Cell phones and screens may cause Alzheimer’s disease and oxidative stress
Everyone is affected by electromagnetic radiation from cell phones, device screens, the electricity supply and other electric systems. The brain’s neurons are particularly vulnerable, especially because electromagnetic radiation can increase the neuronal uptake of calcium ions, which makes the neurons overactive and may even cause them to perish. A study published in News Medical Life Sciences shows that too much calcium in the brain increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and digital dementia in young individuals. The increased electromagnetic radiation also generates loads of free radicals in the body that can cause oxidative stress and cellular damage because it outperforms the body’s different antioxidants. This was described in an article published in The Journal of Microscopy & Ultrastructure that also mentions how electromagnetic radiation can cause stress, headaches, fatigue, anxiety, and other symptoms.
We humans are surrounded by electromagnetic fields (EMF), both natural and man-made ones. They are in the Earth’s magnetic field, UV-rays from sunlight, cell phones and device screens, lightbulbs, electric installations, elevation beds, electric floor heating, microwave ovens, transmission towers, high voltage lines, Wi-Fi routers, radioactive radiation, MR scanners, etc. Over the past decades, the impact from electromagnetic radiation has increased massively and there is a lot of focus on cell phones, device screens, and 5G technology.
EMF and radiation can affect the body biochemically in a number of ways. This includes local warming of tissue as a result of holding a cell phone close to the ear, carrying the phone in a pocket, or working with a computer in your lap. It may also result in impaired activity of large molecules in the cells, displacements in the ion equilibrium, DNA damage, and other biochemical disturbances caused by intense or long-term influences.
The link between EMF, calcium, Alzheimer’s disease and digital dementia in young people
Our bones store around 90 percent of the body’s calcium supply. In contrast, the calcium concentration in neurons and other cells in soft tissues must be extremely limited. Calcium ions are essential for muscular contraction, hormone secretion, activation of neurons, and the release of neurotransmitters like glutamate. However, if the cells are flooded by calcium ions, the cells risk becoming overactive. Also, inflammation and other metabolic disturbances may occur.
Over a period of 25 years, scientists have published studies of the effect calcium has on the central nervous system and Alzheimer’s disease. They have observed that increased levels of harmful proteins like beta-amyloid and tau in the brain can cause cell death. This was described in an article that is published in News Medical Life Sciences. According to the study, EMF activates cellular uptake of calcium ions by way of the so-called VGCC (voltage-gated calcium channels).
Several animal studies have demonstrated that EMF leads to elevated calcium levels in the brain and this can cause Alzheimer’s disease as a result of the protein accumulation combined with oxidative stress, inflammation, and other metabolic disturbances. According to Professor Martin L. Pall, Washington State University, who has studied this phenomenon for decades, cell phones, device screens, and other sources of EMF can cause abnormally premature development of Alzheimer’s disease. It is also a fact that, over the last 20 years, the average time of onset for Alzheimer’s disease is a lot earlier as a result of the increased exposure to EMF from cell phones and sources of wireless communication. Very young individuals who are exposed to EMF for hours every day also risk developing digital dementia. According to scientists from National University of Singapore (NUS), nine-year-old children who spent two hours daily on average in front of a screen had more problems with their memory, concentration, and adaptability than what would normally be expected.
As mentioned, the brain cannot tolerate overexposure to EMF, as it causes cells to take up too many calcium ions. Normally, magnesium works as a natural calcium blocker, and according to a study of frogs that is published in The Journal of General Physiology, magnesium may even inactivate the cellular uptake of calcium ions via the VGCC channels. Still, more studies of EMF exposure are needed. In any case, it is a good idea to limit your exposure to EMF in general.
EMF can cause oxidative stress
Electromagnetic fields can also generate free radicals that can harm proteins, lipids, and DNA by triggering chain reactions. We humans generate free radicals as a natural part of our cellular energy turnover, inflammation, and other metabolic processes. But we also get exposed to free radicals from external sources like tobacco, medicine, and poisoning. Free radicals are highly reactive molecules that need to be kept on a very tight leash in order not to cause oxidative stress in situations where there are not enough protective antioxidants.
In a review article that is published in The Journal of Microscopy & Ultrastructure, a group or researchers wanted to look at how EMF and oxidative stress affected the body’s antioxidant defense, which includes vitamins A, C, and E, magnesium, zinc, selenium, coenzyme Q10, and melatonin. According to their meta-analysis, EMF has the potential to trigger oxidative stress and cause damage to different tissues. Science has also observed that it results in impaired activity of vitamin E, the selenium-containing antioxidant enzyme GPX, the zinc-containing SOD antioxidant, melatonin, and various other antioxidants. As a result of these biochemical disruptions, EMF can cause fatigue, headaches, impaired cognitive functioning, sleep disorders, and organ damage where little is known about the long-term effects. We should therefore try to limit our exposure to EMF as much as possible. Several studies have even suggested that supplementation with different antioxidants and folic acid may help prevent some of the harmful effects of EMF and oxidative stress.
References:
Emily Henderson. New insights into the link between EMF´s calcium and Alzheimer´s. News Medical Sciences. 2022
Videnskab.dk´s redaktion. Små børns skærmtid kobles til senere negative effekter I hjernen. Videnskab.dk 2023.
H C Hartzell, R E White. Effects of magnesium on inactivation of the voltage-gated calcium current in cardiac myocytes. The Journal of General Physiology 1989
Elfide Gizem Kivrak et al. Effects of electromagnetic fields on the antioxidant defense system. The Journal of Microscopy & Ultrastructure. 2017
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