On occasion, even the happiest and healthiest among us have a down day when they feel depressed or anxious. Stress is typically the trigger, and stress is an inherent part of being human. How much stress we feel or how we cope with it varies with each individual.
In our modern world, statistics suggest that stressors are more abundant than ever; nearly 1 in 5 adults in the United States suffer from a mental health condition. Many times, we may assume that mental dysfunction is a byproduct of our stressful environment.
However, there is no conclusive cause of depression. And now we are learning that the widely held belief that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain is just that: a belief. New research shows that serotonin levels have no link to depression.
Depression that lingers despite life circumstances isn’t uncommon. It can be difficult to treat as many factors could be causing or contributing to it: poor nutrition, poor sleeping habits, chemical imbalances in the brain, chronic stress, and physical inactivity all can lead to less-than-optimal brain health.
Now we are learning that there may be another causative factor that you may not have considered before: daily exposure to electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation emitted by Wi-Fi and our devices like smartphones, tablets, and laptops.
Link between EMF radiation exposure and mental health issues
While you will not find much information about this in the legacy media, numerous studies confirm a link between high amounts of EMF radiation exposure and negative psychiatric symptoms in both humans and animals.
A 1997 study of 540 adults living near high-voltage transmission lines found that higher doses of EMFs were correlated with symptoms of psychological distress, regardless of each participant’s beliefs about the health effects of exposure.
Another study in Iran followed 103 electricians, dividing them into 5 different groups based on the potential for exposure to extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields. It was found that the group with the highest exposure also had the highest probability of experiencing feelings of depression, psychosis, obsessive-compulsive behavior, hostility, and anxiousness.
A third study of roughly 139,000 workers in the electric industry also found a higher incidence of depressive symptoms in the workers who consistently received higher EMF exposure. They also discovered that younger workers with recent exposure were at increased risk of committing suicide.
The subjects in all three studies spent significant time in environments with higher amounts of electromagnetic fields. Today, most urban and suburban environments are saturated with EMFs, and it is likely that many of us are potentially affected in the same way.
More recent studies continue to show that EMFs may pose a threat to the mental health of humans.
A review of studies conducted by Martin L. Pall and published in 2015 stated that “Two U.S. government reports from the 1970s to 1980s provide evidence for many neuropsychiatric effects of non-thermal microwave EMFs, based on occupational exposure studies. 18 more recent epidemiological studies provide substantial evidence that microwave EMFs from cell/mobile phone base stations, excessive cell/mobile phone usage, and from wireless smart meters can each produce similar patterns of neuropsychiatric effects, with several of these studies showing clear dose-response relationships.”
How do EMFs cause mental dysfunction in humans?
Pall’s paper, called “Microwave frequency electromagnetic fields (EMFs) produce widespread neuropsychiatric effects including depression,” also sheds some light on the mechanisms by which EMFs can cause these unhealthy effects.
One observation is that EMFs influence biochemistry by activating the voltage gated calcium channels (VGCCs), which regulate the amount of calcium taken in by various cells in our bodies. A disruption in the balance of calcium in relation to other ions can cause difficulties in key physiological processes.
“VGCC activation has been shown to have a universal or near universal role in the release of neurotransmitters in the brain and also in the release of hormones by neuroendocrine cells…Both the high VGCC density and their function in neurotransmitter and neuroendocrine release throughout the nervous system suggests that the nervous system is likely to be highly sensitive to low intensity EMFs.“
While we are now learning that serotonin levels don’t seem to affect depression, it is known that many chemical imbalances can be detrimental to our health, including chemicals like dopamine and norepinephrine. These affect our mood, motivation, focus, sleep, and coping mechanisms.
If these chemical signals are released in the wrong amounts, mind-states like depression or anxiety can become the new normal for us, regardless of how stable our lives are. This is especially true for children and the iGen generation, who are constantly connected to technology during their developmental years.
Another neurotransmitter, melatonin, is responsible for regulating our sleep-wake rhythms. We know that EMF exposure suppresses the release of melatonin by the pineal gland. In one study, research from multiple sources shows a relationship between low amounts of melatonin and a greater incidence of depression.
EMF exposure and Alzheimer’s disease
A recent study found that there may be a link between the VGCC’s activated by EMFs and Alzheimer’s disease. After almost a quarter of a century, research has led to the development of the “Calcium Hypothesis of Alzheimer’s Disease,” which argues that Alzheimer’s is caused by excessive intracellular calcium.
Yet, we know that EMF radiation produces strong magnetic and electric forces that influence the calcium levels at the cellular level. Can we extrapolate the conclusion that EMFs may be involved in the development of Alzheimer’s? Scientists are diving in and seeking answers to that question.
EMFs have been shown to cause detrimental alterations to the central and peripheral nervous system in rodents. Two major tissues that are adversely affected are the hypothalamus and the pituitary gland, which have the key role of synthesizing and releasing hormones necessary for regulating growth, body temperature, hunger/thirst, parental instincts, metabolism, and attachment behaviors.
In addition, the emerging research suggests that EMF-related neurological damage may become permanent with prolonged, chronic exposure.
Mitigating the risk of EMFs
If you experience periods of depression, anxiety, or other mental distress, this is something worth taking action on, especially if you work and/or live in an environment with high levels of emission.
It’s helpful to know the sources–cell phone towers, high-voltage power lines, smart meters, and of course our mobile electronic devices all contribute to the transmission of EMFs.
While you may not be able to relocate if you are near a cell phone tower, you can take other steps to lessen your exposure. Reducing your usage of your electronic devices is a start. You don’t always need to carry your smartphone in your pocket if you are at home. Leave it in the kitchen while you go about your business. You may want to revert to ethernet cables versus a Wi-Fi connection, and use EMF-shielding with your devices. As with many other issues in our modern lives, mindfulness can go a long way to protecting our health.