Author: Gae ́ tan Chevalier, PhD,1 Stephen T. Sinatra, MD, FACC, FACN,2 James L. Oschman, PhD,3 and Richard M. Delany, MD, FACC4
Conference/Journal: THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE
Date published: 2013
Other:
Volume ID: 19 , Issue ID: 2 , Pages: 102-110 , Special Notes: DOI: 10.1089/acm.2011.0820 , Word Count: 246
Objectives: Emerging research is revealing that direct physical contact of the human body with the surface of the
earth (grounding or earthing) has intriguing effects on human physiology and health, including beneficial effects
on various cardiovascular risk factors. This study examined effects of 2 hours of grounding on the electrical
charge (zeta potential) on red blood cells (RBCs) and the effects on the extent of RBC clumping.
Design/interventions: Subjects were grounded with conductive patches on the soles of their feet and palms of
their hands. Wires connected the patches to a stainless-steel rod inserted in the earth outdoors. Small fingertip
pinprick blood samples were placed on microscope slides and an electric field was applied to them. Electro-
phoretic mobility of the RBCs was determined by measuring terminal velocities of the cells in video recordings
taken through a microscope. RBC aggregation was measured by counting the numbers of clustered cells in each
sample.
Settings/location: Each subject sat in a comfortable reclining chair in a soundproof experiment room with the
lights dimmed or off.
Subjects: Ten (10) healthy adult subjects were recruited by word-of-mouth.
Results: Earthing or grounding increased zeta potentials in all samples by an average of 2.70 and significantly
reduced RBC aggregation.
Conclusions: Grounding increases the surface charge on RBCs and thereby reduces blood viscosity and
clumping. Grounding appears to be one of the simplest and yet most profound interventions for helping reduce
cardiovascular risk and cardiovascular events.
full article: http://online.liebertpub.com/doi/pdfplus/10.1089/acm.2011.0820