The importance of the ever growing evidence of health problems due to the pandemic of EMF RADIATION is now well studied and researched the world over. It is now well nigh impossible to avoid or escape from the pervasiveness of this phenomenon in our everyday life.
To understand the implications that EMF RADIATION has on our health and to study the possible solution to this problem, this article will delve into the brief analysis of Electromagnetic Fields , the radiation emanating from those fields and will attempt to offer the reader the awareness of this problem . However in this article we focus on : Non Ionising Radiation as the subject of health hazards due to Ionizing Radiation is a separate and vast subject mainly bordering on the Public Health Issues which will concern the State for the benefit and offering relief mechanisms to its people.
THE PHENOMENON OF EMF RADIATION
Electromagnetic field is a property of space caused by the motion of an electric charge. A stationary charge will only produce an electric field in the surrounding space. If the charge is moving ,a magnetic field is also produced . The mutual interaction of the electric and magnetic fields produces an electromagnetic field. It affects the behaviour of non-co moving charged objects at any distance .
Electromagnetic radiation is the effect of the waves of the electromagnetic field, propagating through space carrying this electromagnetic radiant energy.
Typical examples include: Radio Waves, Microwaves, Infrared, Ultraviolet, X- Rays and Gamma Rays.
The Electro magnetic radiation comprises of : Ionising and Non Ionising radiation
The above chart is an indicator of the effects on human health caused by both the types of radiation.
However many international bodies have debunked the classification of low frequency Non Ionizing radiation as a “ Health Hazard “ only cautioning against the “health hazards” caused by Ionizing radiation .However the IARC( International Agency for Research on Cancer- a Part of the WHO) in 2011 CLASSIFIED RADIO FREQUENCY EMF AS “ POSSIBLY” CARCINOGENIC TO HUMANS .
The IARC noted that in the period of study between 1994 to 2004 ( a ten year window) the risk of gliomas ( cancer of the brain and spine) increased by almost 40% - when cell phone use was evaluated on an average of 30 min per day for 10 years ! .
Today 15 years later the scenario of average time per day on the use of cell phones has changed dramatically!
Subsequently the LANCET in an article : Planetary Electromagnetic Pollution : Its Time to Asses its Impact – stated the urgent need to re-evaluate the effects of what it called : the rapid global proliferation of artificial electromagnetic fields .
- Non acute non thermal (tissue heating) exposure to RF radiation has shown to alter human brain metabolism and chronic exposure has been associated with
- Increased oxidative stress
- Cancer.
- DNA damage
- High risk of Neuro Degenerative Diseases
- Behavioural disorders in Children
- High risk of ADHD and like problems in children exposed to RF radiation at prenatal stage
The exponential rise in the usage of devices like : mobile phones, WiFi and BT enabled devices (and the Infrastructure Facilitating them) and the exposure to RFEMF levels around the 600 MHz to 6 GHz frequency ( 4 G) has risen by almost 10 (^18) times . In this scenario enter the new revolution 5 G as also the IOT ,with lightning speed averaging frequencies of 28 GHz !! and we are in for a roller coaster ride with the effects this will have on our health.
So in a sense we are and will be increasingly “ Swathed” with ELECTRO SMOG!.
Are human beings the only ones who stand to be affected .? The answer is – NO ! The effects this ELECTRO SMOG will have on flora and fauna will be huge as well. For instance the globally dwindling population of Honey Bees and other insects and birds is a pointer to this phenomenon of EMF RADIATION .
Honey Bees are among the species that use “ MAGNETORECEPTION” which is extremely sensitive to the anthropogenic EMF fields for navigation .
ANY SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER MANAGEMENT OF HEALTH RELATED ISSUES ?
We now examine some of the possible methods of protecting ourselves from this kind of ELECTRO SMOG - However minimal the beneficial effects may be, many solutions are also being researched world over for overcoming serious health complications that may arise over a period of time .
A) THE USE OF SPECIFIC NUTRIENTS FOR THE METHYLATION OF CELLS
Having seen the effect on the human body and in particular the damaging effects EMF RADIATION may have on the DNA – the importance of protecting our cellular health cannot be more overemphasised.
One of the many ways our diet and the nutrients therein protects us is through the process of Methylation. Cell methylation can protect against DNA damage- however this needs to be done in the proper balance. DNA methylation is an example of one of the many mechanisms of Epigenetics .
Epigenetics is the study of heritable changes in gene expression (active versus inactive genes) that do not involve changes to the underlying DNA sequence. This means that these changes are potentially reversible.
A chemical unit called a – methyl group- which contains one carbon and three hydrogen atoms if added to cytosine (one of the four bases of the DNA) that base or area of the DNA is methylated (the other three bases being adenine, guanine and thymine) . When the methyl group is lost that area becomes – demethylated .
Proper DNA methylation has been known to help in ensuring the repair and health of our DNA .
Certain specific nutrients known to support methylation are :
- Choline
- Methionine
- Frolic acid
- Methylcobalmin ( Vitamin B12)
- Vitamin B6
- TMG( Trimethylglycine)
- SAMe
SAMe or S- adenosylmethionine is the key methylation agent in the body. It is the most active methyl donor amongst all the above listed .When a SAMe molecule donates its methyl group to the DNA ,it breaks down into homocysteine , which is a toxic inflammatory amino acid molecule .It is therefore important to then have the other methyl donors like VIT B12, VIT B 6, Folic Acid etc. to come into play as they will convert the resultant homocysteine into glutathione the master antioxidant – or – recycle it into methionine . It is therefore important for all the above nutrients to be present in the overall process of methylation whereby the DNA damage that can be caused by the EMF RADIATION can be prevented to a large extent.
Several other herbs like Chlorella, Turmeric offer a great amount of protection against the damage caused to the DNA by EMF RADIATION and also are excellent for DNA repair .
The above Methylating agents are listed as a means of protection from the day to day exposure to Non- Ionizing Radiation. However several other methods of protection – like for eg sleeping in a dark lightless environment etc. - are noteworthy of mention and are subjects of a detailed discussion in an another paper.
B ) ESSENTIAL OILS.? PROTECTIVE EFFECT AGAINST EMF RADIATION !
In recent years the protective and healing effects of Essential Oils has been the subject of many researchers .
Rosemary Essential Oil is one such an oil which has been of interest in its protective effects with regards the DNA damage caused by EMF or electromagnetic fields / frequencies from wireless technologies, including iPads, tablets, mobile phones, routers, etc.
A look at Telomeres
THE TYPICAL CELL DNA- AND TELOMERES ( the protective tips )
Telomeres are implicated in the ageing process. They get shorter over time, and are an indication of the ageing process in our life cycle . When telomeres shorten to a certain length we die. When we can devise methods to reduce the rate at which the Telomeres shorten ,the ageing process of the body slows down .
Cell death, aka apoptosis, can be overcome in our blood and skin cells through the actions of a protein called Telomerase or RNA complex. Telomerase allows the chromosome ends in our DNA to be replicated without loss of genetic material.
Telomere length is in direct correlation to chronic environmental oxidative stress caused by free radicals due to long-term exposure to environmental factors like EMFs.
Certain essential oils, including Basil and Rosemary, appear to have telomere-protective effects, mediated through a reduction of the TERF-1 telomere-suppressive protein…
It is of interest to note that some essential oils cause apparent increases in telomere length over those seen in untreated cells, when administered alone. In many cases, and especially following treatment with Basil, Clove or Rosemary oils, the telomere-shortening effects of hydrogen peroxide are mitigated by EO treatment, leading to telomeres that are 60-80% greater in length than the size of those in untreated control cells.
The telomere theory of aging postulates that, as somatic cells continue to divide over the life of an organism, their telomeres, the protective sequences at the end of each chromosome, gradually shorten. This is due to the inability of the DNA replication machinery to fully replicate the ends of linear chromosomal DNA, such that a small amount of sequence is lost with each round of replication (that is, each time a cell divides). After a specified number of cell divisions (known as the “Hayflick limit”), sufficient chromosome material is lost that a cell’s replicative potential is exceeded and it senesces.
Inflammation control as we know goes a long way in increasing the duration of the life of the CELL and Anti inflammatory agents and substances here contribute to the reduction in the rate at which the telomeres shorten .
Here’s where the anti-inflammatory action of the Rosemary Essential Oil comes into play.
Prolonged oxidative stress, whether through inflammation or exposure to reactive oxygen species (ROS)-generating chemicals, is also believed to play a role. While oxidative stress has many biological effects, it is known to cause direct damage to DNA, through the formation of several types of base lesions (modifications of the building blocks of DNA). If these damaged bases are not, or cannot be, repaired, this damage is made permanent and can lead to mutations, DNA breakage or cell death. If these lesions occur in the telomeric regions of DNA, telomere shortening can result,
The British Journal of Radiology published a study, in 2009, which proved the Carnosol in Rosemary provides significant protection from ‘mutagenic activity’. This means Rosemary Essential Oil, which maintains it’s Carnosic Acids after the distillation process, prompts our bodily defence mechanisms to neutralise the damage caused by radiation. Other studies have also supported the theory of the Rosmarinic acid offering protection against the damage done to the DNA by EMF RADIATION .
It is this constituent, in synergy with the other chemicals in Rosemary Essential Oil, that makes it a fantastic scavenger of free radicals. As EMF and ‘blue screen’, from our digital devices, are known to cause oxidative stress, Rosemary Essential Oil really is invaluable.
For a more detailed information on the use of Methylating Nutrients and benefits and use of Rosemary Oil- connect with : BIOTEX LIFE SOLUTIONS - info@ biotex.in
References
- International Agency for Research on Cancer- www.iarc.org
- Planetary Electromagnetic Pollution- by Priyanka Bhandara & David Carpenter Dec 2018 article in The Lancet Planetary Health
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov DNA Methylation and the potential role of Methyl containing Nutrients
- www.powerwatch.org.uk
- https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/herbal-report/assessment-report-rosmarinus-officinalis-l-aetheroleum-rosmarinus-officinalis-l-folium_en.pdf
