We know 5G is the next generation of wireless technology that’s currently being rolled out across the globe. While this new tech will speed up your downloads and loading time on websites, it comes with some pretty significant downfalls.
5G and EMFs: A Quick Intro
5G produces electromagnetic frequencies that are at a higher level than the generations that came before it (5G stands for “5th Generation”). These higher frequencies allow for information to be transmitted faster and more efficiently.
But what risks may this pose to your health?
Even without 5G, cell phones already emit small amounts of radiation that studies have linked to the same kinds of health problems as smoking. (15,16,17)
And knowing that 5G produces the highest levels of radiation exposure we’ve ever seen in cellular devices, this question is certainly one worth asking.
Let’s look a little deeper.
A Reason to Be Concerned
In August of 2020, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the FCC failed to provide proof that it’s current guidelines adequately protect the public against harmful effects of prolonged exposure to 5G and other wireless technologies. [18]
The court also ruled that the FCC failed to adequately review all of the scientific data presented to them about the potential health impacts of these technologies. [18]
That’s why I wanted to make sure you were educated on 5G, what it is, how it works, the possible risks it poses to your wellbeing, and simple steps you can take to guard your health.
Before we can dive more into 5G, however, let’s cover EMFs in general so you can have a broader understanding of what the roll-out of 5G means for you and your family.
The Story With EMFs
EMF stands for electromagnetic frequency. You can think of these frequencies as invisible waves of energy that move through space and radiate out from their source. Common sources of EMFs in our modern environment include cell phones, power lines, computers, WiFi, and other electronics.
But electronics aren’t the only source of EMFs that we come into contact with every day, even the sun produces EMFs that enter our airspace.
Some people can handle a certain amount of exposure to these frequencies. The issue is there are about 20% of people on the planet that are very highly sensitive to EMFs – even to small exposures. We’re dealing with higher and higher exposures these days as technology continues to utilize these frequencies to make electronics faster and more efficient.
There’s a lot of confusion about EMFs, with some people claiming that they’re harmless, and others petitioning to ban advances (like 5G) due to concerns around potentially serious health implications.
To fully grasp the story of EMFs, it’s essential to understand the two different types of EMFs out there — ionizing and non-ionizing.
Ionizing EMFs emit larger, more powerful frequencies then non-ionizing EMFs. An example of a source of ionizing EMFs would be X-Ray machines. These machines emit large amounts of electromagnetic energy that could potentially cause damage to your DNA. This is why you need to wear protective gear when being X-rayed[1][2].
Non-ionizing EMFs are the frequencies that are emitted from your electronics and WiFi. These smaller frequencies are assumed to be much less harmful due to their relatively weaker nature. At least that was the assumption when the mass roll-out of EMFs from electronics began.
The reality is, research is proving that these smaller frequencies can, in fact, have damaging effects on the health of your body.
How EMFs Can Impact Your Health
At this point, you may be wondering how an energy frequency could impact the health of your body.
Your body is surrounded by an electromagnetic field, called the biofield, and many cellular processes in your body are powered by electromagnetic energy. When the field that moves in and around your body comes into contact with other energy fields, something called resonance can happen[3].
Resonance is the tendency for different molecules to vibrate in unison once they enter each other’s energy fields. In other words, if you have one energy frequency that’s high (like the frequencies in your body), and it meets another frequency with a lower vibration (from, let’s say, a cell phone), the two frequencies will be modulated to meet each other in the middle. In short, the cell phone you carry may be lowering the energy frequency of your body.
This is the same understanding that’s applied in energy medicine, where a practitioner works with the subtle energies of your body to bring your frequencies back into a healthy balance[3].
While this may sound like some wild theory, research has backed the dangers of EMFs for years (hence the protective X-Ray gear).
Here is a short summary of some key concerns brought about by EMF research thus far:
Dangers of EMFs
Increased Oxidative Stress
EMFs are known to cause an increase in free radical concentrations in the body due to the oxidative stress caused by these frequencies. When your body gets hit with oxidative stress, it further stresses your antioxidant systems as they have to kick into high gear to combat any potential damage.
A strong antioxidant defense system is crucial to maintaining immunity and protecting you from an array of diseases[4].
DNA Damage
Your DNA carries the instructions, like a blueprint, for the genetic growth, development, reproduction, and function of your body. These crucial cell parts are integral for life, and their damage can result in a host of health issues.
Research shows that even extremely low-frequency EMFs can cause damage to the DNA in your cells, instigating what is known as a genotoxic response[5].
Altered Brain Activity
As mentioned earlier, some systems in your body run on electrical frequencies. One system in particular that depends on electrical currents is your central nervous system, which sends signals from your brain to the rest of your body and vice versa.
Research shows that just 30 minutes of EMF exposure from 4th generation cell phones can affect brain activity by modulating low-frequency fluctuations in some brain regions[6].
That means that the frequencies from your electronics could be directly impacting your brain and central nervous system
Brain Tumors
Some research suggests that long term use of cell phones could result in brain tumors. In one meta-analysis, researchers examined data from blind-studies with no bias or financial conflicts and concluded that there is significant evidence that long term cell phone use could almost double the risk for the development of tumors[7].
Decreased Fertility
There is some evidence that the use of laptops can affect sperm count in males, and therefore decrease fertility. To test the validity of this claim, a group of researchers collected samples of semen and put them into two groups — control or experimental.
The experimental sample group was exposed to an internet-connected laptop from WiFi for four hours, resulting in decreased sperm motility as well as increased DNA fragmentation. The control group, not exposed to WiFi, experienced no such effects.
Although further studies need to be conducted, the researchers concluded that exposure to WiFi (EMFs) from laptops might very well reduce male fertility[8].
Potential Carcinogen
Research into the effects of EMFs as they relate to cancer is ongoing. In 2011 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classified EMFs as class 2B possible carcinogens. This means that while the evidence isn’t strong enough yet, there is reason to be wary and continue to investigate the potential cancer-causing effects of EMFs[9].
To learn more about EMFs, please see this article.
What Is 5G?
5G stands for the 5th generation wireless system. This system, much like the four systems that came before it, is designed to enhance the speed and efficiency of your wireless devices like your phone and computer.
While we’ve seen incremental changes in the past with each subsequent upgrade, 5G comes in with a massive shift. For instance, 4G is about 10 times faster than 3G, but 5G will be about 100 times faster than 4G.
One of the primary differences between 5G and 4G is the use of millimeter waves (MMWs), which come with an extremely high frequency. This frequency allows for the transmission of large amounts of data in short periods of time — but only over short distances.
That means that although these frequencies are more efficient, we will need a lot more of them to cover large distances. MMWs also have a hard time passing through solid materials, which means even higher transmission with more antennas will be necessary to achieve the desired results.
As you can imagine, with the dangers that we’ve already covered for EMFs, this increase in frequency could prove incredibly detrimental to the health of your body.
How 5G Could Put More Stress On Your Body
Some research has already pointed to the potential threats that could come along with the 5G rollout. In addition to all the above-mentioned dangers of EMFs, 5G may pose an even more severe threat.
Immunity
Research shows that high electromagnetic frequencies, like those from 5G, can alter the activity of crucial immune cells.
Your immune system relies on an army of cell lines to combat foreign invaders from all sides. One of these cell lines is called neutrophils. Neutrophils circulate around your body, watching out for infection or disturbance. Through a process called phagocytosis, neutrophils neutralize and eliminate the source of the disturbance.
When neutrophils are exposed to EMFs, however, their ability to induce phagocytosis is diminished by 50%. That means that your defenses against foreign invaders can take a significant hit, leaving your immune system vulnerable to attack[10].
Skin Penetration
Millimeter waves can penetrate deep into the layers of your skin. This could result in potential skin-related issues, or even the development of issues as deep as the muscle layer[11]. Some research suggests that once EMFs penetrate your skin they can cause mast cells to release mediators such as chymase and histamine which can lead to inflammation[22].
Furthermore, EMF may induce oxidative stress on your skin, which is one of the fastest ways to instigate the skin aging process[23].
Neurological Health
It’s been well documented that EMFs can have neuropsychological effects — also called microwave syndrome. In a scientific review, the following neurological symptoms were associated with high-frequency EMF radiation[12]:
- Sleep disturbance/insomnia
- Headache
- Depression/depressive symptoms
- Fatigue/tiredness
- Dysesthesia
- Concentration/attention dysfunction
- Memory changes
- Dizziness
- Irritability
- Loss of appetite/body weight
- Restlessness/anxiety
- Nausea
- Skin burning/tingling
Affect On Cell Membrane Integrity
The membranes on the outside of your cells are responsible for what comes in and out. There are specific channels called voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) that can be significantly impacted by EMF radiation, resulting in a myriad of potential health implications.
In a letter to the governor of California from Dr. Martin Pall, a researcher who has published several studies on EMFs, Dr Pall explains the potential detriments of the 5G roll-out and cell membrane integrity[13]:
- Blindness and increases in eye-related disorders like cataracts and macular degeneration.
- Increases in hearing loss, tinnitus, and possible deafness.
- Increases in male infertility.
- Skin cancer and leukemia, especially in children.
- Nervous system issues including neuropathic pain and peripheral neuropathy.
- Large increases in thyroid dysfunction.
- Potential increases in autoimmunity due to impacts on the immune system.
Who is Most Vulnerable?
Perhaps most heartbreaking of all is the fact that the people that are most susceptible to the downfalls of 5G EMFs are the most helpless among us — infants and children.
Due to their small body size, the younger people in the population are more likely to feel the negative effects of 5G before anyone. This also includes unborn fetuses.
In addition to small body size, children absorb more EMFs because their brain tissues are more absorbent, and their skulls are thinner than grown adults.
Even more disturbing is that because the time span between exposure and diagnosis of tumors can be decades, many children may not even be aware of the damage until early adulthood[14].
How To Protect Yourself Against 5G
There are several things you can do in an effort to minimize your exposure to 5G.
Keep Devices Away From Your Body
As much as possible, try to keep your devices away from your body. That means instead of carrying your phone in your pocket, put it in your bag. And when talking on the phone, use headphones instead of holding it up against your head.
When you’re not using your phone, try keeping it away from your body with the ringer on so you can hear it if it rings.
Turn WiFi Off at Night
When you go to bed, there’s no need to have your WiFi flowing through your home. Make a practice of turning your WiFi off at night once you’re done using the internet; this will give you at least eight hours of WiFi-free time.
Some routers can even be programmed to turn off automatically.
Use Airplane Mode
When you go to bed at night, or if you’re using your phone to listen to music, turn on airplane mode instead of running it on WiFi. You won’t be able to get calls or texts, but you can turn airplane mode off once you need to use your phone again.
This is also a great way to cut down on phone time in general.
Keep Your Electronics Out Of Your Bedroom
This is especially important at night time. Make your bedroom an EMF-free sanctuary by keeping your phone, computer, and WiFi in another room.
Don’t let using your phone as an alarm clock be your excuse; there are plenty of cheap alarm clocks out there that you can put next to your bed instead.
Bottom Line
5G is coming – in many areas, it is already here – and its effects, while largely unknown, have the potential to be seriously damaging to your health.
Take care to shield yourself as best you can with lifestyle interventions like turning off your WiFi when not in use, and keeping your phone at a distance when you don’t need it.
To learn more about EMFs – including some simple lifestyle adjustments you can make to reduce your exposure today – go here to download a free copy of my eguide, Top 10 Ways to Protect Against and Prevent EMF Damage.
