Fear, 5G, and EMFs: Dangerous?
Yes, some of them have the potential to be. It is pretty clear that overexposure to x-rays or even excessive UV light can have worrisome effects. But what about the gadgets we carry with us and the fancy laptops that allow my fingers to type out this post?
Since the 1950s, we have worried about the effects of “EMFs” on human health. Yet as of 2020, we still lack conclusive data to know what is safe and what isn’t. Where do we draw the line to protect ourselves from the unintended, cumulative consequences of certain types of exposures?
There are myriad messages warning against wifi and cell phones that often link to studies lacking significant results or with methodologies that fail to mimic every day life.
Lots of fear, not much clear data or direction on how to proceed.
Some doctors and researchers have gone so far as to relate the spread of COVID-19 to the deployment of 5G in those areas. Other doctors in the realm of chronic illness have made claims about the immunosuppressive and anti-metabolic effects of EMFS, especially from long-term and high power exposure, sharing statements of doom for any human living in this modern world.
As 5G continues to roll out, these experts warn that we’re screwed.
With so many exclamations to “beware!” fueling even more fear-based claims, “EMFs” is used as the blanket term to catch all potential causes of the deleterious effects that certain technologies might have on human health.
But, are EMFs really to blame for the rise in chronic disease, cancer, autism, and anxiety disorders? How concerned should we be? Should we be worried about 5G?
What the heck are EMFs anyway?
Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) can be described by electromagnetic radiation. All energy falls somewhere on this wide spectrum.
Radiation is literally everywhere on earth! Anything that needs a plug or uses a battery releases an EMF, including us! (Humans plug in to recharge, right?)
Radiation originates from an enormous variety of devices, including:
microwaves
cell phone towers
red light therapy devices
our lovely laptops
our own bodies
the blossoming spring flowers covering the earth we live on
the sun we so greatly appreciate and rely on for food production and normal metabolic health!
EMFs cover such a vast spectrum, ranging from the low frequencies of an AM tower or from the field produced by a severed nerve intending to repair itself, all the way to x-rays, gamma rays, and the massive field encompassed by a solar pulsar.
According to an electrical engineer that worked on developing 5G, electromagnetic fields allow life on earth to continue.
EMFs vary in their configuration (e.g. size, speed, wave length, power, pulse repetition, etc.), thus having varying capabilities, qualities, and effects on human and plant biology. [1]
Most claims circulating about the threat of EMFs use the term as a catch-all phrase to caution us against excessive exposure to wifi and cell phone use, with extra repulsion and concern thrown towards 5G.
Guard your gonads! Your cell phone might cause your sperm and eggs to shrivel up! 5G might give you cancer! Your wifi is making your joints ache!
Collectively, can we step back, calm down, and choose to be rational?
Can we slow down for just a small moment and look at the data?
Can we come back to a place of choosing to act wisely given the unknown and the uncertainty?
What is wifi?
WiFi and cell phones operate in the 2 to 5 GHz range, falling just below the microwave portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, possibly explaining why cell phones and wifi get lumped into the same EMF category. The broadcasting of TV programs operates within this range. The fields produced by these devices aren’t nearly as high a frequency as visible light, which rests just below UV light on the EMF scale. 5G operates in the 600-700 MHz, 3-4 GHz, 26-28 GHz and 38-42 GHz range.
According to Dr. Klinghardt, a specialist in chronic Lyme and other difficult to treat diseases, “the body, on its own, is using ranges between 2 billion and 20 billion hertz for the communication systems inside of us. And so the 2.4 gigahertz (associated with cell phones) already has interfered with that. And the 5G, certainly, is absolutely guaranteed, will disrupt many of our internal communication systems in our body, which spells chronic illness, chronic fatigue, insomnia, autism in children. Children don’t get a chance to develop normal brains in that environment.” [5]
Is this true? How do we know for sure?
Right now, the majority of studies I’ve sifted through seem inconclusive, lack statistical significance, have major confounding variables, or use frequencies at intensities and time intervals that do not match the scope of their claims or what we experience in “real life.”
Of course, no one is recommending you hangout next to a power-line while you do your morning yoga or use your microwave with its door open, but how do we know when our “normal” modern living is no longer considered a safe zone?
Interestingly, there is a documented nocebo effect from EMF fields: Sensitive people expect to be harmed and therefore mount a stress response even when they aren’t actually exposed to any frequency [2,3]. The power of expectations and their magic-like ability to impact our physiology is REAL.
Despite a growing body of literature, the effects of cumulative low level radiation, such as daily cell phone use and streaming Netflix onto our computers, are still unknown. The potentially damaging effects of 5G and other higher frequency radiation are also largely unknown.
A meta-analysis led by researchers at the University of Exeter, U.K. looked at cell-phone usage and their impact on fertility:
Some studies show a drop in sperm count, urging us to think twice before storing our cell-phones so close to our private parts. Yet, these same studies did not show statistically significant drops in sperm counts or in fertility. The global drop in sperm count may in fact be due to other factors, such as increased exposure to glyphosate, eating copious amounts of estrogen-rich tofu and beer, more frequent vaccination schedules, or even tighter pants and more stressful workouts that keep the genitals overheated for long amounts of time.
Other studies suggest that just sitting within three feet of our internet router or using our cellphones to make calls significantly impairs thyroid function, thus lowering immunity and significantly compromising our health:
“We found there was a significant correlation between total radiation exposure and an increase in TSH among both groups –in those with and without family history of thyroid illness”[4].
Yet, what else is going on here?
Could it also be that those subjecting themselves to long phone calls are doing so out of loneliness and these feelings of isolation are stressing the body?
Do they have other underlying conditions or harmful lifestyle practices on top of excessive cell phone use?
Is there an undiscussed stressor that is actually at cause for suppressing thyroid function?
Could these same people also be spending more time around artificial blue light, eating difficult to digest, thyroid-suppressing foods, and running on treadmills (which we know can suppress thyroid function), WHILE they’re using their phones?
It is difficult to say. More research is desperately needed!
Although no conclusive evidence has been produced, some experts, like Dr. George Carlo, former chief scientist of the cell phone industry’s $28 million safety research project, believes we could be on the verge of a major health crisis. Other experts urge us to seek protection, citing mouse and rat studies showing links to cancer and as a cause of oxidative stress.
So, if the threat is unknown and wildly under-researched, what can we do about it? Who do we trust?
Again, there isn’t enough research to determine whether certain amounts of exposure are safe or if at a specific exposure threshold, the demons of retroviruses, auto-immunity, autism, and cancer activate within us! That being said, I think it’s wise to move forward with caution and reclaiming our power by choosing not to give into fear-based claims before looking at the studies.
In order to air on the side of caution and to honor the unknowns, I’d kindly recommend considering a few things:
Don’t be alarmed, be informed! Question the studies! Get a hold of the studies that are cited to see what methodologies the researchers use. Are the findings statistically significant? Are there confounding variables? If mice are getting brain cancer after being microwaved for a week in a dark lab while being fed GMO corn syrup and moldy pellets and the study is then (dishonestly) used as evidence of cell-phones damaging effects, is this really an accurate representation of data? Does it still apply to us humanoids?
When using your cell-phone, opt for using it on speaker phone or with headphones instead of holding it right against your head or in your pocket. When not in use, put it in airplane mode. This simple act significantly lowers exposure levels.
Before going to bed or when not in use, simply switch your wifi router off and put your cell phone on airplane mode. Celebrate life by spending more time on work and hobbies that don’t rely on using your devices. (Your partner/pup/cells/future-self will thank you!)
Get outside, away from cell-phone towers and leave your phone at home! The benefits of forest bathing for overall health and mental well-being are well documented. Perhaps getting away from wifi for short periods of time can lower the overall accumulation of radiation and therefore, limit any unknown and undesired consequences that might take place at a certain threshold of exposure. The benefit of moving your body in nature will also help to dissolve stress and remind you to slow down in the midst of your fast-paced life.
Relax and save your money! There are countless, sometimes very expensive products out there claiming to block EMFs. Some of these fancy tools actually increase the power output of the device as it attempts to find a now muffled connection. I’m guilty of falling for some of these EMF shields as I unknowingly blasted myself even more than necessary. This same phenomena takes place when trying to place a call or connect to wifi in a parking garage or even while riding in an elevator. By limiting your phone usage in these environments, you’re taking steps to limit unnecessary exposure.
Focus on what you can control. Wifi and radio frequencies are largely unavoidable in our modern world. Instead of moving into the woods and living in a tent (welcoming in a whole new layer of challenges!) be mindful of your exposures and limit them when you can. Trust that your body is strong enough to handle the unknowns and do your best to avoid unnecessary or excessive exposure.
While staying informed and following research can allow us to settle, planting seeds of fear with the hope that it will support us seems like absolute absurdity! We know that the best way to suppress the immune system is stress of any and all kinds. Yet, we also know that the best way to boost the immune system is relaxation and slowing down so that your body can focus on repair, immune function, and normal respiration.
With the spread of coronavirus, the upcoming election, and the seeds of fear relating to 5G, chaos and anxiety are successfully seeping through the globe. Let information and knowledge soothe and empower you towards relaxation, remembering how robust your body and immune system really is when you let it relax and handle the stressor at hand. You are safe! Your body is capable!
[1]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4769733/
[2]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16304699,
[3]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1552030/
