Electromagnetic fields and modern technology – invisible sources of stress on the body?

BY DIANA ARUNDELL

What a wonderful modern world we are blessed to be living in. It seems as with many modern, quick fix interventions there may also be longer term consequences to consider.

There was a time when a remote control was considered an upmarket fancy gadget, yet now the remote has been superseded by voice control, keyless entry and even using mobile phones to connect to house hold appliances. All of this plus quicker internet speed and the elimination of messy cords and wires may actually be negatively impacting our bodies after all.

From a health perspective the first obvious issue with all of this technology is that we are encouraging the body to move less and less while we are eating a more calorie dense, unhealthy diet. This combination is contributing to humans becoming heavier and sicker. We have gone from needing to get up off the couch to change channels and from getting out of the car to open garage doors to using remote controls. We no longer need to get up and use our hands to flick through dictionaries and encyclopaedias to find information as we just ask Google. The act of turning pages in a book is being phased out by reading on kindle and tablets. At least re mote controls still required some hand/eye coordination whereas now we are moving from needing hand/eye coordination to physically unlock a door with a key, to using voice control and not even needing to move fingers. So not only are we requiring less movement from our bigger muscles, we hardly ever use a pen to write anymore and it seems our hands and fingers will be moving less too. As with our muscular skeletal system and our brain – use it or lose it. Our bodies have been designed to move in order to stay strong and healthy, yet we are evolving to move less and less. Movement leads to engaging our muscles which keeps them strong, increasing blood circulation to our organs to keep the body nourished, stimulating our lymphatic system which helps eliminate toxins, and movement increases our heart rate which like all of our other muscles, needs to be exercised to stay strong.

Other than encouraging our bodies to move less, the electromagnetic fields (EMF) associated with all of this modern technology may also be impacting health in other areas such as fatigue, dizziness, headaches, photosensitivity and sleep disturbances. The human body is made up of charged particles so it is affected like any other material made up of charged particles. Often exposure to toxins can be seen or smelt and therefore we naturally avoid exposure, however with radio frequency and electromagnetic fields people are often unaware of exposure. In 2018 the World Health Organisation (WHO) released classifications and definitions related to low frequency electromagnetic fields and potential carcinogenic impact on humans. Some research is also linking EMF exposure with insomnia (lower serum melatonin), mood disorders, fertility issues, Alzheimer’s and exposure may disrupt our antioxidant defence system. Building biologists are organisations that can come and assess your home for the measurement of EMF exposure. How each individual reacts to exposure to EMF can vary just as individual reactions vary to exposure to other toxins and infections. This has to do with genetic expression and detoxification pathways amongst other things. We can’t avoid exposure completely to EMFs however we can become more conscious of our exposure, as well as help our bodies to

build some resilience to it. Some studies (primarily animal studies) have shown that increasing protective antioxidant status of the body can protect damage to organs through exposure to EMF. Some of these nutrients include zinc, selenium, resveratrol, curcumin, vitamins C and E, CoQ10 and L-carnitine.

Health flourishes when the body is in balance and some ways to consider balance include ensuring the body has access to both light and dark, fasting and feeding windows as well as activity and rest. Too much of one of these with out balancing out with the opposite may create an environment for the body that is more susceptible to disease.

Our bodies need to be exposed to sunlight for both the manufacture of Vitamin D as well as to balance out circadian rhythms so we can sleep effectively. The effects of ‘blue’ light via screens has lead to the production of glasses that filter out the blue light for those spending a lot of time on screens. We’re not meant to be exposed to artificial light for lengthy periods of time and it’s important for darkness when we sleep. Too much feeding or too much fasting can also lead to imbalance, fatigue and chronic health issues. A 12 hours fasting window is achievable for most people between dinner and breakfast for general health however if weight loss is a goal, a 6 to 8 hour feeding window appears to be more beneficial.

Tips to stay healthy in our modern world: ƒ Be mindful and use your body as much as possible whilst it’s still working eg. Take the stairs rather than escalator/elevator to exercise your ankles, knees and leg muscles. ƒ Reduce exposure to wireless devices such as cordless phones, headsets, keyboards, printers, baby monitors and where possible choose hard wired ethernet cables rather than wireless routers. Reduce microwave use and ensure seals are in good order. Av oid bedheads sharing a wall with Smart meter/power boxes, tvs, wifi routers, fridges. Do not charge mobile phones in the b edroom. Av oid reading from light emitting devices before bed. Switch mobile to flight mode when not in use. Use hands free to speak on mobile phone and rather than Bluetooth connection, use earphones/ microphone with cord attached. Spend time in nature, barefoot on the grass, sand or earth to increase antioxidant protection. Consider antioxidant supplementation if a lot of EMF exposure is unavoidable.

Diana Arundell is a university-qualified naturopath and consults from her Avoca Naturopath clinic. She has a special interest in fertility and pregnancy health, digestive health, immune function and family wellness programs. She was a nutrition lecturer at Macquarie University for 10 years, and is an accredited Journey Practitioner. For further information please contact Diana Arundell at Avoca Naturopath on 0410 465 900.

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