|
Based on my colleague's recommendation, and my curiosity, I have tried some of the products personally, and have found benefits on physical ailments, as well as emotional and athletic benefits. At this point, I had decided to look further into the explanation behind the miracle benefits.
Staying healthy and youthful - beyond exercise and nutrition
Dr. Zane Kime, M.D., in his book "Sunlight" holds up the findings that sunlight exposure is similar to physical exercise in its effects on the body, as it improves the balance of blood pressure, blood sugar, and an increase in oxygen in the cells, muscle strength, vitality and mental stability. Natural spectrums of light found in sunlight, for example, are essential for bone growth as well as preventing osteoporosis, regulating hormonal functions as well as immune functions. It has occurred to me that light may be a great help to patients who cannot exercise, because of health reasons, age, or lifestyle inhibitions.
The Anti-Aging Factor
As we age, we all experience a shift in our hormones, and researchers now feel this change is responsible for many of the maladies we associate with aging, such as menopause, sleeplessness, fatigue, arteriosclerosis, and others. In his research in Pennsylvania at the Thomas Jefferson Medical School, Dr. George Brainard has stated that light affects the hormonal balance of the body, in levels of melatonin, prolactin, cortisone, testosterone, TS4, LH, FSH, T3, and thyroid hormones. John Ott, a modern pioneer in this subject, attributes these affects to a process similar to the photosynthesis process in plants. In this process, light is converted by the body into electrochemical impulses that are sent to the pineal and pituitary glands, which send the hormones through the body's central nervous system to all the cells of the body. The hormones affected through this process and the functioning of these glands are the growth hormone, thyroid hormone(TSH), adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), prolactin, oxytoxin, melanocyte stimulating hormone (MSH), and anti-diuretic hormone. Therefore, light is essential to the functioning of our entire endocrine system. As hormone replacement has mixed results at times, it is possible that in the future, doctors will prescribe light for therapy, in forms such as the BodySpark wraps.
Common problems associated with lifestyle and aging, such as hypertension and osteoporosis, headaches and digestive problems, are attributed by some scientists to be the result of excess acidity in our system. The American Medical Journal found that in patients with bone loss, alkalizing their system caused a decrease in bone loss. Their conclusion was that our typical American diet is acid-producing. The acids deposited in our blood are often stored by the body in forms of cholesterol, fatty acid, uric acid, and other villains that cause havoc in our system. Sang Whang, the author of "Reverse Aging" claims that these excess acids can be eliminated with the use of far infrared products, along with consuming certain alkaline minerals and foods. The far infrared resonance heats up the internal temperature of the body, increasing circulation, thus enabling the blood to melt out the acidic toxins that have been deposited for years in one's arteries. A study done on carotid artery buildup showed an increase in blood flow within the artery after two nights of the subject sleeping on the BodySpark mattress, for an average of 10 hours a night. As a doctor, I cannot recommend the wraps, as they are not FDA approved in this country as therapies for these particular maladies. However, if I were personally a sufferer of hypertension, or chronic arthritis, or any systemic problem, I would use the BodySpark mattress or wraps for my own health.
Negative Ions
The other element contained within the BodySpark technology that I investigated was the negative ions that were claimed to increase with the use of it. Nature's "life enhancing particles", negative ions, are molecules with an extra electron, discovered in 1899 by two scientists named Elster and Geitel. Mice live longer in certain cases when exposed to negative ions. They have been linked to killing germs, and preventing infections. Dr. Igho Hart Kornblueh, a physician, found that patients recovered 57% faster from surgery when exposed to large doses of negative ions. It has also been found that negative ions seem to help with allergies, migraines, and sinus problems.
Although negative ions are plentiful in nature (occurring at almost twice the amount near the ocean or waterfalls as normal), our environment is sadly lacking these energetic boosters. Dr. William Rea, Chief of surgery at Brookhaven Medical Center in Texas, states that "Most houses don't breathe like they used to". Steel and concrete absorb most of the available negative ions in the atmosphere, and plastics have a positive static charge, so that the amount of negative ions that we receive is extremely minimal.
Emotional problems? Blame it on the ions, or the lack of them. The opposite of negative ions, positive ions, are particles with a missing electron. In certain courts, the issue of winds that bring in positive ions has been used as an excuse for erratic and criminal behavior. On the contrary, negative ions promote alpha brain waves, creating a calming effect. Dr. Albert P. Krueger, an American scientist well respected for his extensive work with ions, discovered that negative ions affect the rate at which serotonin is oxidized in the bloodstream. Serotonin is secreted by the pineal glands and intestines, and affects sleep, mood, nerve-impulses, blood-clotting, and contraction of smooth muscles. It is most popularly associated with feelings of security, peace, and satisfaction. Negative ions have been shown to reduce neurosis and anxiety. This may explain why so many people sing in the shower, or why one can't seem to fully wake up without one. When the water falls in the shower, it creates negative ions. Negative ions are also found plentifully around waterfalls and oceans. Vasil'yev, a Russian ion pioneer, showed in the 1970's that ions act on the endings of pulmonary afferent nerve fibers, and alter the functional state of the central nervous system, and through it, the peripheral organs.
The BodySpark material that I research also was shown to increase the rate of negative ions. This should be a relief for all of us who don't live or work at waterfalls or on the ocean shore. The people that I interviewed seemed to notice the calming effect of wearing the wraps, although they weren't told of this effect prior to wearing them.
As I approach my upper years, I am elated to use technology such as this to enhance my daily life, and increase my chances of living healthy long past my 90th birthday. I hope that you have the same opportunity.
References
1. Articles on Light Therapy
2. The Syntonic Principle, 1941, Harry Riley
Spitler, M.D., O.D.
3. Sunlight, Zane Kime, M.D., Pengrove, CA, World Health Publications, 1980
4. Articles on Light Therapy
5. Ibid, pg 278
6. Sunlight, Zane Kime, M.D., Pengrove, CA, World Health Publications, 1980
7. Articles on Light Therapy, pg261
8. New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 330, June 23, 1994
9. Reverse Aging, JSP Publishing,
Sang Whang 1990
10. Ibid
11. Mitsui Hospital Research Lab, Japan
12. Negative Ions, Vitamins of the Air Jim Karnstedt and Don Strachan
13. Ibid
|
|
