Research - Chronic Illness, Stress & Aging

This page summarises research on earthing, or grounding, and its potential effects on chronic illnesses and aging. Earthing reconnects the body to the Earth's natural electrical charge, which may provide health benefits.

Recent studies investigate the impact of grounding mats and techniques on inflammation, oxidative stress, and hormonal regulation—key factors in the development of chronic diseases. Researchers are also investigating whether consistent grounding can promote longevity and support the body's natural healing mechanisms.

2025 - Researchers Cecilia Giulivi and Richard Kotz conducted experiments on mitochondria under three different conditions: grounded, sham (wired but not grounded), and naïve (without wires). They found that the mitochondria connected to an electrical ground functioned much more efficiently than the others. The results were significant: grounded mitochondria produced 5-11% more energy (ATP) while generating 22-33% fewer harmful byproducts known as free radicals (ROS). The study concludes that by reducing oxidative stress, grounding positively influences cellular health. This research provides a scientific basis for understanding how earthing could serve as a therapeutic tool to support the body against conditions associated with aging and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Earthing effects on mitochondrial function: ATPproduction and ROS generation

The results indicated that grounding increased the surface charge of RBCs and significantly reduced RBC aggregation. These findings suggest that grounding could be a simple and effective intervention for lowering cardiovascular risk and events by decreasing blood viscosity and clumping.

📜 Earthing (Grounding) the Human Body Reduces Blood Viscosity—a Major Factor in Cardiovascular Disease

This article hypothesises that chronic inflammation is the fundamental cause of all chronic diseases. It suggests that various environmental stresses, both those that disrupt normal physiology and those whose absence can be detrimental, contribute to chronic inflammation. Additionally, earthing may offer a solution by alleviating these stresses and promoting overall health and well-being.

📜 Chronic Disease: Are We Missing Something?

The study explored the effects of grounding on high blood pressure through a pilot case series involving several patients. Each patient grounded themselves at home for at least 10 hours a day over a period of several months. Blood pressure measurements were taken at baseline and at regular intervals throughout the study. 

The results indicated significant improvements for all 10 patients, with an average decrease of 14.3% in systolic blood pressure levels. The findings suggest that grounding is a safe and effective therapy for lowering blood pressure and supports the need for further research into this treatment.

📜 Grounding Patients with Hypertension Improves Blood Pressure: A Case History Series Study 2018

This study investigated the effect of one hour of grounding on blood viscosity during yoga exercises with 28 participants. Participants were either grounded or sham-grounded using a grounded yoga mat. Blood samples were collected before and after the exercise to measure viscosity. The results showed that those who were grounded had significantly lower systolic and diastolic blood viscosity after exercising. The study suggests that grounding may influence exercise-induced inflammation, leading to a reduction in blood viscosity.

📜 Grounding the Human Body during Yoga Exercise with a Grounded Yoga Mat Reduces Blood Viscosity

This review article examines the potential long-term health benefits of "grounding," which is the practice of directly connecting the human body to the Earth's electrical charge. While medical diagnostics often use electrical monitoring of the body, the therapeutic benefits of enhancing the body's conductivity are less studied. 

The article compiles existing research that demonstrates both immediate and cumulative health benefits from grounding, such as improved sleep and reduced pain. It raises an intriguing question: could consistent, lifelong grounding serve as a method for anti-aging? 

The author suggests that grounding may have positive effects on muscle mass, bone density, cognitive function, and skin health, potentially slowing age-related decline, reducing frailty, and extending health span. In summary, this review proposes that reconnecting with the Earth's electrical field could be a powerful preventive health practice with lasting, age-defying effects.

📜 Grounding: An Anti-Aging Breakthrough?

This study investigated the effects of grounding, also known as earthing, on heart rate variability (HRV). Grounding refers to a natural bioelectric potential that can facilitate physiological changes in the body.

The research found that grounding techniques significantly improved HRV, going beyond the benefits of basic relaxation, in 27 participants. This indicates that grounding can be an effective strategy to support the cardiovascular system, particularly in situations where the sympathetic nervous system is more activated than the parasympathetic nervous system.

📜 Emotional Stress, Heart Rate Variability, Grounding, and Improved Autonomic Tone: Clinical Applications

Experience the benefits of Earthing (also known as grounding), which include better sleep, reduced inflammation, decreased pain and stress, and improved blood circulation.

 Research has shown that just one hour of contact with the Earth can significantly enhance blood flow, promote control of the autonomic nervous system, and aid in the repair of facial tissue, leading to healthier skin. Try Earthing for yourself and enhance your appearance from the inside out.

📜 One-Hour Contact with the Earth’s Surface (Grounding) Improves Inflammation and Blood Flow—A Randomized, Double-Blind, Pilot Study

This study examined the effects of grounding after moderate eccentric contractions on pain, creatine kinase (CK) levels, and complete blood counts. The results indicated that grounding significantly reduced CK loss from injured muscles, suggesting a decrease in muscle damage. Additionally, grounding led to changes in blood counts that were not seen in the sham-grounded group. This warrants further investigation into the effects of earthing on delayed onset muscle damage.

📜 Grounding after moderate eccentric contractions reduces muscle damage

This study investigated the effects of grounding the human body using a copper conductor on physiological processes. It found that earthing during nighttime rest led to reductions in serum concentrations of iron, calcium, and phosphorus, and it also influenced thyroid function and blood glucose levels. Additionally, earthing affected the concentrations of sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, protein, and albumin in the body. The study concludes that earthing impacts physiological processes and may help regulate the endocrine and nervous systems.

📜 Earthing the Human Body Influences Physiologic Processes

This article emphasizes the essential connection between human health and the Earth's natural electrical energy. It explains that "grounding," or directly making contact with the Earth, allows our conductive bodies to become part of the planet's global direct current (DC) electrical circuit. This connection triggers a "healing state" by enhancing our "conductive health," as our bodies also operate using DC energy. Research suggests that grounding may improve overall bodily function, facilitate healing from diseases, and contribute to disease prevention by positively influencing organ systems that depend on DC energy, such as the nervous, musculoskeletal, and cardiovascular systems. The article calls for further research to explore the specific clinical applications of grounding and to deepen our understanding of human conductivity within the Earth's electrical field.

📜 Practical applications of grounding to support health

The study demonstrated that grounding consistently provides beneficial effects on pain, physical function, and mood, which are particularly important for massage therapists. Prior findings from the same trial highlighted improvements in inflammatory biomarkers, blood viscosity, and heart rate variability. These results suggest that grounding can benefit massage therapists across various aspects related to their profession, as well as their overall health and quality of life.

📜 The Effects of Grounding (Earthing) on Bodyworkers’ Pain and Overall Quality of Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The research paper examines the beneficial effects of grounding, which involves making electrically conductive contact with the Earth, on human physiology and health. It particularly focuses on areas such as inflammation, immune response, wound healing, and chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The paper highlights the significance of both the duration and the intensity of grounding.

In conclusion, the paper finds that grounding results in measurable changes in the concentrations of white blood cells, cytokines, and other molecules that play a role in the inflammatory response. It also has positive effects on pain reduction and immune response in cases of muscle injuries.

📜 The effects of grounding (earthing) on inflammation, the immune response, wound healing, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases

This study examined the impact of direct barefoot contact with the Earth on individuals with prehypertension. A total of 53 prehypertensive participants were randomly assigned to either a study group or a control group. The study group experienced a significant reduction in blood pressure after one hour of barefoot contact, while the control group showed no such change. The findings suggest that barefoot contact with the Earth could be a cost-effective and straightforward method for preventing hypertension.

📜 An experimental Study on immediate effect of direct barefoot contact with earth on prehypertension

This study investigated the anti-stress effects of earthing mats on rats subjected to immobilization stress. Male rats were divided into four groups: a control group that experienced stress, and two experimental groups that used earthing mats for either 7 or 21 days during the stress period. The researchers assessed stress-related behaviours using tests such as the elevated plus maze (EPM), the forced swimming test (FST), and the tail suspension test (TST). They also measured the expression of stress-related brain markers, including corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) and c-Fos.

The results indicated that rats using earthing mats, particularly for 21 days, displayed reduced anxiety-like behaviour, as observed in the EPM. Furthermore, these groups exhibited decreased levels of CRF in the brain, suggesting a reduction in the body's stress response. In summary, the study suggests that earthing mats can alleviate stress-induced behavioural changes and modulate the brain's stress response system in rats.

📜 The Effect of Earthing Mat on Stress-Induced Anxiety-like Behavior and Neuroendocrine Changes in the Rat (2022)

This report explores the benefits of "grounding" (also known as "earthing") for skincare, highlighting its potential to improve skin health and integrity. Grounding involves connecting the body to the Earth's electrical charges, which has been shown to enhance blood flow—a crucial factor for skin health and nutrient absorption. Studies indicate that grounding significantly increases blood circulation, not only in the facial area but throughout the entire body. Additionally, it can reduce secondary injuries and nerve sensitivity.

Improved circulation supports better tissue repair and enhances the overall appearance of the skin. This suggests that even short periods of contact with the Earth can positively impact health and skincare. Grounding offers a natural way to promote healthy blood flow, potentially leading to improved skin health and overall well-being.

📜 How Localized Grounding, Combined with Conductive Skincare, Improves the Outcomes of the Traditional Skincare? (2021)

This study emphasizes the various health benefits of grounding (or earthing), which include reductions in pain, inflammation, and stress, as well as improvements in energy levels, sleep quality, blood circulation, and indicators related to bone health and glucose regulation. Notably, previous research has demonstrated immediate positive changes in brain function as a result of grounding.

Given the widespread popularity of meditation and the potential to enhance its benefits through grounding, this study suggests that incorporating grounding into meditation practices could be advantageous. While ancient Eastern traditions often depict meditators sitting directly on the ground—thereby naturally grounding—modern Western practices typically do not include this element. This abstract proposes that integrating grounding into meditation could improve its overall effectiveness.

📜 The Effects of Grounding on Meditation Quality: Preliminary Study Report – Experiment Details

This study examined the effects of grounding, also known as earthing, on heart rate variability (HRV), which is a crucial indicator of cardiovascular health. Previous research has shown that grounding can quickly affect skin conductance, leading the researchers to hypothesize that it would also have an impact on HRV. In a study involving 27 participants, those who were grounded exhibited significant improvements in HRV, surpassing the changes typically associated with simple relaxation (P < 0.01). Since higher HRV is positively correlated with better cardiovascular health, grounding techniques might be a valuable and straightforward strategy to support the cardiovascular system, especially during times of increased stress and sympathetic nervous system activity. Overall, grounding could provide a simple, natural method to enhance cardiovascular resilience.

📜 Emotional Stress, Heart Rate Variability, Grounding, and Improved Autonomic Tone: Clinical Applications 

Earthing, also known as grounding, involves reconnecting the body to the Earth's natural electrical charge. This reconnection can lead to significant and rapid physiological benefits, such as reduced inflammation, decreased pain, and lower stress levels. Additionally, it can improve blood flow, boost energy, and enhance sleep quality.

By stabilizing the body's physiology at a fundamental level, grounding practices—like walking barefoot outdoors or using grounding systems indoors—help restore a vital electrical connection with the Earth. Research shows that around 20 studies have demonstrated substantial physiological improvements due to grounding. This practice holds great potential for enhancing preventive care, alternative therapies, and lifestyle medicine, especially in promoting deeper, more restorative sleep.

📜Integrative and lifestyle medicine strategies should include Earthing
(grounding): Review of research evidence and clinical observations

This review summarizes over 12 peer-reviewed studies that highlight the significant physiological and clinical benefits of grounding, also known as earthing. Modern biomedicine recognizes chronic inflammation and oxidative stress as fundamental causes of many debilitating diseases and the aging process. Grounding involves direct physical contact with the Earth's surface through conductive bed sheets, pads, or patches, providing what can be termed "electric nutrition" that offers strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. The studies reviewed consistently demonstrated positive outcomes from grounding interventions, suggesting that it is a simple, natural, and accessible clinical strategy to address the global epidemic of noncommunicable, degenerative, inflammatory-related diseases.

📜Electric Nutrition: The Surprising Health and Healing Benefits of Biological Grounding (Earthing)

The Earthing Movie:

"The Remarkable Science of Grounding" is a feature-length documentary directed by Sundance Award-winning filmmakers Josh and Rebecca Tickell, known for works like "The Big Fix" and "FUEL." This film is based on their viral short film, "Down to Earth," which explores the scientific phenomenon of how standing barefoot on the earth can help heal our bodies.

Medical Advisory / Disclaimer