Electromagnetic Fields

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.^13,14

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.

EMFs and Cancer

Studies on cancer have also been blocked by the industry in a number of ways, including preventing researchers from obtaining real-world data on cellphone usage. Obviously, people who use their cellphones the most are at greatest risk. While not at the top of the list of concerns associated with EMF exposure, cancer is yet another potential consequence of mitochondrial damage.

Women who carry their cellphones in their bra, for example, risk cancer in the upper inner quadrant of the breast, which is very atypical and not the usual upper outer quadrant.

Brain cancer is another possibility from extended cellphone use if you keep the phone to your ear. That said, emphasizing the cancer risk is likely counterproductive, as most people use cellphones and those who develop brain cancer are few and far in between. The problem is brain cancer has a latency period of a decade or more. Arrhythmias, autism, anxiety and Alzheimer’s, on the other hand, are extremely prevalent these days, and we now have a mechanism that explains how EMF contributes to all of them.

So, even though two U.S. senators likely got brain cancer from cell phones (Ted Kennedy and John McCain), it’s important to understand that cellphone dangers are not just about brain cancer. It’s all these other problems as well, including infertility. “In my judgment, cancer is down around No. 4 or No. 5 on the list of my concerns. It’s not that cancer is not important. It’s very important. We’re just looking right now at the early stages because of long latencies,” Pall says.

What Is More Dangerous, Cellphones or X-Rays?

If you are like most, the answer is obvious: X-rays. That is because you have been convinced by the deceptive lies of the telecommunications industry that have lobbied the government to reinforce this delusional myth. The reality is that there is compelling evidence showing cellphones are more dangerous than X-rays — by several orders of magnitude.

Some of the best evidence comes from a German study (headed by professor Franz Adlkofer), in which the effects of ionizing radiation equivalent to 1,600 chest X-rays were compared to 24 hours on a cellphone. Surprisingly, they found both produced roughly equivalent amounts of DNA breaks in in-vitro assays. According to Pall, this actually vastly underestimates the effects of cellphones, because they used a continuous wave EMF, not pulsed.

There’s extensive evidence showing pulsed EMFs are far more damaging than continuous wave EMFs. That’s important for a number of reasons, including the fact that all wireless communication devices communicate by pulsations. In another paper, the group showed that when you use pulsations designed to be similar to the pulsation from a real cellphone, damage occurred at far lower intensities.

“This raises the question, ‘How can this possibly happen?’ I think the answer comes from the kind of diagram I’ve published, which is how EMFs produce free radicals,” Pall says. “Both ionizing radiation and the microwave frequency EMFs produce DNA damage through free radicals. They’re similar in that way. Where you get the free radicals is through the peroxynitriate pathway.

It turns out that when you go from EMFs to the free radicals on that pathway, there are three steps that involve high levels of amplification. One of them is when you open up the channels, you get about a million calcium ions flowing in per second. The second is that you get increases in NO and superoxide.

Those, in effect, will be the calcium acting catalytically, because once it’s in the cell, as long as it’s elevated, you keep getting more and more [NO and superoxide]. And then those two react with each other to form peroxynitrite. The reaction rates are the product of the two concentrations. So you have three levels of amplification. If you have three levels of amplification, you get a hell of a response to a very small stressor.”

Ways to Reduce Your EMF Exposure

Below are some tips to reduce your EMF exposure:

• Connect your desktop computer to the internet via 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.
• 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 hardwiring 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 percent¹⁵
• Considering 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• When using your cellphone, use the speaker phone and hold the phone at least 3 feet away from you. Seek to radically decrease your time on the cellphone. 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:

Children at Greater Risk Than Adults From EMFs

Sadly, most of our youth have widely adopted the wireless revolution and it is your responsibility to teach your children these dangers. Many kids have cellphones and wireless tablets before the age of 5 and many children sleep with their phones on or under their pillows. This is exposing 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 L. 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.”¹⁸

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.”¹⁹ 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:²⁰

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

During the 2013 discussion “Cell Phones & Wi-Fi — Are Children, Fetuses and Fertility at Risk?,” leading experts from top universities further reported:¹⁰

“There is a direct relationship between duration of cell phone use and sperm count decline. Sperm count is reduced by half in men who carry cell phones in their pants pockets for four hours per day. The motility of the sperm is also impaired.

The testicular barrier, that protects sperm, is the most sensitive of tissues in the body, and is 100x more absorbent. Besides sperm count and function, the mitochondrial DNA of sperm are damaged 3x more if exposed to cell phone radiation.

… DNA mutations have been linked more to damage on the male side in research from Iceland, the assumption being that male sperm is more vulnerable than female eggs, which are more protected. Mutations increase with the age of the father, and more autism and schizophrenia increase with the age of the father.”

Take-Away Message

I (Dr. Mercola) personally believe EMF exposure may be one of the most significant factors for the observed decrease in male sperm count, and the increased prevalence of anxiety, depression, autism and Alzheimer’s. It is also highly likely a contributing factor to cancer.

While not widely publicized, in May 2011, the cancer research arm of the World Health Organization, the International Agency for Research on Cancer, classified radiofrequency EMF — such as the radiation from cellphones — a class 2B carcinogen, meaning it is possibly carcinogenic to humans.¹²

Pall has made a significant contribution to public welfare with his discovery of how EMFs cause biological harm, and it would be wise to take notice. I personally believe he deserves a Nobel Prize for his contribution to the science.

Again, the damage is not done through heat or ionizing radiation; it’s done by activating your VGCCs, thereby triggering a chain-reaction that produces excessive amounts of ROS, peroxynitrites and hydroxyl free radicals — the most destructive free radicals known to man, as well as through excessive calcium signaling.

Hydroxyl free radicals decimate mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, their membranes and proteins. Too much calcium in the mitochondria can also impact their function. The end result is mitochondrial dysfunction, which we now know is at the heart of most chronic disease. Since your brain, the pacemaker in your heart and male testes have the highest densities of VGCCs, these areas are the most prone to damage when exposed to EMFs.

What this research tells us is that excessive microwave exposure can be a direct contributor to conditions such as Alzheimer’s, anxiety, depression, autism, cardiac arrhythmias and infertility.¹³ So, if you care about your heart, brain and reproductive health, avoid carrying your cellphone in your pocket or on your hip, avoid using portable computers and tablets on your lap and take measures to limit or eliminate as many unnecessary EMF sources as you can, in your home and at work.

The Use of EMF Filters for Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity

In this interview, Magda Havas, Ph.D., discusses the benefits of electromagnetic field (EMF) filters. These devices are particularly important for those who are electrosensitive.

Most people just don’t want to believe EMFs are problematic because electricity and electric, wireless devices are so incredibly convenient and provide us with many logistical benefits. Most public health authorities also insist EMFs are safe. I was initially a skeptic myself, as was Havas.

I intellectually acknowledged there might be cause for concern, but I thought I could simply sidestep any danger by living a healthy lifestyle. Then, about a year and a half ago, I attended a presentation by Havas and Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, which served as a powerful catalyst for changing my views — to the point I started taking aggressive steps to remediate and lower my exposure to EMFs.

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