purpose of the NETs is to combat invading pathogens by trapping and immobilizing them to prevent spreading towards other tissues and facilitate killing by other immune cells.
Research studies say that prolonged exposure to low-frequency magnetic fieldsDefinition and Nature of Magnetic Fields Magnetic fields are a fundamental aspect of electromagnetic fields, produced by moving electric charges (electric currents). The strength of a magnetic field is measured... enhances NET formation by stimulating neutrophils. This enhanced NET formation can eliminate more invading pathogens, which is a good thing. Except, it’s a double-edged sword.
NETs are cytotoxic, which means they are toxic to living cells. An enhanced NET formation can attack your healthy cells leading to autoimmune diseases like systemic lupus erythematosus and arthritis.
General Activation of Macrophages
Macrophages are a type of white blood cell that surrounds and kills microorganisms, removes dead cells, and stimulates the action of other immune system cells.
A 2016 research study found that prolonged EMF exposure causes a general activation of macrophages which induces several changes in your immune system like “increased reactive oxygen species-formation, enhanced phagocytic activity and increased production of chemokine.”
The researchers concluded the study by saying, “In the light of results reviewed here, we conclude that there is growing evidence of the potential role of EMFs in biological modulation of autoimmunity, immune functions, and oxidative stress.”
As a consequence, they continue, “the hypothesis that ELF-EMFs explicit their therapeutic effect through modulation of immune relevant cells is of clear interest, particularly in neurodegenerative diseases.
“Notably, ELF-EMFs’ effects are not unique as they depend on their intensity, exposure time, and cellular targets; further efforts towards a more scheduled and well-defined level and timing of exposure should be warranted.”
Lack of Sleep and Autoimmune Disease
Statistics say that 35% of the US population gets less than the recommended seven hours of sleep each night. And although there are many reasons for this problem, researchers have identified EMF as one of the major causes.
As just one of many examples, A 1999 study from Iran demonstrated that magnetic field exposure can disrupt sleep, “decreasing total sleep time, decreasing sleep efficiency, increasing time in the second stage of sleep, reducing rapid eye movement (REM), and lengthening the delay to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep.”
Experts say that long-term disruption of normal sleep cycles can impair immunity and the musculoskeletal system triggering autoimmune conditions like chronic fatigue syndrome and fibromyalgia.
What Can You Do?
The link between EMF exposure and autoimmune disease is clear. But this doesn’t mean you’re helpless.
You can significantly reduce your risk of developing EMF-induced autoimmune diseases by just making certain changes in your lifestyle to mitigate your EMF exposure.
Here are some things you can do to alleviate your EMF exposure for a safer, healthier life.
Mitigate Your EMF Exposure
If you’ve been following SYB for some time, you know about the two key rules of EMF protection which are “Minimize Use & Maximize Distance.”
Minimize use simply asks you to reduce your tech use, as the less tech you use, the lower your EMF exposure will be.
And the second rule, maximize distance, asks you to increase your physical distance from EMF sources. This is because, according to the inverse square lawThe Inverse Square Law is a principle in physics that states that a specified physical quantity or intensity is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the source... of physics, the longer EMF travels, the weaker it gets exponentially.
You can learn all about the two key rules of EMF protection in my post, “What is the Best EMF Protection? Hint: It’s Free. And You Can Start Right Now.”
EMF Shielding Can Help
With all the evidence demonstrating the harmful effects of prolonged exposure to EMF radiation, it’s good to know about proven ways to protect yourself when you cannot avoid coming in contact with it.
In recent studies, patients were asked to wear EMF shielding clothing consisting of a specialized combination of silver-coated polyester threads and bamboo fibers. These materials are known to partially block out some of the electromagnetic radiation.
Many of the patients in this study were those suffering from autoimmune disorders such as Lupus, Multiple Sclerosis, and Celiac Disease. Incredibly, 90% of the patients reported a “definite” or “strong” change or reduction in their symptoms.
In short, this study shows that EMF shieldingEMF shielding refers to the practice of reducing the electromagnetic field (EMF) exposure in a particular area by blocking or altering the electromagnetic waves with barriers made of conductive or... reduces the incidence and degree of autoimmune disease that can result from exposure to electromagnetic radiation.
SYB EMF Shielding Products
SYB’s EMF shielding products are laboratory-tested and proven to be highly effective at blocking EMF radiation and helping prevent the dangerous effects these waves can have on our physical and mental health. Have a look at some of our product categories.
EMF Shielding for Phones, Laptops, and Tablets
Phones, laptops, and tablets are a major source of our EMF exposure. That’s because these gadgets work in close proximity to our bodies. And the closer you are to an EMF source, the stronger your exposure will be.
Now, you can keep these gadgets at a distance while using them, but this isn’t possible to do every single time. So, to solve this problem, we designed some highly effective EMF shielding products that you can use to protect yourself from EMFs coming from phones, laptops, and tablets.
Check out the For Cell Phones and For Laptops & Tablets sections in the SYB store to browse these products and choose the ones that best fit your needs.
Home & Office Shielding
A place like home or office where you spend so much time shouldn’t be crawling with EMFs. That’s because of a concept called the dose relationship.
Take X-rays, for example. X-ray machines emit ionizing radiation"Ionizing radiation" refers to a type of electromagnetic radiation that carries enough energy to liberate electrons from atoms or molecules, thereby ionizing them. This form of radiation is part of..., which is severely harmful in nature. But getting one X-ray isn’t nearly as deadly as doing a 10-minute live X-ray. This is because our bodies have some amount of natural resilience against EMFs. So, if your exposure time is short, even ionizing radiation doesn’t induce as much harm as it can if you’re exposed to it for a long time.
Since you spend many hours at your home and office, taking necessary measures to mitigate the EMF emissions in these environments is crucial.
The Home & Office section of the SYB store contains multiple products that you can use to protect yourself while working or spending time at home.
EMF Shielding Apparel
How cool would it be if, instead of carrying EMF shielding products, you could wear them with your everyday outfits?
Well, that’s what the Apparel section of the SYB store is all about. We have a ton of stylish apparel you can use to shield your body from harmful EMFs without compromising on looking good.
All products in the SYB apparel section are designed with a blend of high-quality fabric and powerful EMF shielding materials. So, they’re comfortable, stylish, and, most importantly, highly effective at deflecting EMFs away from your body, so your relationship with technology becomes a safer, healthier one.
Grounding Protection
Grounding is super important, as it gives your body a chance to connect with the earth’s natural energy"Energy" is a fundamental concept in physics, often described as the ability to do work or cause change. In everyday terms, it's what is needed to move things, heat them.... Several research studies have pointed out that practicing grounding daily provides you with multiple benefits, including improved mental health, optimal rest, and enhanced healing.
Learn more about grounding in my post, “What is Grounding? What are the Benefits of Earthing? And How Do I Start?”
Now, while it’s highly recommended to groundIn the context of electricity, "ground" or "earthing" refers to a reference point in an electrical circuit from which voltages are measured, a common return path for electric current, or... your body directly on the earth’s surface, we also understand that many people don’t have the time or the means to do that.
So, they resort to grounding products like grounding mats and sheets. And they work great. Except that while they provide you the benefits of grounding, they can also expose your body to harmful forces like contact currentDefinition and Basic Concept Contact current refers to the electrical current that flows through a person’s body when they come into physical contact with an object that is electrically charged...., dirty electricityDirty Electricity, also known as electrical pollution, refers to the presence of irregularities or distortions in the normal electrical current within a wiring system. These distortions, which deviate from the..., and electric fieldsDefinition and Nature of Electric Fields Electric fields are a fundamental aspect of electromagnetic fields, created by electric charges, either stationary or moving. These fields represent the force that electric....
This is why we designed our NCB line.
The NCB, short for Nuisance Current Blocker, is a ground-breaking, patent-pending invention by Andrew McAfee in collaboration with SYB. This product makes it safer for you to ground your body by blocking contact current and dirty electricity and reducing your electric field exposure.
Check out the NCB and NCB Pro on the Grounding section of the SYB store.
Final Thoughts
The same modern science that gives us the powerful electrical and wireless technology that we all enjoy — and that drives the global economy — also gives us increasingly detailed knowledge about the health risks caused by this technology.
Fortunately, you can start to take control over your EMF exposure by making specific changes to your behavior to reduce your personal health risks. Simple changes, like not carrying your phone in your pocket or sleeping next to it.
Beyond that, modern technological advancements have also helped us create powerful shielding products and solutions to give you even more protection from the harmful effects of EMF.
Unless we’re all willing to go back to the stone age, human-made EMFs are here to stay. But there are safer ways to live with it and products that can help. So, take action, and shield your body!
