Are You Stumped by Strange Symptoms?

October 13, 2010
Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS

Award-winning nutritionist and New York Times bestselling author.

200401077-001You may be electrosensitive, and zap-proof supplements can help.

Agitation, brain fog, dizziness, headaches, inability to concentrate, nervousness, a racing pulse, ringing in your ears, sensitivity to light, skin problems, tingling in your limbs, trouble getting your work done, unrelenting fatigue, waking up repeatedly during the night—do you experience any of these seemingly unrelated symptoms?

One normally healthy New York suburbanite began noticing odd symptoms several months after her power company installed new digital electric and gas meters at her home. “I felt as if I were becoming unhinged,” she says, describing her body as being “weighed down by exhaustion.” She also began suffering heart palpitations, buzzing sounds in her ears, and interrupted sleep. Her husband’s blood pressure rose to the point where he was prescribed medicine, and her son became agitated too.

Emissions from antennae, cell and cordless phones, digital devices, electrical appliances and wiring, power lines, satellite TV, and WiFi—electromagnetic fields (EMFs)—are increasingly linked to these and other mysterious symptoms. The very innovations that make our lives more efficient are also exposing us, in ways both large and small, to an unprecedented number of EMFs, interrupting our bodies’ natural flow of energy.

“We’re surrounded,” says a San Francisco woman who developed dizziness, insomnia, headaches, and a racing pulse after the power company installed a wireless SmartMeter to measure electricity use in her apartment building. “People are going to get sick. There’s a lot of people out there,” she adds, “who are feeling the same way I do, and they have no idea why.”

Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:

Sadly, she’s absolutely right! During the last decade in my clinical practice, I’ve been noticing a strange constellation of symptoms in my clients—symptoms that defy diagnosis and resist even the most tailor-made diets, evidence-based supplementation plans, state-of-the-art exercise programs, and significant lifestyle changes. I even experienced some of these odd symptoms myself.

In 2005 I was diagnosed with a (thankfully) benign tumor of the parotid, one of the salivary glands located just below the earlobe. Why I got it was a mystery that puzzled even my doctor. It’s a very rare tumor, most often caused by radiation exposure. I didn’t live near a nuclear power plant, I hadn’t been exposed to an inordinate number of medical x-rays or other screening tests, and hadn’t even been near a CAT scanner or MRI machine.

I had, however, been tethered to my cell phone and computer while writing a number of books and promoting them on the road. My parotid tumor turned out to be one of several kinds linked to cell phones.

Like the women in New York and San Francisco, I had developed electrosensitivity syndrome, a kind of digital allergy. And like my clients, my symptoms quickly improved, if they didn’t completely disappear, once I limited my exposure to EMFs from all our digital gadgets and wireless technology.

“Some people may be more sensitive than others,” explains Joel Moskowitz, PhD, director, Center for Family and Community Health, UC Berkeley. Some individuals may experience no symptoms, while “for other people, it’s possible that EMF exposure could be disabling.”

My research into my own and my clients’ strange problems led to my latest book, Zapped, which is filled with ways to limit our exposure to this kind of electropollution, as well as true stories from other “canaries in the coalmine.” The good news is we can be healthier, happier, and regain peace of mind.

Zap-Proof Your Health
In addition to lots of tips on lowering your exposure, Zapped includes a number of EMF-protective supplements. For example, new laboratory research finds caffeic acid, a component of propolis (the resin bees make to protect their hives from pathogens and molds), helps protect human cells against EMFs.

Animal studies also show that propolis prevents free radical damage when rats are exposed to cell phone emissions for 30 minutes a day for 10 days. The animals not given propolis produced less glutathione (a potent antioxidant) and SOD (a powerful anti-inflammatory)—particularly in their hearts.

I especially like Dr. Ohhira’s Propolis PLUS, with highly potent Brazilian green propolis—the gold standard for this antioxidant bee resin. Besides the antioxidants astaxanthin and vitamin E, Propolis PLUS contains probiotics to support healthy immunity and fight inflammation. Take 3 capsules (one in the morning, another midday, and the last at bedtime) every day for three weeks, then refrain for a week. If needed, repeat this dosage regimen or take as advised by a health care provider. Children under 6 years of age can take one capsule at bedtime.

EMFs cause oxidative stress within the body—24/7—and because the body’s normal detoxification processes don’t work effectively against the all-too-prevalent toxin, consider taking two to four tablets of Oxi-Key daily. This zap-proof supplement provides sulfur-rich amino acids that open up the body’s detox pathways. Oxi-Key contains 5,500 units of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant SOD, which helps reduce tissue injury from radiation.

Sources:
Zapped: Why Your Cell Phone Shouldn’t Be Your Alarm Clock and 1,268 Ways to Outsmart the Hazards of Electronic Pollution
http://articles.sfgate.com/2010-04-28/opinion/20877701_1_tumor-risk-cell-phones-brain-tumors
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20886251
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20836997
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/09/12/MN3C1FA2JU.DTL

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Ann Louise Gittleman, PhD, CNS, is an award-winning New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty books including The Fat Flush Plan series and her latest book, Radical Metabolism. She’s been rewriting the rules of nutrition for more than 40 years and is internationally recognized as a pioneer in the field of diet, detox and women’s health issues. 

For a FREE daily dose of tips and strategies for maintaining healthy weight, conquering insomnia, and much more…check out my Radical Health Tips.

I’d like to meet and greet you on my Facebook groups, so won’t you check us out at the Radical Metabolism Revolution, Fat Flush Nation, or my Inner Circle!

7 Comments

  1. Gina

    Would eating honey have a similar benefit?

    Are there foods that would help as well?

    Money is quite dear at the moment, perhaps this is true for others here? Is there something in our own cupboards that would work just as well? Or an inexpensive item to block the radiation from the new elect meters? I too have felt dizzy just after it was installed yesterday.

    Could you please reply?

    Reply
  2. Anyssa

    I found your article very interesting. A few months ago while using my cell phone in a Target, I had the wierdest encounter. As I was ending my call I had a static sound eminate through my ear like a bug buzzing around it. When I moved the phone away from my face the sound diminished but as I moved it closer it sounded like a transmission from a radio tower. I had to rub my ear vigorously for it to stop and then all of a sudden it went away. Can this be a form of Zapped you are speaking of? Can this have any effect on losing weight or cause an imbalance in hormones? Since that occurence Ive been very lethargic, have trouble maintaining my weight and have increased inflammation in my legs that I never had before. Do you feel I am a candidate to try the regimine you propose in addition to my daily gluten free routine? I take Green Vibrance supplementation in the am so I am worried about any counteraction with the probiotics in this product. Thank you very much.

    Reply
  3. administrator

    Hello All: ZAPPED contains lots of easy to find spices, seasonings, and foods – as well as supplements – that can help protect against EMFs. Please pick up a copy through Amazon as all of your questions will be answered in detail. The section on Electronic Feng Shui will help you immensely 🙂 Good luck and its time to embrace the Zap-proof lifestyle.

    Reply
  4. EJ

    I love the idea of being able to take a supplement like Propolis to help with EMF exposure. After I’ve taken my D3, Melatonin, Magnesium, Probiotic and Fish oil, there is no money left for yet another supplement. It’s great that we are getting all this information that helps us take our health into our own hands, but who except the ultra-elite can afford to live this way? Maybe that’s the plan. Survival of the richest? Supplement manufacturers and holistic health care providers need to consider what they are producing and recommending and find a more economical solution that can benefit all across socio-ecomonic lines.

    Reply
  5. Liz

    “Zapped” has hundreds of preventative suggestions that are free or low cost to implement. It’s not just about supplements. Sounds like you are already taking some good ones though..

    Reply
  6. Emily

    Hello

    Reply
  7. Emily

    Hello~ I am waiting for my copy from the library, but wanted to share another book that helps you handle electric stress ~ Book is : “Earthing.”

    In it they highly rec. that we walk barefoot on the earth for 20 min. a day. I have been doing it and I have to say I feel more grounded and less cloudy.
    I am very sensitive to electric toxic stress.

    I do agree with some of the posters here~ you truly have to get another job to pay for rebalancing the imbalance all this toxic technology is sending our way.
    Also ~ beware of where your bed is in relation to fridge’s and freezers, as this major compressor like your cordless base have their toxic energy penetrate walls and ceilings. I was sleeping above my fridge and wasn’t sleeping well at all.
    After reading this, moved my bed and am sleeping much deeper.

    WHOEVER INVENTS A WAY TO KEEP THE TOXIC RADIATION FROM EMITTING OUT OF THESE APPLIANCES AND COMPUTERS ETC.
    IS GOING TO BE A BILLIONAIRE! THE QUESTION IS WHEN IS IT GOING TO HAPPEN?!!!!!!!!! WE’RE ON THE MOON BUT ARE RADIATING OURSELVES INTO TUMORLAND!

    Reply

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