Altermedicine.org

With as much as 30,000 tons of American poultry in the pipeline to Russia, the government in Moscow imposed a ban on future U.S. poultry imports. Russia joins the European Union in prohibiting the use of chlorine as an anti-microbial treatment in poultry production, which is commonly used in the United States.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture defended the use of chlorine by the American poultry industry.

American poultry exports to Russia are the biggest component of U.S. agricultural exports to the former Soviet Union.  Russia has grown to become American's tenth largest agricultural export market, for a total of $1.8 billion in 2008.   Poultry was almost half of that amount.

Large-scale genome-wide association studies have identified 12 genetic loci that are robustly associated with body mass index (BMI).

However, effect sizes of the risk alleles were very small, ranging between 0.058 and 0.329 for BMI and between 0.094 and 0.866 kg for weight. On average, each additional risk allele was associated with an increase of 0.149 in BMI.

All of the genetic loci combined explained just 0.9 percent of BMI variation. Their predictive value for obesity risk is limited.

Sweet Misery is the movie that Pepsi and Coca Cola don't want you to see. Now at last the entire film is available on the internet, in its entirety.

As more and more people are becoming aware of the health problems linked to electromagnetic fields (EMFs), then the market is exploding with supplements, jewelry, household devices and even stickers that are marketed as “EMF protection.”  On 2 Dec 2009, a Google^TM of “EMF Protect” led to 592,000 hits.[i]   The problem then is how does one determine which one to get, if any.

In order to evaluate a product, it is important to first know what exists and why it is a problem, then to determine if the product helps.  There is NO product that protects from all EMF and for most sources of EMF; there is no easy solution.  Like with the chocolate cake -- you can’t eat the cake and take a pill to protect from the caloric intake, regardless of what someone might try to sell you.

When it comes to the sleeping area – there should be NO compromises.  As will be described in this paper, there are only three (3) options for the sleeping area:  (1) identify and remove all EMF sources, (2) remove the person, or (3) physically interrupt the pathway between the sources and the person.  For situations where you cannot control your environment -- work, school, travel -- then use of a product that might help your body cope has some merit.

Physics Overview

First let’s start with a physics overview of what EMF is.  “Electromagnetic fields”, commonly referred to as EMF, is a term that is used to describe electric and magnetic fields that are vibrating at frequencies that range from nearly 0Hz (times/second) to THz (trillions of times per second), and even faster.  From an exposure perspective, we must consider both the ionizing and non-ionizing radiation.   

Ionizing Radiation

In science, the damaging (toxic) effects of ionizing radiation such as high-energy radiation in the form of X-rays, gamma rays and particle radiation as well as ultraviolet radiation (UV) are rather well understood, even at very low dosages.  Radioactive radiation is known to cause irreversible damage to living matter on the molecular level -- well below thermal effects. The following types of radiation and particles produce the most important sources of ionizing radiation:

• Radioactivity -- is the giving off an energetic subatomic particles and energy pulses by radioactive materials.  Natural background radiation originates from instable atomic nuclei within the earth’s crust and from energetic charged particles out of the cosmic radiation showering.
• Radioactive materials -- are those containing unstable atoms that “decay” over time in the form of radioactivity.  Among the building materials of natural origin, silicone-rich magmatic rocks -- especially granite -- show a relatively high content of natural radionuclides.  Radon is an odorless gas, which escapes from certain radioactive materials (soil, building materials) and accumulates in the air.

Though ionizing radiation is very much an issue when it comes to the health of an indoor environment, there are no known devices that protect from the problem, so it will not be further discussed in this article.  In the next few weeks, another article will be published that will focus on identification and removal of ionizing (radioactive) sources from an indoor environment.  Thus, protective devices from this aspect of the EMF spectrum are not available.

Non-ionizing Radiation

At the lower frequencies, less than about 300,000Hz (3kHz) the electric fields and the magnetic fields are separate entities and behave like waves.  That is, like sound waves, they will bend around corners, but when they reflect they are quickly distorted.  Electric fields in this category are fairly easy to block as the signals are always traveling from the source to the closest ground.  Magnetic fields in this category are almost impossible to block, as the signals will penetrate most materials. 

• Extremely Low Frequency (ELF): Frequencies in the range of 1Hz to 1kHz or 3kHz, normally associated with power systems (outlets, appliances, building wiring, power lines) and natural sources, including the human body.  
• Very Low Frequency (VLF): Frequencies in the range of 1kHz or 3kHz to 300kHz, normally associated with man-made sources from electronic devices.

At the higher frequencies, the signals behave like beams.  That is, like light beams, they do not bend around corners, but they do reflect off surfaces.  In this category the electric and magnetic fields are melded together and become electromagnetic fields.

• High frequency (HF):  Frequencies in the range of 300kHz to 300MHz, normally those associated with communications – analog radio, and TV.
• Microwave:   The term is used to described higher frequency bands (300MHz to 300GHz), normally those associated with wireless communications – cellular phones, cordless phones, wireless Internet and devices.

Dealing with Non-ionizing Radiation in your Bedroom

Now that we know what is happening around us, it is important to know how it is affecting us.  There are three stages to a biological effect:

As described in the Physics Overview section above, the EMF sources range from natural sources, to wiring in the walls, to appliances, to electronics, to communication devices.  In order to choose the proper protection, it is important to know the sources, the pathways and finally, the actual exposure to the person.

Low Frequency Electric Fields

For example, if the primary problem is low frequency electric fields that can interfere with the body’s bioelectrical communication[ii]^,[iii],[iv], then the protection required is to either remove the source by turning off the electricity to the wires and appliances that are within 6ft of the bed, or to disrupt the pathway by creating distance between the source and the person.

A second approach is to place a “grounded” surface between the source and the person to interrupt the pathway.  Products suitable for this are conductive paints and shielding material -- but they must be properly installed and tested, and only used in environments where other types of EMF sources are not present.  Electronic equipment can produce some VLF electric fields and whether or not these have a biological impact or a pathway is yet unknown.  However, it has been established that turning these off at night or using good power strips that have surge arrestors built-in will greatly reduce the transmission of these signals around a home.  Look for a number on the power strip package that is in decibels (db), it should be greater than 40db.  Pendants, plug-in devices, tabletop products, or other similar products will not work for low frequency electric fields. 

Low Frequency Magnetic Fields

If the primary problem is low frequency magnetic fields from external sources, such as underground power lines, then the only thing to do is to disrupt the pathway by creating distance.  Low frequency magnetic fields have been linked to a variety of problems, such as childhood leukemia and adult cancer.[v]

If there are internal (within the house) sources of magnetic fields, then either remove the source by turning off the appliance or the electricity to the source, or disrupt the pathway by creating distance.  There are some devices that will actually monitor single outlets for a source of magnetic fields and then neutralize them by creating a field that is out-of-phase with them.  However, these are only suitable when all of the sources of magnetic fields are within feet of the device, plugged into the same outlet, and only effective for several feet from the device.

There are devices which are active magnetic field cancellations -- and can be used effectively for external sources of magnetic fields from underground or overhead power lines -- but require engineering design work for each application.  There are some products that are designed to be non-linear resistive (mu metal) that can be used to shield from single-point sources, such as refrigerator or a circuit panel box.  Pendants, tabletop products, or other similar products will not work for low frequency magnetic fields.

High Frequency Electromagnetic Fields

Short of the signal strength being so high as to cause the skin to overheat, there is minimal biological effect from the analog radio and TV signals.  Distance from the television set and towers is the only suitable way to deal with these problems.  If you still have an old computer monitor that is not a “flat screen,” then you should also keep your distance from it.

Microwave Electromagnetic Fields

The microwave section of the EMF spectrum includes most digital communication devices, whether they be for long-distance communication like satellites and cellphones, or local communication such as wireless internets, cordless telephones, baby monitors, or security systems.  As discussed in the article: Cell Phones Emit More Harmful Radiation than FM Radios, there are two biological impacts from the microwave EMFs -- thermal and non-thermal.[vi]  

Products for the Non-sleeping Time

It is always important to know what a device can and cannot do, and what the product specifications mean before deciding on the purchase.  Kinesiology[vii] testing (bio-field[viii] or muscle testing) and blood tests are common method for evaluating the performance of a product.  Though there is little doubt that this testing method if effective in evaluating whether the body responds positively to a device, there is significant question of a device’s long-term effectiveness.  It is presumed that though the body may initially respond positively, that in other environments or overtime the chronic onslaught on the body leads to a recurrence of the symptoms. 

Another evaluation technique is clinical observation over long-term usage, and that is where most products fail to perform.  At this point, there is no product available that will “protect;” though there are some that have proven to help the body cope with the toxins to which it is exposed during the day.  The most effective products thus far are those that work with the body’s natural frequency resonance and not those that attempt to introduce noise or distort/block the manmade signals.

Those products that focus on the manmade signals are ineffective because the strength and characteristics of the environment are constantly changing, and both the effectiveness of the distortion and the biological impact of the new complex signal are unknown.  The addition of noise into an environment as a proposed method of obscuring the noxious signals may have initial benefits, but as both signals are still present, based on anecdotal observations, the symptoms recur within a few weeks to months.

Products that work with natural frequency resonance, such as mineral frequencies, psychological energies, and the earth’s signals, have reportedly been effective in limited situations for some individuals.  Products that boost the body’s immune system and the bioelectrical function of the body are emerging as the better options; however, these are not “protective” devices and will not help in many situations where the electrosmog pollution is at toxic levels.  In addition, based on anecdotal studies chronic use of a device that amplifies the natural resonance may weaken the body’s natural immune system.

References:

Silver nanoparticles used as antimicrobials in fabric can leach out of clothes as they are being washed. One brand lost over half of its silver content from the fabric with just two washings.

A group of scientists tested how well silver nanoparticles stayed in treated fabrics under conditions similar to a washing machine. They considered mechanical stress and chemical factors such as bleaches, pH and surfactants. 

First, they measured the silver content of  several different brands and types of fabrics that used silver nanoparticles. They then washed the fabrics in detergent, later adding steel balls to simulate mechanical stress that would be similar to normal washing conditions. Some of the fabrics were also treated with bleaching agents during washing.

When the fabrics were washed in water with detergent only, the silver generally stayed in the fabrics. However, several fabrics released silver quite readily once the steel balls were added to mimic mechanical actions of the washing machine. Of the 7 nanoparticle fabrics subjected to mechanical stress, four lost roughly 20 percent to 35 percent of their silver with the first wash.