What are ions?
Ions are atoms or molecules in the air that have gained or lost an electrical charge. If ions in air receive an electron, they become negatively charged, and if they lose an electron, they become positively charged. Unlike the negative connotation of the phrase, negative ions have a very good effect on our bodies. Conversely, as we will see below, positively charged ions have a very bad effect on us.
The most important advantage of negative ions is that they clean allergens such as pollen, mould, bacteria and viruses from the air. They also clean dust in the air, dander and pet hair, as well as cigarette smoke. Negative ions perform their cleaning function by binding to all these airborne particles, causing them to become too heavy to stay in the air and fall to the ground. Once they are on the ground, they can no longer get into the air and they can no longer get into our respiratory tract. The point of negative ions is therefore to remove dirt from the air. You could say that a regular flow of negative ions forms a kind of protective circle around us.
The impact of air ionisation has always been a familiar fact, and we can quickly see it in changes in the weather. Shortly before a storm hits or before it rains, the number of positive ions in the air increases. This then results in humans becoming more tense, irritable, short of breath and less able to concentrate. But once lightning strikes or it starts to rain, the atmosphere is discharged and we immediately feel fresher, breathe easier and feel in a better mood.
Where do we find ions?
There are plenty of negative ions near fresh, flowing water sources - this includes rivers, streams, seas and especially waterfalls. This may also explain the refreshing feeling we get when we get tired and step into the shower, while swimming and bathing. Despite the abundance of negative ions in nature, the number of negative ions in air-conditioned rooms, homes and cars is dangerously low. Just for comparison, the air around waterfalls can contain between 10,000 and 100,000 negative ions per cubic centimetre. In an office or a car, the amount of negative ions drops from 5 to some 50 per cubic centimetre. Air conditioners destroy negative ions from the atmosphere, while ionisers add them back. The graphic below shows more accurately the presence of negative ions depending on the environment.
Where there is a shortage of negative ions, there is an abundance of positive ions. Big cities are a perfect example, where, in addition to air pollution, we have a huge shortage of negative ions and a huge amount of positive ions. We also find large numbers of positive ions in modern offices, our homes and our cars. Air conditioning, central heating, cigarette smoke, TV, mobile phones and other electrical devices are all additional factors that reduce the already small number of negative ions.
The effect of ions on our health
When we breathe, we take into our bodies not only the mixtures of gases in the air, but also ions. On a daily basis, the average person breathes in 10 litres of air, in addition to 10-20 billion (=10 billion) ions.9) ions of both types of ions. In addition to inhalation, ions also enter the body through dendrites (which are extensions of nerve cells) in the skin. Once ions enter the body, they become part of our complex biological processes.
In his book, scientist Antonio Briganti compares the effects of negative and positive ions on different areas and functions of the body.
Environments rich in negative ions have a very positive effect on a whole range of bodily processes:
- Increasing our blood's ability to absorb and use oxygen
- Regulates serotonin levels - a neurotransmitter that regulates the rhythm of the pineal gland and thus the secretion of whole-body hormones and mood
- Reduction of allergies, asthma, coughing and irritation caused by high amounts of positive ions
Negative ions help to bring the body into balance. This is especially true if we are exposed to electromagnetic fields and too many negative ions over a long period of time. As we have already mentioned, we get a lot of positive ions from mobile phones, computers and televisions.
Interestingly, negative ions also affect animals and plants. Both get sick or even die if they are placed in a room with too few ions, regardless of the amount of oxygen or the cleanliness of the air. These findings have very serious implications, as they mean that without negative ions, we cannot assimilate enough oxygen in the first place. At the same time as the number of negative ions around us decreases, the overall capacity of human, animal and plant life decreases.
Additional resources
If you would like to explore the topic of negative and positive ions from the point of view of health, we strongly recommend reading Negative Ions as a Way of Healing, which is the most comprehensive and well-researched book in Slovenia in this field.
