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Mon, 21 Jul 2003 03:58:08 -0000

[s-A] [NatFamLife] Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes

 

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Misty L. Trepke

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Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes

 

There's something in the air that just may boost your

mood -- get a whiff of negative ions.

 

By Denise Mann

WebMD Feature Reviewed By Brunilda Nazario, MD

 

May 6, 2002 -- There's something in the air and while

it may not be love, some say it's the next best thing

-- negative 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.

 

And these are a few of the reasons we see negative-ion

generators being sold in stores and all over the

Internet, but do they really work as well as

antidepressants? Can they also relieve allergies by

filtering out dust mites and dander?

 

It's too early to tell for sure, experts tell WebMD,

but that's not to say there is not some sound science

behind the concept.

 

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, "

says ion researcher Michael Terman, PhD, of Columbia

University in New York.

 

 

In fact, Columbia University studies of people with

winter and chronic depression show that negative ion

generators relieve depression as much as

antidepressants. " The best part is that there are

relatively no side effects, but we still need to

figure out appropriate doses and which people it works

best on, " he says.

 

Vitamins of the Air?

 

Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of

oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness,

decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy, " says

Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for

the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain

Research and director of research at the Center for

Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.

 

 

" 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, " Howard tells WebMD. " Air

conditioning depletes the atmosphere of negative ions,

but an ion generator re-releases the ions that air

conditioners remove. "

 

Generating Negative Ions

 

In fact, every home has a built in natural ionizer --

the shower.

 

But when it comes to springing for that negative-ion

generator you saw advertised in the local paper or on

the web, buyer beware, says Columbia's Terman.

 

" There is a major problem with advertised units, " he

tells WebMD. " Output levels are not ... specified in a

way that could advise antidepressant dose. "

 

And, he says, the cost of apparently equivalent units

ranges from $100 to $1,000.

 

" The safest course of action, in my opinion, would be

to use units that have been demonstrated effective in

our clinical trials and trials to come, " he advises

WebMD readers.

 

Room air circulation, heat and humidity, the proximity

of grounded devices that may emit counteracting

positive ions (such as computer monitors) may affect

output levels (of a negative-ion generator), he

explains

 

" We have tried to minimize the influence of these

factors by adding grounded wrist-straps [commercially

available] or grounded bed sheets [not yet available]

for connection to the ionizer, " he says.

 

The possible interaction of negative-air ion therapy

and antidepressant drug or light therapy for seasonal

depression has not yet been investigated, he says. " It

stands to reason, for example, that drug ... dose

could be tapered [even to zero], if the patient

responds to negative ion exposure.

 

" I would advise anyone who experiences clinically

significant depression to try negative-ion therapy

only under doctor's guidance, and that doctors read up

on this methodology before OKing such a trial,

especially if the patient is already receiving other

treatment, " he advises.

 

What About Allergies and Asthma?

 

Harold Nelson, MD, professor of medicine at National

Jewish Medical Center in Denver, was so excited when

he first heard of negative-ion generators 20 years ago

that he went out and bought one to study among allergy

and asthma patients.

 

Unfortunately, the findings were " not terribly

encouraging. We couldn't demonstrate anything, " he

tells WebMD. " I was disappointed. I had high

expectations and they did not pan out, " he says.

 

The best bet for people with allergies and/or allergic

asthma is to try to eliminate exposures, he says. " If

you can't, or if you still have symptoms, then

medication is the next step and fortunately we now

have excellent medications, " he says.

 

Published June 2, 2003.

 

 

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