February 25, 2020

I consider myself to be someone who is fairly “plugged in” to knowing the dangers of—and the steps required to mitigate—EMFs, but after hiring a certified building biologist (click here to listen to the full podcast walkthrough of that fascinating experience) to do a full analysis of my home, I was pretty shocked at some of the issues he uncovered.

For example:

• When inside my low-EMF infrared sauna, my body is actually getting exposed to cell tower transmissions and radio waves…
• My master bedroom is located over a geothermal stressor area (which causes large amounts of magnetic field exposure) and the mattress itself is propagating and magnifying this electromagnetic signal, and there are hefty amounts of radio and cell phone tower signals pouring in through the bedroom walls…
• My twin boys are being exposed to nearly twice this amount of electrical stress in their bedroom due in part to their pet dragon lizard lighting and elaborate “Christmas tree” lighting they've decorated their room with…
• My Molekule air filter had an intense WiFi/Bluetooth signal emitting from it even in sleep mode. 
• My home security system gives off 12 RF/WiFi pulses every time the doors shut or open…
• There are four cell phone antennas located within a mile from me and another four with higher frequencies within three miles from me…

Now, I was able to address and fix all of these problems with the help of the building biologist I hired. My point is….this is all happening inside my “isolated” home in the forest in Spokane, WA that I thought I had protected from EMFs by diligently using dirty electricity filters, incandescent low-EMF bulbs, a low-EMF infrared sauna, and having a “kill switch” that shuts off all electricity throughout my entire home, and beyond. Just imagine what it's like in a city or more urban area!

So what can you do about EMF exposure in your own home?

Today's article, a guest post by my good friend Dr. Joseph Mercola, will show you exactly what you need to do to shield yourself from (or at the very least minimize) EMF exposure. You'll also discover where EMFs come from, why they're so dangerous, and why it's becoming increasingly important to take steps to protect yourself (hint: the problem is only going to get worse.)

Dr. Mercola is my go-to guy when it comes to protecting myself and my family against (and mitigating the damages) from non-native, harmful EMFs. You can catch him most recently on my podcast, “The Shocking Truth About You Getting “EMF'D”: 5G, Wi-Fi & Cell Phones – Hidden Harms & How To Protect Yourself,” and on the following previous episodes:

• KetoFasting: The Dark Side of Fasting & Ketosis (+How To Use Cyclic Ketosis To Fix The Issues).
• How To Reverse The Damage From Cell Phone Radiation, Hidden Sources Of EMF, The Best Way To Measure Your EMF Exposure & Much More With Dr. Joseph Mercola!
• High-Fat Fudge Balls, The Best Fruits For Blood Sugar, Egg Allergies & More With “Fat For Fuel” Author Dr. Mercola.
• Killing Fat Cells, Fixing Mitochondria, Growing Superfoods & More: The Official, Much-Anticipated, Mind-Blowing, Geeked-Out Podcast With Dr. Mercola.

Where Does EMF Come From?

The negative effects of electromagnetic fields (EMFs) continue to ignite conversations and controversy worldwide. The most dangerous pollution affecting you is the invisible sea of EMFs your body swims in daily. 

You are regularly exposed to EMFs—not only when you’re out in public, but also inside your home. Most of the radiation emits from your cellphone, cell towers, computers, and Wi-Fi.  

While it’s nearly impossible to avoid EMF exposure completely, there are practical ways to limit it. Given the number of EMFs that bombard you all day long, getting educated about the negative effects of EMFs is imperative. 

If you are dealing with a serious illness, it is well worth your time to reduce your EMF exposure as much as possible. If you have been told EMFs are safe and not a danger to humans, I urge you to reconsider. Keep in mind:

• The telecommunication industry has manipulated federal regulatory agencies, public health authorities, and professional agencies through powerful and sophisticated lobbying efforts leaving consumers confused and unaware of the health risks associated with EMFs
• Similar to smoking, any negative health effects from EMFs may not be immediately noticeable, but will likely develop gradually over time. Cell phones are indeed a 21^st-century version of a product that parallels both the dangers of smoking and the tobacco industry itself. 

So What Exactly Are EMFs?

According to the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, EMFs are “invisible areas of energy, often referred to as radiation, that are associated with the use of electrical power.” 

Not all EMFs are bad, though, as sunlight and UVB that make vitamin D in your skin along with near-infrared radiation (IR) are very healthy EMF frequencies that we need regular exposure to if we hope to optimize our health.

Broadly speaking, EMFs are categorized into ionizing and nonionizing radiation. Most agree on the hazards associated with ionizing radiation, which is why the dental hygienist covers you with a lead apron when taking X-rays. 

Similarly, you would expect to get sunburned if your bare skin was overexposed to the sun’s powerful UV rays, which is a form of ionizing radiation. Ionizing radiation is generally believed to have enough energy to break the covalent bonds in DNA but actually most of the damage is due to the oxidative stress resulting in excessive free radicals. 

The type of EMF your cellphone emits is in the microwave 2- to 5-gigahertz range. In addition to your cellphone, electronics such as baby monitors, Bluetooth devices, cordless phones, smart thermostats, and Wi-Fi routers consistently emit microwave radiation at levels that may damage your mitochondria. 

Your Exposures to EMFs Are Going to Increase

It is important to take care of these exposures now as I am sure you have heard 5G is coming in spades. While you may be excited about the increased bandwidth and speedy internet access, this innovation comes with the handicap of radically increasing your EMF exposures.

As if it weren’t bad enough already that our exposure is over a billion billion times higher to these frequencies than it was a mere hundred years ago, it will get worse.

This is not a typo—that is a billion billion times or 10 with 15 zeros behind.  But it is getting worse and soon you will be able to add two more zeros after this already unimaginably high number. While 5G will be challenging to deploy in the rural areas, despite the nearly $10 billion dollars the FCC is targeting to help with this transition. To add to this burden you will soon be blanketed with 5G from above.

SpaceX has increased the number of satellites in its Starlink project to 42,000 which will be in low earth orbit constantly showering these frequencies over virtually the entire planet making avoidance nearly inescapable.

EMF Exposures Increase Cellular Oxidative Stress

Despite heavy lobbying from the wireless industry, even the conservative World Health Organization’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified cellphones as a class 2B carcinogen in 2011. 

However, more recent research from the National Toxicology Program (NTP) funded by the National Institutes of Health for $30 million showed very clearly in 2018 that it likely is actually a class I carcinogen just like X-rays.  

These studies were done on mice, and their entire bodies were exposed to the radiation—as opposed to the smaller exposures your cellphone would have on you—but what is important to note about this study is that the radiation sources were 2G and 3G, not the 4G you are using now or the impending 5G that nearly all of us will be regularly exposed to very shortly.

There are many theories as to how non-ionizing radiation causes biological damage. Martin Pall, Ph.D., has presented one of the most popular theories that involves activation of voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) that results in releasing calcium from outside the cell inside.  This causes a cascade of events that eventually results in the creation of a reactive nitrogen species (RNS) called peroxynitrite.

The peroxynitrite ultimately spins off a carbonate free radical that has a long half-life and can actually travel to the nucleus and damage your DNA. This is very similar to ionizing radiation that actually induces a hydroxyl free radical from the ionization of water that actually damages the DNA. See figure below:

This pathway of oxidative destruction triggered by low−frequency radiation emitted from mobile devices may partially explain the unprecedented growth rate of chronic disease since 1990. This, truly, is a far greater concern than brain tumors, when it comes to the hazards of cellphones. 

Peroxynitrites, Cellphones, and Spikes in Chronic Disease 

In addition to peroxynitrite-causing carbonate free radicals, once inside your body, peroxynitrites modify tyrosine molecules in proteins to create a new substance, nitrotyrosine and nitration of a structural protein.

These changes from nitration are visible in human biopsy of ALS, atherosclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, myocardial ischemia, and septic lung disease. 

Once you understand cellphones can contribute to these chronic diseases—not just brain tumors—you may be more motivated to limit your exposure. Although the top health threats continue to be cardiovascular disease, cancer and infections, the rates of increase noted for the following diseases and disorders are astounding. Some of them were not even public knowledge prior to 1980.

Are You Affected by One of These EMF-Related Health Problems?

Since biological damage from EMFs is triggered by activation of your VGCCs, it stands to reason that tissues with the highest densities of VGCCs are at greater risk of harm.

Your body tissues with the highest concentration of VGCCs (and most susceptible to damage from EMFs) include your…

• Brain
• Testes (for men)
• Nervous system
• Pacemaker of your heart resulting in arrhythmias 
• Retina

When VGCCs are activated in your brain, they release neurotransmitters and neuroendocrine hormones. Elevated VGCC activity in certain parts of your brain has been shown to produce a variety of neuropsychiatric effects. Among the most common consequences of chronic EMF exposure to your brain are:

• Alzheimer's
• Anxiety
• Autism (One of my longtime mentors Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt has linked autism in children to excessive EMF exposure during pregnancy.)
• Depression

While EMFs may not be the sole cause of heart problems, it is very likely a significant factor and one worthy of further investigation, especially if you are taking a heart medication. The most common heart issues that have been tied to EMF exposure include:

• Atrial fibrillation / atrial flutter
• Bradycardia (slow heartbeat)
• Cardiac arrhythmias (associated with sudden cardiac death)
• Heart palpitations
• Tachycardia (fast heartbeat)

EMFs Negatively Affect Reproduction

If you are a man, EMF exposure can increase your risk of infertility, especially if you routinely carry your cellphone in a pants pocket near your groin and/or use your laptop on your lap.

Studies have linked low-level electromagnetic radiation exposure from cellphones to an 8 percent reduction in sperm motility and a 9 percent reduction in sperm viability. 

Besides those associated with reproduction, you have a number of other sensitive organs in that general area, including your bladder, colon, kidneys, and liver—all of which are susceptible to damage from radiation. 

If you are a woman, your risk of breast cancer is higher if you regularly carry your cellphone in your bra. Generally, the most common location for breast cancer is the upper, outer quadrant. When the cancer is located in the upper, inner quadrant, however, if you’ve been carrying your phone in your bra, it's more likely to be related to cellphone radiation.  

Take Care of Your Cell Phone & Internet Privacy

The most important step you can take is to keep avoid ever putting your phone in your pocket or next to your body unless it is airplane mode.

Not only will this reduce your cellular damage, but it will also have the additional benefit of radically increasing your battery life.

While we are talking about your cellphone it is important to mention Google, the largest most powerful company in the history of the world that has the potential to eliminate your freedom.  It is a surveillance company that tracks your every move through your use of Google Search, Chrome, Gmail, the Android Operating system and Google Docs.  

I would strongly encourage you to eliminate these from your life and replace them with an alternate browser like Brave that will also block ads for you. The iPhone is far better for privacy as is Proton Mail for email. There are many alternative search engines that don’t spy on you, but one of the best is SwissCows as not only is it private, but it also doesn’t censor like many of the other privacy-oriented search engines.

One of the best things you can do is pay for a VPN service. I interviewed Dr. Robert Epstein who got his PhD in psychology from Harvard and was former chief editor of Psychology Today. He has done a courageous effort at exposing how truly evil Google is. You can listen to my nearly three-hour interview with him on my site, and if you have Amazon Prime you can watch the video The Creepy Line that exposes this Google threat more fully.

Other Ways to Reduce Your EMF Exposure

I have listed 11 basic steps below for you, but I have a far more comprehensive 25-page PDF that you can download from my site here.

Most of the information in the PDF in the above URL is from my new book, EMF’D, 5G Wifi, and Cell Phones: Hidden Harms and How to Protect Yourself that came out February 18, 2020.

1. Connect your desktop computer to the internet through a wired connection and be sure to put your desktop in airplane mode. Also avoid wireless keyboards, trackballs mice, game systems, printers, and house phones. Opt for the wired versions.
2. If you must use Wi-Fi, shut it off when not in use, especially at night when you are sleeping. Ideally, it is best to work toward hard-wiring your house so you can turn off the Wi-Fi at all times. If you have a notebook without any Ethernet ports it is easy to purchase a USB Ethernet adapter that will allow you to connect to the internet without a wireless connection.
3. Shut off the electricity to your bedroom at night. This typically works to reduce electrical fields from the wires in your wall unless there is an adjoining room next to your bedroom. If that is the case you will need to use a meter to determine if you also need to turn off power in the adjacent room.
4. Use a battery-powered clock, ideally one without any light. I use a talking clock that I merely press a button to determine the time and never see any light at night.
5. If you still use a microwave oven, consider replacing it with a steam convection oven, which will heat your food as quickly and far more safely. Next to induction stovetop burners, microwave ovens are likely the largest EMF polluters in your home.
6. Avoid using “smart” appliances and thermostats that depend on wireless signaling. This would include all new “smart” TVs. They are called smart because they emit a Wi-Fi signal and, unlike your computer, you are unable to shut the Wi-Fi signal off. Consider using a large computer monitor as your TV as they don’t emit Wi-Fi.
7. Refuse smart meters as long as you can or add a shield to an existing smart meter, some of which have been shown to reduce radiation by 98 to 99 percent.
8. Consider moving your baby’s bed into your room instead of using a baby monitor, or use a hard-wired monitor. In any case, avoid any baby monitor that is wireless. There are some wired options available.
9. Replace CFL bulbs with incandescent bulbs. Ideally, remove all fluorescent lights from your house. Not only do they emit unhealthy light but, more importantly, they will actually transfer current to your body just being close to the bulbs.
10. Avoid carrying your cellphone on your body unless it is in airplane mode, and never sleep with it in your bedroom unless it is in airplane mode (and especially not under your pillow). Even in airplane mode, it can emit signals, which is why I put my phone in a Faraday bag.
11. When using your cellphone, use the speakerphone and hold the phone at least 3 feet away from you. Seek to radically decrease your time on the cell phone. I probably am down to below 30 minutes a month on my cell, mostly when traveling. Instead, use VoIP software phones that you can use while connected to the internet via a wired connection.

While you may think the majority of your radiation exposure comes from outside your home, most of it is very likely coming from the items inside your home and the homes of your closest neighbors. Due to their proximity, particularly if you live in an apartment or condo, it may be worth your time to educate your neighbors about the dangers of wireless technology, including cordless phones, smart meters, and Wi-Fi.

Certain Nutrients May Help Protect Your Body From EMF Damage

While making changes to your physical environment is of the utmost importance, there are a few nutritional interventions you can consider to help protect your body from EMFs.

My recommendations include:

• Magnesium — As a natural calcium channel blocker, magnesium can help reduce the effects of EMF on your VGCCs. Since many are deficient in magnesium, I believe you could benefit from as much as 1 to 2 grams of magnesium per day.
• Molecular hydrogen — Studies have shown molecular hydrogen can mitigate about 80 percent of the damage caused by EMFs because it targets the free radicals produced in response to radiation, such as peroxynitrites. You can take molecular hydrogen tablets when flying to help protect yourself from gamma rays. It is one of several tips I shared on how to minimize jet lag.
• Nrf2 — Increasing Nrf2, which is a biological hormetic that upregulates superoxide dismutase, catalase, and all the other beneficial intercellular antioxidants, is also helpful, mainly because it lowers inflammation, improves your mitochondrial function and stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis, among other benefits. 

You can activate Nrf2 by consuming Nrf2-boosting food compounds such as sulforaphane from cruciferous vegetables, foods high in phenolic antioxidants, the long-chained omega-3 fats DHA and EPA, carotenoids (especially lycopene), sulfur compounds from allium vegetables, isothiocyanates from the cabbage group and terpenoid-rich foods. Performing high-intensity exercises that activate the NO signaling pathway—such as the NO dump exercise—activates Nrf2 and so does intermittent fasting. 

• Spices — Certain spices may help prevent or repair damage from peroxynitrites. Spices rich in phenolics, specifically cinnamon, cloves, ginger root, rosemary, and turmeric, have exhibited some protective effects against peroxynitrite-induced damage. 

Children Are at Greater Risk Than Adults From EMFs

Sadly, most of our youth have widely adopted the wireless revolution. Therefore, it is our responsibility to educate children of these dangers. Many kids now have cellphones and wireless tablets before the age of 5, and many children sleep with their phones near or under their pillows.

This exposes them to a far more serious health threat than their grandparents had when they were smoking as adolescents. 

The opportunity to experience greater mitochondrial damage over time is exponentially greater for children than it is for adults. Many kids today are growing up completely enveloped in technology. They carry cellphones at younger and younger ages, use computers and tablets beginning in the early school years, and play internet-based video games, to name just a few of their EMF-related activities. 

Depending on the habits of their parents, especially their mothers, many children were exposed to EMFs even before they were born. Particularly as it relates to cellphone use, EMF radiation penetration is deeper in kids than adults since their skulls are thinner. 

Regarding the use of cellphones within the pediatric population, Ronald Melnick, scientific adviser for the Environmental Health Trust, said, “The penetration of the cellphone radiation into the brain of a child is deeper and greater. Also, the developing nervous system of a child is potentially more susceptible to a damaging agent.” 

California's Environmental Health Investigations guidelines concur, saying: “EMFs can pass deeper into a child's brain than an adult's. The brain is still developing through the teen years, which may make children and teens more sensitive to EMF exposure.” It’s important to take precautions now to protect your children, especially because the damage done by EMF radiation can take years, and sometimes decades, to develop. 

While there is no reliable way to predict the long-term effects on children, one study, involving more than 13,000 mothers, revealed some sobering potential effects. Upon viewing these statistics, I hope you will take steps today to reduce your EMF exposure, both for the health of your child and your own well-being. As compared to children born of mothers who did not use cellphones during pregnancy, children born of mothers who did experienced a…

• 49% increase in behavioral problems
• 35% increase in hyperactivity 
• 34% increase in peer-related problems
• 25% increase in emotional issues

Summary

Ben here again. Have you put on your tinfoil hat, jumped into your bunker, and resolved to become a castaway from modern society yet? Yes, regularly being bombarded with EMFs is scary stuff, but the good news is that a lot of it is coming from your own home.

Why is this good news?

Because radiation emitting from your cellphone, computer, lighting, Wi-Fi, etc are all well within your control. While it’s nearly impossible to avoid EMF exposure completely, there are practical ways to limit it. To recap:

• Disconnect from Wi-Fi whenever possible.
• If you must use Wi-Fi, shut it off when not in use, especially at night when you are sleeping.
• Also avoid wireless keyboards, trackballs mice, game systems, printers, and house phones.
• Shut off the electricity to your bedroom at night. 
• If you still use a microwave oven, consider replacing it with a steam convection oven.
• Avoid using “smart” appliances and thermostats that depend on wireless signaling. 
• Refuse smart meters as long as you can or add a shield to an existing smart meter.
• Consider moving your baby’s bed into your room instead of using a baby monitor, or use a hard-wired monitor.
• Replace CFL bulbs with incandescent bulbs.
• Avoid carrying your cellphone on your body unless it is in airplane mode.
• When using your cellphone, use the speakerphone and hold the phone at least 3 feet away from you.

So that's it. For more on EMFs, check out any of the podcasts I talked about in the introduction, and be sure to check out Dr. Mercola's new book EMF*D: 5G, Wi-Fi & Cell Phones: Hidden Harms and How to Protect Yourself.

What about you? Have you noticed improvements in your health after taking steps to limit your EMF exposure? Leave your thoughts, comments, or questions below and myself or Dr. Mercola will respond.