Scientists Believe Your Cell Phone Is a Death Trap

The video above is a great, broad summary of what we now know about the dangers inherent with our wireless revolution. There’s no doubt in my mind that if our society keeps ignoring this issue, we will pay a very steep price in declining health over the coming generations.

However there are a large number of other excellent video interviews on their site, www.ElectroMagneticHealth.org, which is a tremendous resource of EMF knowledge. There is even one from my mentor Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt. If you were to attend a conference that had all these presentations, I am sure you would spend hundreds of dollars, but now you can access them all for free.

Personally, I believe this issue is so important, I’ve created an entire web site dedicated to EMF education and information. Feel free to bookmark EMF.mercola.com, and check back on occasion for the latest news and updates.

Unfortunately, while some countries are taking measures to reduce public radiation, the United States is not one of them. Instead, the US is heading in the exact opposite direction with the introduction of Wi-Max, short for Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access.

As infatuating as this type of technology can be to technological geeks and business people alike (myself included), the health ramifications cannot be ignored. We are already seeing increasing numbers of people suffering the very real effects of electrohypersensitivity.

The problem has gotten bad enough that France, for example, has created “EMF refugee zones,” where those who are hypersensitive now live in trailers, doing everything they can to protect themselves in order to be able to function normally.

Do You Experience Electromagnetic Hypersensitivity Symptoms?

The graph below, created by Prof. Magda Havas, PhD, illustrates the frequency of electromagnetic hypersensitivity symptoms based on your distance to a cell phone base station (cell phone tower). It is based on a Spanish study published in 2001 in the journal La Presse Medicale, which clearly showed that the closer you are to the base station, the greater your chances of exhibiting a number of health related symptoms such as fatigue, sleep disturbances, visual and auditory disturbances, and cardiovascular effects, just to name a few.

It’s worth noting that these symptoms are just for ONE type of exposure, at a distance. It does not include the effects of other technologies that are emitting radiofrequency radiation as well, such as cell phones, cordless home phones, and wi-fi networks in your office.

Now we’re even blasted with WiFi on airplanes. Last week I actually used WiFi in the sky to get some work done on a four hour trip to LA. Soon WiFi internet will be on EVERY aircraft.

When you add all sources of exposure together, the potential effects become quite staggering.

The Biological Effects of EMF

There is a significant amount of studies showing the biological effects of electromagnetic fields and radiofrequencies within the microwave range. However, the crux of the issue is that industry claims that since these technologies do not have a thermal (heating) effect on your body, they will not cause biological problems.

There are literally thousands of studies showing that this logic is incorrect. EMF’s DO cause biological harm, even without thermal effects, including:

The truth is that industry, and our regulating agencies, are simply choosing not to look at any of this research…

Scientists across the globe are starting to pay attention to this issue, and they’re seeing the problems. Professor Franz Adelkofer, coordinator of the REFLEX report, has stated:

“This is real evidence that hyperfrequency electromagnetic fields can have geno-toxic effects. And this damaged DNA is always the cause of cancer.

We’ve found these damaging effects on the genes at levels well below the safety limits. That’s why we think it’s urgent to base our safety limits on the biological effects, not the thermic ones.

They should be based on biology, not on physics.”

Two great sources of research into the biological effects of EMF’s and other types of radiation include the BioInitiative Report, which was published in August 2007 (available on www.bioinitiative.org), and the 2009 special EMF issue of the Journal of Pathophysiology.

I also recommend the book Public Health SOS: The Shadow Side of the Wireless Revolution, written by Camilla Rees and Magda Havas, PhD.

The Real Reason Why US Government is So Slow to Protect You

Most people do not realize this, but the US government has significant conflicts of interest on this issue.

For example, the top 20 telecom companies have spent $2.3 billion in political lobbying over the past 10 years to influence government officials, both in the US and in other countries. The US also receives significant federal revenue from individual usage taxes, in addition to the revenue collected directly from the telecom industry.

Last but not least, companies bought spectrum rights with little money down in the late 1990s, with the agreement to pay these loans back with user fees over time. Essentially, the FCC is a mortgage holder for the mobile phone industry!

As is the case any time you’re dealing with conflicts of interest of this magnitude, it will take Herculean efforts to break through the walls of greed to protect human health. But it must be done, and it will require people like you and me to keep pushing for change.

Says Olle Johanson, PhD, from the Karolinska Institute in Sweden:

“It is evident that various biological alterations, including immune system modulation, are present in electrohypersensitive persons.

There must be an end to the pervasive nonchalance, indifference and lack of heartfelt respect for the plight of these persons. It is clear something serious has happened and is happening. Every aspect of electrohypersensitive people’s lives, including the ability to work productively in society, have healthy relations and find safe, permanent housing, is at stake.

The basics of life are becoming increasingly inaccessible to a growing percentage of the world’s population. I strongly advise all governments to take the issue of electromagnetic health hazards seriously and to take action while there is still time. There is too great a risk that the ever increasing RF-based communications technologies represent a real danger to humans.

Governments should act decisively to protect public health by changing the exposure standards to be biologically-based, communicating the results of the independent science on this topic and aggressively researching links with a multitude of associated medical conditions.”

Factors that Influence Your Susceptibility to EMF Damage

Researchers have found that there are a number of factors that influence the degree to which you may be affected by EMF’s and other types of radiowaves. For example, according to the research by Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, your physical body, such as your body weight, body-mass index, bone density, and water and electrolyte levels can alter the conductivity and biological reactivity to EMFs.

Heavy metals in your brain also act as micro-antennas, concentrating and increasing reception of EMF radiation. Likewise, any kind of metal implants and/or amalgam tooth fillings will significantly increase reception of microwaves, and the mircrocurrents from cell phones and other ambient fields.

This is yet another major reason for having your mercury fillings removed by a trained biological dentist.

Your genes can also play a part, as certain genes regulate metal detoxifying enzymes. So depending on your genetic makeup, you may be more or less predisposed to electromagnetic hypersensitivity.

People who suffer from diseases that causes myelin loss, such as muscular sclerosis, Lyme disease, and other autoimmune diseases are also at greater risk of electro-sensitivity.

Unfortunately, EMFs have been found to cause microorganisms to release higher amounts of potent toxins, which can exacerbate infections and autoimmune diseases.

Your overall risk is also dependent on other sources of EMF, such as the synergistic effect from geopathic earth radiation, metallic objects and furnishings in your home or office, electronic appliances, and household wiring.

Mechanism of Action

According to Dr. Andrew Goldsworthy retired from the Imperial College of London, acute electrohypersensitivity symptoms and diseases stemming from excessive non-thermal radiation exposure could potentially be explained by the effects on the cell wall.

Because as your body absorbs radiation, currents are created that weaken your cells’ walls by removing calcium and other divalent ions.

This creates permeability, or “leakage” in your body, and this is known to happen even in non-thermal fields, and, interestingly, only in certain “amplitude windows.” Low frequencies can be worse than high frequencies, and pulsed waves are worse than sine waves.

One of the most noticeable effects of this permeability in your body is the effect it can have on your brain function. As explained in the video, programmed flow of calcium ions through your cell membranes is a prerequisite for release of neurotransmitters. “Unscheduled” leakage of calcium ions increases background calcium which makes membranes hypersensitive and more likely to transmit random signals.

The end result can be clouded mental activity. It can also activate random thoughts, which naturally makes it more difficult to concentrate.

Much of this effect is characteristic of ADHD…

Also, leakage of digestive enzymes from lysosomes can account for damage to DNA, and may offer yet another explanation for cancer rates and the rise in infertility. The resulting DNA fragmentation may also create genetic mutations that could appear in future generations.

Interestingly, and quite believably, the rise in microwave radiation and EMF exposure may be a significant contributing factor to the skyrocketing increase in autism, as electromagnetically induced membrane leakage leads to brain hyperactivity. A summary of a study conducted by Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, MD, on the EMF level in the bedrooms of pregnant women whose children were autistic, versus EMF levels of mothers who had healthy children, can be found in the "Media Story Leads" section of www.ElectromagneticHealth.org. Body voltage levels in that location were also measured in the study.

The results suggest an urgent need for further research in the autism-EMF area, especially given the official number of children with autism was recently announced to be 1 in 91, compared to 1 in 150 in 2002.

More research is also needed on the mechanisms of action in general. A summary of all currently known mechanisms of action is expected to be published in 2010.

For example, in addition to Dr. Goldsworthy's theories discussed above, other possible mechanisms of action leading to symptoms and diseases include: increased free radical production, and impact on serotonin and melatonin.

In Defending Itself, Your Body Wears Itself Out…

The good news is that your body can, to a degree, defend itself from these types of radiation damage. It does so by pumping surplus calcium out of your cells, and by activating certain enzymes that protect your DNA, and by making heat shock proteins to protect enzymes.

The bad news is that in doing so, your body becomes fatigued, and the more it has to defend itself, the worse your health will fare. Eventually, it can start interfering with your metabolism; impair your immune system; and lower your resistance to disease and cancer.

Last but not least, EMF exposures have a sensitizing effect, so you will become more and more sensitive over time.

How You Can Help Yourself

Fortunately, you are not completely helpless. There are strategies that can help reduce your exposure and protect your health against the constant onslaught of radiation.

First and foremost, you’ll want to reduce your exposure to as many sources as you can.

For my latest list of safety tips and guidelines on how to reduce your exposure, please see this previous article.

In addition to my recommendations, Camilla Rees mentions a few more in her video above, including:

• Intestinal care – mainly by making sure you’re getting plenty of healthy probiotics. The Paracelsus Clinic in Switzerland discovered that symptoms of electrosensitivity can be reduced by providing gut barrier support. For more information, listen to the interview with Dr. Rau, medical director of the Paracelsus Clinic, available at this link.
• Regular detoxification programs – Reducing your toxic burden has become far more important than it ever was before. Not only are you dealing with increasing amounts of toxic chemicals in your environment, your body is full of microorganisms that respond to EMFs by generating increased levels of their own toxins, according to a course for physicians on this subject, taught by Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt, MD.
• Beware of mold – Mold, just like other microorganisms, can also react in high EMF environments. One study showed 600 times more neurotoxins generated from mold in a high EMF environment. According to Rees, there are also mold legal cases being reviewed, assessing if problems in buildings infested with mold may have actually been related to nearby antenna infrastructure.

Last but not least, please do help spread awareness about this ever increasing problem.

For more information, please see EMF.mercola.com for the latest news and updates.

It’s unfortunate, but the government is not likely to step up and do the right thing to protect your health, and the health of your children and grandchildren. We need you to get involved, at any level you can, to help increase the pressure on industry and industry regulators, to ensure a safer future for everyone, everywhere.