EMFs from some of our modern devices – such as your cellphone – may be affecting your heart health, even if your heart is healthy. Learn more in this article.
As EMF (electromagnetic frequency) levels in our environment continue to soar, more and more people are experiencing health consequences. We know that EMF sensitivity can come with a slew of symptoms such as headaches, fatigue, sleep issues, and many more, but one issue that hasn’t been talked about as much is the impact of EMFs on your heart.
Just like your nervous system, your heart is also highly electrical, which makes the connection between EMF and the heart not so surprising. But how exactly are EMFs interfering with normal heart function?
In this article, we’ll discuss:
- How electromagnetic frequencies can directly alter the conductivity of your heart
- Why even those with healthy hearts can be affected by the dangers of EMF
- How EMF can lower heart rate variability and set you up for numerous health complications
- A simple way to shield your heart and your body from EMFs
What Are Electromagnetic Frequencies?
Electromagnetic frequencies are waves of energy produced by electrical power. When you create electrical frequencies, it naturally impacts magnetic frequencies, and vice versa. This is why we hear the term electromagnetic; the two types of frequencies work together[1].
Our planet has always had low levels of electromagnetic frequencies naturally occurring due to magnetic fields, solar radiation, and so on. However, in the last several decades, the amount of EMF has greatly increased in our environment due to human-made sources. These include WiFi, powerlines, cell phone towers, electrical wiring in our homes, Smart devices, smart meters that measure electricity usage, etc. Even our electric cars, which are supposed to be good for the environment, are surprisingly high sources of EMF radiation.
What happens when you introduce high levels of electromagnetic frequency to a planet that’s only accustomed to low levels? Well, we’ve already seen many people develop a condition known as electromagnetic hypersensitivity, which impacts the nervous system and can cause a range of symptoms [2]. But studies are finding that EMF radiation can impact other systems in your body as well – including your heart.
Your heart, which is regulated by its own internal electrical system, might be just as vulnerable to the impact of EMF as your nervous system. It makes sense if you think about it; if your heart has a perfectly functioning electrical system and then we go ahead and add more electrical energy to your body’s energy field, the obvious result would be structural and functional changes to the heart – and that’s precisely what the research is showing us[3].
How EMFs May Be Affecting Your Heart
The issue with EMF today is that the low levels of non-ionizing radiation that stream through our airways may take time to cause issues. This means your symptoms may develop over time instead of immediately becoming obvious. As such, it can be hard to pinpoint what’s causing the issue.
With that said, studies show that consistent exposure to these electromagnetic fields can impact heart health, and it does so in the following ways:
Cardiac Arrhythmias
Due to the impact EMFs can have on the electrical conductivity of the heart, there has been considerable research on EMF and arrhythmias. That said, most of this research is focused on how EMFs could potentially assist with arrhythmias or heart palpitations that are already occurring by correcting the electrical impulses[4].
While this may sound like a good idea, the concept that EMFs can profoundly impact cardiac electricity should be a huge red flag. Sure, in a clinical setting, specifically tuned EMFs may assist in proper heart electrical conductivity, but what happens when people with perfectly healthy hearts are exposed to EMF all day long?
Previous studies have shown that people working in electric utility industry jobs have a higher risk of cardiac arrhythmias and an increased risk of mortality from related heart conditions[5].
Blood Pressure
Studies also show that EMF can impact our blood pressure (BP), increasing BP and heart rate with prolonged exposure. In one study, just 35 minutes of exposure to EMF at the level you would experience with a cellphone produced a rise in blood pressure and an increased heart rate in healthy men and women between the ages of 26 and 35[6].
In another study, healthy men aged 28 to 49 years old who had frequent occupational exposure to EMFs were studied, using a group that did not have any occupational EMF exposure as a placebo. In this study, heart rate and blood pressure were taken when the men were not working (thus, away from direct EMF exposure in their working environment). The result? Increased heart rate and blood pressure – even during rest periods away from the EMF.
The authors suggested that the frequent low-level EMF exposure of the workers was causing dysregulation of the autonomic control of the circulatory system, resulting in high blood pressure and heart rate[7].
In both studies, the participants were relatively young individuals with healthy hearts. Imagine what those same frequencies could do to people already experiencing cardiac abnormalities.
Furthermore, although the second group was exposed to EMFs in an occupational setting, the truth is that most of us are exposed to EMFs every day in our own homes, albeit likely to a lesser degree. But we’re exposed all day long at the office and in public places.
Another way in which EMF can impact blood pressure is by influencing nitric oxide levels. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator, which means that it affects the constriction and dilation of blood vessels. EMF seems to impact nitric oxide levels by significantly increasing NO in radiation-exposed animals. This is typically the result of excessive inflammation, which may result directly from EMFs[14][15][16].
Heart Rate Variability
Heart rate variability measures the time in the fluctuations between your heartbeats. Having small fluctuations between your heartbeats is actually quite normal and is a sign of healthy nervous system function. Ideally, your heart rate should be able to increase and decrease as you need it to, which is why having a high HRV is a sign that your body is adaptable, and therefore, it’s a good marker for health[8].
Due to the influence of electromagnetic fields on your autonomic nervous system, studies show that exposure to EMF can negatively impact HRV. Simply put, this means that EMF may make you less adaptable to stressors in your environment and, therefore, more vulnerable to imbalances in your health[9][10][11].
Low HRV is associated with anxiety, depression, diabetes, and heart disease – to name a few[12][13].
Perhaps even more interesting, however, is research showing the implications of heart rate variability on mortality in the elderly. In an analysis of over 300 subjects researchers gathered a slew of health data to determine which factors may correlate most closely with all-cause mortality. Factors that were assessed included a history of heart disease, smoking, medication, blood cholesterol, glucose concentrations, and heart rate variability.
Amazingly, of all of these variables, it was heart rate variability that came out as the top predictor for mortality in the ten-year follow up. Specifically, HRV predicted cardiovascular and cerebrovascular death occurrence, although it did not account for the incidence of cancer[18].
What does this tell us? HRV is a vital measure for metabolic health and how well we’re able to manage our HRV may be a strong predictor in longevity.
Blood Lipids
Interestingly, high EMF exposure is associated with dysregulated blood lipids. For example, studies show that exposure to EMFs may increase triglyceride levels and total cholesterol while reducing HDL cholesterol.
For example, one study found that compared to those with low occupational EMF exposure, those with higher levels of EMF exposure had significantly higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Furthermore, those with the highest mobile phone usage showed the lowest levels of HDL (good cholesterol)[19].
How To Mitigate EMF Exposure
While EMF is everywhere in our environment, that doesn’t mean we’re powerless to protect ourselves. In fact, there are several steps you can take to mitigate the amount of EMF you’re exposed to on a daily basis.
Some simple steps include:
- Try to keep your phone at a distance when you’re not using it. Many people put their phones in their pockets or have them right next to them all day. When you’re not actively using your phone, placing it a few feet away can make a difference.
- Putting your phone on airplane mode is an even more powerful way to mitigate the radiation coming off of it. While this may be challenging during the daytime while you’re working, most people find that turning their phone off or using airplane mode at night is an easy way to reduce exposure.
- Along the same lines, you can mitigate quite a bit of EMF exposure by turning your WiFi off at night. You can even buy a timer that automatically turns your WiFi off at a certain time each night and then turns it back on in the morning.
- Since the dirty electricity emitted by electrical wires in walls can emit 12 feet or 4 meters from the wall, it’s best not to have your bed against a wall. You can also turn your electricity in your bedroom off at night.
- Replace light bulbs in your home with incandescent bulbs, which give off less EMF radiation.
- Sleep in a faraday cage. This is the only way to completely shield your body from EMF. This is really the only way to completely give your body a rest and a break from EMF so that you can repair and regenerate and get the deepest sleep possible. One of the most disturbing aspects of EMF is its tendency to interfere in brain waves. This dramatically affects sleep quality. This effect has some of the most devastating effects on your health cumulatively over time. It’s imperative you protect your entire body while you sleep with copper and silver wire infused sheets or a “cage” that’s similar to a mosquito net surrounding your bed and body.
Although these may sound like small steps, it’s all of these little things that will eventually add up. After all, it’s not like we’re dealing with one concentrated source of EMF in our environment; this radiation is coming from many different sources.
In addition to taking small steps, I highly recommend using a wearable EMF-mitigating device. You can clean up your home environment to the best of your ability, but when you step outside, you no longer have control over the EMF sources around you.
For this reason, I always wear my Harmoni Pendant. The Harmoni Pendant is designed to combat some of the EMFs that interact with our own biofield and heart waves, helping to lower the potential harm EMFs may cause. It’s a small, lightweight pendant that gives me the peace of mind I need to feel protected no matter where I go.
Research even shows that wearing the Harmoni Pendant can improve HRV, which is ideal for heart health and overall physical and emotional well-being[17]. And with what we’re learning today about the importance of HRV for longevity, this is certainly a marker we want to pay attention to. Interestingly, we’ve had many wearers also report that their heart palpitations subsided only after wearing the Harmoni pendant.
Takeaway on EMFs and Heart Function
As technology advances, it will always come with its fair share of downsides. Unfortunately, the research behind the potential dangers of EMFs can’t seem to keep up with our current advancements, which leaves us vulnerable to the unknown of what EMFs may be doing to our bodies.
Our hearts are incredible organs that work via a delicate yet powerful energetic and electrical system. When EMF interferes with and throws off the conductivity and regularity of our hearts and our heart beat, the impacts can be detrimental, which is why it’s crucial that we do what we can to protect our bodies to the best of our ability.
Simple tactics like reducing EMF exposure in your home, turning off WiFi, and wearing an EMF-mitigating device can make a world of difference.
*These statements have not been reviewed by the FDA. The Harmoni Pendant is not designed to treat, cure, or prevent any disease. It is not intended to replace any medication or healing modality prescribed by your medical doctor.
