The Limits of Exposure to Negative Ions Symptoms

Negative ions are naturally occurring. Ions are atoms that have an electrical charge. Most atoms do not have a charge because their number of protons and electrons is the same. However, sometimes an atom will lose an electron or a proton. If the loss results in an atom that has more protons than electrons, then the atom becomes a positive ion. If the atom ends up with more electrons than protons, the result is a negative ion or anion. Not getting sufficient exposure to negative ions may cause or contribute to depression and other health conditions but existing research is not definitive.

Finding Negative Ions

• Negative ions are more plentiful in natural air than indoor air. Forces, such as waves and wind, create enough energy to break those electrons and protons free, resulting in ions. Some argue that this explains why people feel refreshed and relaxed at the beach and near waterfalls. It may also explain why showers have a positive impact on mood. They can wake people up or help them relax. For homes, negative ionization units are sold to increase the negative ion levels in the air and to reduce the chances of depression, anxiety and other problems.

Mood Problems

• Some research has shown that an increased amount of negative ions in the blood can speed up the oxidation of serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to depression. In fact, many antidepressants work by changing the behavior of serotonin. In a 1982 study of negative ion exposure on mood and anxiety, researchers found no impact on levels of anxiety as measured by the Taylor Manifest Anxiety Scale, a 28-item true and false scale developed in 1953. However, subjects perceived themselves as being more relaxed, less depressed, less tense and more calm.

Exercise & Negative Ions

• Negative ions may have health benefits other than mood improvement. A 1998 study involving moderate levels of endurance exercise found that when such exercise was done in a room containing negative ions the individuals' diastolic blood pressure levels were lower and increased slower than those levels of the people who exercised without the presence of negative ions. Additionally, serotonin and dopamine levels were also lower in the presence of negative ions. This study suggests negative ions could help lower blood pressure as well as enhancing the short-term effects of exercise.

Allergies, Asthma & Negative Ions

• Dr. Harold Nelson of the National Jewish Medical Center conducted studies in the 1980s to determine whether negative ions could also positively impact patients who had allergies or asthma. After a number of studies, the research did not show a connection between negative ion exposure and improvement in these conditions.

Too Little Exposure

• Without sufficient exposure to negative ions, people can develop certain health problems more frequently. Because negative ions boost the immune system's functioning, they can help reduce the number of colds and flus people contract. Poor breathing and lung problems can also be traced back to low levels of negative ion exposure, at least according to some researchers. In fact, the Swiss Bank participated in an experiment where they pumped air full of negative ions into the work place of 600 of their employees. The result was a significant decrease in the number of sick days taken by workers during the study.