Negative ions
Negative air ions and Positive air ions
Negative ions are odorless, tasteless, and invisible molecules that we inhale in abundance in certain environments. Think mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. 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.
Both positive and negative ions occur naturally in the air. However, the environment we live in today has far more sources of positive ions (also called “free radicals”) than in the past, creating an electrical imbalance in the air and our bodies. Free radicals are atoms, molecules, or ions with unpaired electrons, highly reactive; they “steal” electrons from healthy cells to neutralize their own charge, causing cellular damage. Our modern world is overcome with positive ions and severe air pollution. Void of negative ions, our health is adversely affected, our moods are altered from our natural ‘high’ to increased levels of stress and other health issues from depression, insomnia, and fatigue. In short, while the ocean is reported to contain tens of thousands of negative ions, an average home or office building, may contain a few hundred or sometimes none.
“Sick building syndrome” is more common today than it was 20 years ago. Most homes and offices are built air tight and when the heating or air conditioner is running, this causes friction which depletes the negative ions. Positive ions can be produced by: a discharge of voltage in high-voltage networks, heating and air-conditioning systems, TVs, radios, transmitters, radar systems, computers, exhausts and cigarette fumes, smog, radiation and harmful chemicals and toxins. No wonder people spending too much time indoors suffer from headaches, poor concentration, allergies, and depression.
Their affect on human beings
Have you ever stopped to think just why you feel so good walking in the woods, on a beach or near a river, breathing the fresh air in the mountains, or perhaps just breathing the fresh air after it rains?
Why is this? The human body’s magnetic field is made up of both positive and negative ions. Over-exposure to positive ions – caused by electrical equipment such as computers and mobile phones – can affect our magnetic field and drain energy, making us feel tired and lethargic. However, water in motion produces abundant negative ions, bringing more energy and vitality.
How to get them?
One very simple way to get one’s fill of negative ions (as well as daily exercise) is by walking briskly along the beach while swinging both arms and taking in big breaths of the sea’s healing air.
In fact, every home has a built in natural ionizer – the shower.
Science 101
Ions are molecules that have gained or lost an electrical charge. . They are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, and moving air and water. You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall. While part of the euphoria is simply being around these wondrous settings and away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions – Much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero.
The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions and we also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods.
Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy.
“They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation.”
And for a whopping one in three of us who are sensitive to their effects, negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air. You are one of them if you feel instantly refreshed the moment you open a window and breathe in fresh, humid air.
You may be one of them if you feel sleepy when you are around an air-conditioner, but feel immediately refreshed and invigorated when you step outside or roll down the car window. Air conditioning depletes the atmosphere of negative ions, but an ion generator re-releases the ions that air conditioners remove.
Negative-ion generators being sold in the market
Stay away from them.
Output levels are not … specified in a way that could advise antidepressant dose.
References
- https://www.huffpost.com/entry/how-negative-ions-produce-positive-vibes_b_5a2eca7fe4b00be52e9d4ae2
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6213340/
- https://www.google.com/search?q=Negative+Ions&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
- https://www.teqoya.com/benefits-of-negative-ion/#:~:text=If%20the%20atom%20is%20neutral,to%20form%20the%20O2%2D.
- https://www.webmd.com/balance/features/negative-ions-create-positive-vibes