ACTIVE LIVING

How Earth's Healing Negative Ions Can Neutralize Free Radicals and Melt Your Stress Away

Take time to venture out into the great outdoors and de-stress with the help of negative ions. The highest concentrations are found in natural, clean air, especially around flowing water.

By Mark Zuleger-Thyss

 

 

 

Maybe a bit woo-woo, wacky, and belonging in the same realm as crystals and magnet therapy – this is what some people might conclude hearing about negative ions.

But there is reliable Science behind the phenomenon.

  

 

Everyday stress can come from work, school, raising kids, marriage, family life – or being alone and single. And most often, these things happen all at once.

There are many benefits of mindfulness, eating healthy, massages and acupuncture, meditating, yoga, and deep breathing. But what if soothing away your stress was as easy as wandering around in nature and breathing in negative ions?

Find a forest and breath in nature. Take a walk along a river or near a lake. Negative ions are abundant, especially around waterfalls, near the ocean surf, and after a rainstorm.

Negative ions are oxygen ions that have an extra electron attached. They are produced through water molecules, which is why they are in such delightfully abundant supply near fresh, flowing water stores such as rivers, streams, oceans, and waterfalls.

Can simply getting out in the open air help you feel better?

Many research studies say the outdoors will do a body good. When did you last spent time outdoors for the pure pleasure of being "a lover of the great outdoors?"

 

 

 

 

 

  

Consider some of the generous benefits of leaving stress behind by immersing yourself in nature

The Outdoors will provide the Vitamin D you need

There's not a lot of vitamin D in the foods we eat, and the best way to get enough is to be exposed to the sun. This is not so hard in the summer, but winter will make it more challenging.

Get outside, even when it's cold. You'll feel better and improve your mood due to vitamin D.

 

Being Outside will strengthen your Immune System

Sickness usually comes from exposure to others in an indoor setting; the outside cold can do this, too. 

The outdoors will improve your immune system as you expose yourself to dirt and allergens. Venture outside more often, and your body will become better equipped to handle diseases. This is why it's good for your kids to play outside—it builds acquired immunity.

 

Being active Outdoors will produce Endorphins

There's nothing better than swinging in a hammock or sitting next to a campfire. But most of the things we do outdoors are active. Walking down the block, hiking in the mountains, swimming in a lake.

You produce endorphins that help you feel good when you move your body. Outdoor activity is the ultimate de-stressor.

 

 

  

The Outdoors and Exposure to Negative Ions will cut Stress and improve your Mood

Fresh air, sun, trees—nature is magical and can have strong healing powers, such as improving mood and stress. Relief can come within minutes of exposure to nature as measured by muscle tension, blood pressure, and brain activity.

Studies show walking in nature and simply looking at the flowers, foliage, and trees lowers your stress-related hormones, cortisol, and adrenaline. And this decreases your heart rate and lowers blood pressure.

Time spent in green spaces greatly increases endorphin levels and dopamine production, eases depression and anxiety, all of which promote happiness.

 

Negative Ions neutralize Free Radicals and revitalize Cell Metabolism

Negative ions donate electrons to neutralize free radicals and bring them to a stable state. They also increase oxygen flow to the brain, making you more alert, less tired, and more energetic.

 

They enhance Immune Function

Negative ions were discovered more than 100 years ago and are widely used for cleaning the air. 

A negative oxygen ion concentration exceeding 1000 ions/cm3 is considered the threshed value for fresh air, and to boost the human immune System, this level should be even higher.

 

Negative Ions can Purify your Blood 

Once they reach our bloodstream, negative ions are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy.

 

They balance the Autonomic Nervous System

The body's Autonomic Nervous System is responsible for respiration, digestion, elimination, blood pressure, heart rate, hormonal regulation, blood circulation, and the body's repair.

This System is also sometimes known as the Automatic Nervous System because it operates many tasks on its own without requiring any conscious thought from us. Negative ions relax the taut nerves, balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the Autonomic Nervous System. 

 

 

The Science underpinning Negative Ions 

Ions are invisible particles in the air – molecules or atoms- which bear an electric charge. Some particles are positively charged, and some are negatively charged.

In other words, positive ions are molecules that have lost one or more electrons, whereas negative ions are oxygen atoms with extra-negatively charged electrons.

Negative ions can clear the air of dust, pet dander, and cigarette smoke. They perform this feat by attaching themselves to positively charged particles in large numbers and negatively charging those particles.

The result is viruses, bacteria, and pollen spores become too heavy to remain airborne and are thus prevented from entering your breathing passage, where they can make you sick. 

 

Negative Ions exist in Nature in Countless Places

Negative ions are molecules floating in the air or atmosphere charged with electricity. Researchers have posited that exposure to negative ions can have positive effects due to ions' chemical reactions with your bodily tissues and DNA.

A short walk in the rain can result in an enormous change in your mood. Exposure to negative ions is palpable in the mountains, at the beach, or in a thunderstorm. It's not just a feeling of awe—maybe it's the negative ions doing what they do best, instilling calm and healing.

 

Negative Ions are found in these: 

• Ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun
• Discharges of electricity in the air after a thunderclap or lightning strike
• Wherever water collides with itself, like a waterfall or the ocean shore
• Produced as part of the expected growth process for many plants

  

 

Stress affects both your body and mind.

Taking the time to enjoy nature may help reduce some of that stress and help you feel better.

  

  

 

Summing Up Negative Ions in the Great Outdoors

Negative ions are everywhere in nature. And they have many demonstrated benefits.

You should not expect negative ions to make significant medical changes to your life. However, for your negative ion fix, take a trip to a cascading waterfall or romp around in a thunderstorm and savor the petrichor.

When negative ions are present at high concentrations, they clear the air of mold spores, pollen, pet dander, odors, cigarette smoke, bacteria, viruses, dust, and other hazardous airborne particles.

More and more people realize that a return to nature is needed in a world of technology, 5G, and Wi-Fi signals. All this technology is bombarding us day and night, both physically and psychologically, socially, and mentally.

The best remedy to counteract living as slaves to technology is a return to nature. The relief we experience from enjoying life in a natural setting is the best reward. We just feel better—and quickly, too.

Negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air, especially for sensitive people. If you feel refreshed when you open a window and breathe in pristine air, it's the negative ions at play.

  

Negative ions are present in the air we breathe and in our bodies. The degree to which negative ions contribute to overall well-being and health is scientifically proven.

 

 

 

 

 

Seek help from your doctor or a licensed clinical therapist if you can't seem to de-stress or if your symptoms of stress get worse.

 

 

  

 

© 2005 – 2023, Mark Zuleger-Thyss, Garden of Healing, LLC.

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