Hi guys.
When you work in wellness, you’ll encounter EMF shields. They are everywhere. Sometimes they come in the form of tiny magnets that you can stick on your devices or sometimes they are types of special clothes or even crystals. A lot of my readers who are concerned about EMF radiation have written me and ask, “Do EMF shields work?” The short answer is no, I don’t believe there’s enough evidence to even suggest that they significantly reduce one’s exposure to EMF radiation.
If you have no idea what an EMF shield is or are totally new to the world of EMF exposure and health issues, I invite you to read my blog, The Case for Minimizing Wireless. You can also check out my health podcast, Causes or Cures. I’ve featured five or six “real” doctors on this topic, and also a nurse educator who suffers from EMF Hypersensitivity. If you’re thinking I’m a quack for even writing about this, join the club. It’s funny, a female “scientist” publicly called me a Quack and said I was into “Woo” for addressing EMF radiation at all. When I responded to her and said that the World Health Organization has long recognized EMF radiation as potentially carcinogenic, she said the World Health Organization “is into woo as well.” That gave me a good laugh. I should also note that our own National Toxicology Program (Part of the US Government) conducted one of the largest animal studies on EMF exposure and cancer, and found a significant link. Scientists at the National Toxicology Program even updated their FAQs section to reflect this. It’s the last Question on their FAQS :
“Q: Have NTP scientists changed their cell phone use or what they recommend to their families?
A: NTP scientists have become more aware of their usage and follow the FDA’s tips for reducing exposure to cell phone RFR:
- Reduce the amount of time spent using your cell phone, and
- Use the speaker mode or a headset to place more distance between your head and the cell phone.”
That’s, um, kind of a big deal. So, I guess if I’m a Quack into and into “Woo”, I’m certainly not alone.
In addition to being asked, “Do EMF shields work,” another question I’m often asked is, “What about 5G?!?” I know 5G is all the rage, but the current published studies are not on 5G. I can’t comment on the safety of 5G. Would it be wise to study 5G before introducing it to the world? Yes, probably. But many exposures are never studied and proven safe in randomized controlled trials before hitting the market. We see this with pesticides and of course, smoking. Companies and Stakeholders cross their fingers and hope they’re safe enough. There’s a “Let’s not get in the way of progress” attitude that drives these exposures to the market. Companies make a lot of money along the way, until the research on negative health effects starts to catch up and new public health policies are enacted. Not every exposure follows that pathway, but unfortunately, many do. I mean… see Global Warming.
But I digress.
Do EMF shields work? If EMF radiation exposure is harmful, can a shield protect you and keep you safe? There are a ton of new wellness companies creating all kinds of EMF shields. I’ve seen hats, underwear, phone cases, magnets…and I’m sure more is to come. On a positive note, these companies acknowledge that EMF radiation exposure may be harmful to our health. They get that. But do their EMF shields solve the problem? Are there independently conducted studies from reputable labs showing that they work?
I’ve been sent a few EMF shields to review, but I had no real way of knowing if they worked. They came with tiny, overly-technical pamphlets that made me think they were trying too hard to sound smart. I did find an expert to interview about EMF shields. I interviewed Dr. Paul Heroux, a researcher who has tested many commercial EMF shields in a reputable lab . Dr. Heroux has his PhD in physics and focusses on EMF exposure and biological effects. He is highly published in this area and runs InVitro Plus, a toxicology laboratory out of McGill University Health Center, which is dedicated to studying the therapeutic and pathological effects of electromagnetism. I interviewed him on my podcast about the effectiveness of EMF shields. I hope you guys listen to it. He even discusses how the shields might actually be INCREASING your exposure.
Thanks for reading, guys!
Erin ( Dr. Eeks)
Since we’re on the topic of EMF radiation and phones, here are some other blogs you might like: