Invisible Dangers Inside Every Home

Don’t let electropollution—the newest toxin—zap you and your family.

An array of seemingly unrelated symptoms—acid reflux, ADHD, anxiety, asthma, blood sugar surges, blurred vision, changes in blood pressure, chills, chronic fatigue, circulation problems in the extremities, depression, dizziness, fibromyalgia, hearing loss, heart palpitations, insomnia, muscle weakness, shortness of breath, and even seizures—have been linked to exposure 24/7 from all those gadgets that make life easier for us.

“Modern society continuously exposes the population to electromagnetic radiation, the effects of which on human health—in particular reproduction—are still unknown,” write Italian scientists in a new study. Their findings? Even extremely low frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) significantly reduce fertility in animals.

That’s just the tip of the iceberg—electrically speaking. Environmental exposure to electropollution from faulty wiring, high-frequency broadcast waves, power surges, and those barrel-shaped transformers on power lines contribute to electropollution—as much as air conditioners, cell phones, computers, microwaves, PDAs, TVs, stereos, and wi-fi all contribute to auto-immune problems (including cancer), multiple sclerosis (MS), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and miscarriage.

Dr. Ann Louise’s Take:

I’ve been writing about the dangers of EMFs for over a decade, researching this problem to discover the invisible cause of all those unrelated health problems my clients—and I myself—have been mysteriously experiencing.

Unfortunately, few healthcare professionals have a clue about electropollution. Europeans are far more concerned about this problem than Americans, and one recent study shows that a third of German physicians associate EMFs with patients’ health complaints.

Further complicating things, environmental toxins—increasingly prevalent in today’s world—increase the risks from electropollution. Combined exposure to endocrine-disrupting atrazine and to EMFs significantly increases the number of mast cells, which are involved in auto-immune problems like allergies, in young animals in recent research.

And several studies show that people watching television have an increase in mast cells. Even fluorescent lights (including those new low-energy bulbs) can cause problems for certain individuals.

What Makes Electricity The Newest Pollutant?
Researchers now tell us that the US electrical grid is polluted by invisible “dirt”— high- and mid-frequency signals—that may be responsible not only for damaged machinery but also a host of physical symptoms (ranging from headaches and joint pain to memory loss and seizures) in people.

Our electrical system was designed for light bulbs and motors—not widescreen plasma TVs and computers in every home. Most electronic equipment plus air conditioners and refrigerators—anything with a thermostat—create a power surge every time they turn on. Arcing—itself a power surge from faulty wiring or even a tree limb brushing against electrical wires outside your home—is yet another way electricity can turn “dirty.”

While you probably have your computer and other delicate electronic devices plugged into a surge protector, there’s no such device to keep you or your family safe from dirty electricity! But there are numerous ways you can keep your home from becoming an EMF version of the Amityville horror.

· Don’t microwave if you can help it. Microwaves levels within the kitchen can be significantly higher than those from nearby cell towers—and EMFs travel through inside walls, affecting anyone on the other side.

· Cordless phones emit almost as many EMFs as cell phones and microwaves. Use a corded phone whenever possible.

· Electric blankets and waterbed heaters have been linked to miscarriages. If you use one, turn it off before getting into bed.

· Whenever possible, replace electrical gadgets—egg beaters and mixers, knives, pencil sharpeners—with hand-powered devices. Because hair dryers emit EMFs, invest in a wall dryer that uses a flexible hose.

· To prevent the risk of arcing, replace light switches that are old, poorly made, or worn. Also remove dimmer switches, which emit broad frequency radiation, or at least use them on “high” or “low” instead of the middle range.

· Have a certified electrician check for electric code violations, loose connections that may cause arcing, and neutral wiring whose insulation has been pinched. Better yet, consider consultation with a certified EMF safety advisor at www.buildingbiology.net.

Recently, a certified EMF remediator surveyed our home—only to find that my body voltage in the master bedroom rated “extreme concern” —no wonder I kept waking up throughout the night, sometimes with heart palpitations! Apparently a power line outside the house was creating stray voltage that entered our home—causing silent and invisible health risks.

Since we all need 8 or more hours of sleep, bedrooms are primary areas to check for EMFs. Removing all electronic devices (even clock radios) and unplugging all electrical devices before sleep can make a difference there.

Nutritional Support
Calcitrol, the active form of vitamin D3, combats low-level background radiation in the home. This form of D helps facilitate cellular communication, which is interrupted by EMFs, and also activates a healthy immune response, which can be tamped down by exposure to “dirty electricity.” Take 3 capsules (twice daily) of Female Multiple or Male Multiple. I’ve recently increased the daily dose to 1000 IUs of this form of D in both of these multis—along with EMF-protective antioxidants and minerals.

Because electropollution can seriously reduce the body’s production of melatonin (the antioxidant-like hormone linked to cancer protection), I recommend taking 3 to 15 mg daily, preferably in a time-released formula. Unlike other antioxidants, melatonin is able to cross the blood-brain barrier—meaning that it can actually breach the membrane designed to prevent toxins from entering your brain—and has been found twice as effective at preventing free radical damage to cell membranes (one of the prime targets of EMFs) as vitamin E.