Vitamins of the Air: The Positives of Negative Ionization
When most people think of indoor air purification, the first technology that comes to mind is general filtration. While many air purifiers on the market offer sophisticated filtration technology, this passive purification process is not enough for a healthy indoor breathing environment. pureAir by GreenTech brings air purification technology that surpasses mere filtration by introducing multiple forms of active air purification technology to the indoor environment. Today I’d like to focus on one of the most invigorating, positive vibe-inducing technologies produced by pureAir, Negative Ionization.
In 1903, Swedish chemist and Nobel Prize Winner, Dr. Svante August Arrhenius discovered that the fresh air experienced near waterfalls and forests are full of negative ions, leading those who visit to feel refreshed and re-energized. This is in direct contrast to positive ions, which are associated with an increase in allergies, infections, lethargy, depression, anxiety, suicide, and more.
Since our own skin absorbs 85% of charged particles from our surroundings, understanding the impact of positive and negative ions is critical in our understanding of a healthy indoor environment. Negative ions elevate our mood by increasing serotonin levels, stabilizing blood pressure, increasing the body’s alkalinity, strengthening bones, heightening immunity, accelerating physical recovery, purifying and cleaning the air, and more.
Unfortunately, positively charged ions concentrate indoors, especially when we seal our homes for energy efficiency and to save money. Electromagnetic fields, fluorescent lights, carpet, metal, plastics, and air pollution all increase the number of positive ions in an environment.
The great news is that introducing negative ions back into your indoor environment is a simple and effective process when using pureAir products. Every air purifier in the pureAir product family produces negative ions and propels them into your living space, inducing an environment of fresh, clean air that energizes your mind and spirit.
Negative Ionization Studies Conducted in the U.S. and Other Countries
The following is excerpted from an article by Guy Cramer, entitled “Advanced Research on Atmospheric Ions and Respiratory Problems” (Certified Medinex Website, Sept. 2, 1996, http://mypage.direct.ca/g/gcramer/asthma.html):
“A doctor treating burn victims with negative ion generators found that those patients who also had respiratory problems – chronic bronchitis or asthma – all reported that negative ion therapy helped them breathe more easily. With these findings, the doctor started research into the effects of ions on respiratory ills. This research was carried out at the Northeastern Hospital, at the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate Hospital, and the Frankford Hospital in Philadelphia. He found 63% of patients suffering from hay fever or bronchial asthma ‘have experienced partial or total relief’ because of negative ion therapy. One hospital doctor who worked on the project said later, ‘They come in sneezing, eyes watering, nose itching, worn out from lack of sleep, so miserable they can hardly walk. Fifteen minutes in front of the negative-ion machine and they feel so much better they don’t even want to leave.'”
“The U.S. experimenters Windsor and Becket gave sixteen volunteers overdoses of positive ions for just 20 minutes at a time and all of them developed dry throats, husky voices, headaches, and itchy or obstructed noses. Five of the volunteers were tested for total breathing capacity, and it was found that a positive ion overdose reduced that capacity by 30 percent. Exposed to negative ions for ten minutes, the volunteers’ maximum breathing capacity was unaffected. What is significant here is that negative ions did not affect the amount of air breathed, but positive ions made breathing more difficult.”
“In Britain, two Oxford University statisticians conducted a study among 100 victims of asthma, bronchitis, and hay fever chosen at random from a list of people who had purchased negative ion generators in the hope that it would help their problems. In the end, their report was based on interviews with only 74 of the 100. They found that 18 of 24 asthmatics; 13 of 17 bronchitis sufferers; 11 of 12 hay fever victims; and 6 of 10 people afflicted with nasal catarrh reported that negative ion generators had noticeably improved their condition. A few claimed the generator had cured them.” “Brazilian Hospitals have commonly used ionizing devices for the treatment of breathing problems, including allergies, following a test involving 36 children with asthmatic allergies. All of them had consistent and in some cases crippling problems before taking negative ion therapy; during the treatment, only one of them suffered an allergy attack and afterward all were reportedly cured, at least to the point that they no longer suffered problems so long as they took part in occasional negative ion therapy sessions.”
“In 1966 at a hospital in Jerusalem, doctors performed a series of tests on 38 infants between two and twelve months old. All suffered to about the same degree from respiratory problems. They were divided into two groups of nineteen, one kept as a control group in a ward without any ion charge and the other where a negative ion generator was in use.”
“The researchers reported that negative ions without any other treatment – that is, no drugs – seemed to cure attacks of asthma and bronchitis more quickly than drugs, antibiotics included. They also observed that there were none of the ‘adverse side effects’ frequently found when treating such children with drugs. They concluded that the children treated with negative ions were less prone to ‘rebound attacks’ (relapses). As to objectivity, the scientific report said that the tests ‘demonstrated that the atmospheric ions have an effect on infants, especially those suffering from asthmatic bronchitis.’ Less scientifically, they found that babies didn’t cry as often and as loudly when they were breathing negative ions as they did in normal air. And there is nothing subjective about a bawling baby.”