The SHN #7: Touch The Earth...

Welcome back to The Synergetic Health Newsletter! 

In this edition, we’ll do a deep dive into the health benefits of connecting with the Earth.

After that, I’ll talk about the powerful supplement Methylene Blue.

Then comes a hidden health hazard you may be unaware of.

Finally, I’ll include some links to things I’ve found particularly interesting recently.

Joe Burt

Touch The Ground

Grounding is the process of connecting with the Earth's direct current (DC) energy, which flows throughout the planet and all living organisms. This universal energy is vital for the functioning of our bodies, from muscle movement to heartbeats.

When we connect with the Earth by placing our bare feet on the ground, we become part of the global electrical circuit, allowing the Earth's energy to flow through us. This connection with the Earth is conductive, as our entire body, every cell, tissue, and organ system, is capable of conducting this energy. It is an incredible realization that our entire being is conductive and interconnected with the Earth.

Research suggests that grounding has a positive impact on various systems in the body. It has been found to influence the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, cardiovascular system, and musculoskeletal system. In fact, grounding has the potential to impact every single sub-system within the body, highlighting its incredible implications for overall health and well-being.

From a subjective perspective, grounding often elicits a profound sense of well-being and vitality. Intuitively, people rarely report feeling negative or unwell when they connect with the Earth. The experiential benefits of grounding go beyond scientific explanations and tap into a deep state of healing and connection with nature.

There is a wealth of scientific research supporting the benefits of grounding. Over the past 25 years, numerous studies have explored the effects of grounding on various health aspects. These studies have investigated its impact on heart rate variability, inflammation, blood flow, circadian biology, stress reduction, autoimmune diseases, and more. The accumulated evidence presents grounding as a legitimate and evidence-based practice rather than pseudoscience.

One fascinating study revealed the role of grounding in aligning circadian biology, even without exposure to sunlight. Test subjects living in an underground bunker, devoid of natural daylight, were able to maintain an internal synchronization to a day/night rhythm when connected to the Earth's DC energy. In contrast, those shielded from the Earth's energy pulse became internally desynchronized. This demonstrates the powerful influence of grounding on our circadian rhythms and overall well-being.

Additionally, grounding has been associated with the Schumann resonance, which is described as the Earth's double heartbeat. The Schumann resonance, with frequencies of 7.83 Hz and 14.1 Hz, is believed to have healing properties that affect everything on Earth. Reintroducing a 10 Hz electromagnetic field (an average of the Earth's heartbeats) to the living quarters of test subjects shielded from the Earth's natural energy resulted in resynchronization to a healthy day/night rhythm.

Grounding has also shown promise in addressing specific health concerns. For individuals experiencing chronic stress and burnout, grounding offers a way to step back from stressors and find solace in nature. Digestive issues, often rooted in inflammation, can be alleviated by grounding while eating, which reduces inflammation and enhances blood flow to the gut. Grounding has even been linked to improvements in sleep, anxiety, depression, and joint pain, making it a versatile practice with wide-ranging benefits.

The beauty of grounding lies in its simplicity and accessibility. It can be practiced by simply going outside, taking off your shoes, and allowing your bare feet to touch natural Earth surfaces like sand, soil, grass, or natural bodies of water. Even getting your hands in the soil while gardening will provide an Earthing effect (@radicalafternoon).

You can try out “earthing” shoes from companies like EarthRunners, Harmony, and Rhizal. Walking on grass or even on concrete with these shoes will keep you grounded.

There are also plenty of companies that sell earthing mats, bed sheets, pillow cases, socks, and more.

Earthing.com is a great place to shop for such items as well as learn more about the benefits of grounding. Its founder, Clint Ober, is the star of “The Earthing Movie” and has been spreading the message for over 20 years about how “the ungrounded state is neither normal nor natural, nor the way that humans lived throughout most of history.”

A story Clint, author of “Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever”, tells is about how his Native American friend’s mother told him to take off his shoes, that “they will make you sick.” When his friend’s sister became ill with scarlet fever, the family dug a pit in the ground and placed her in the earth for a few days, where she recovered from her illness.

This review of research evidence concludes: “The research, along with numerous anecdotal reports, demonstrates that Earthing clearly deserves inclusion in the clinical practice of preventive, alternative, and lifestyle medicine and has great potential to render these approaches more effective.”

The average person today just doesn’t ground at all. They are almost always wearing socks and rubber soled shoes, which completely disconnects them from the earth. They spend almost all their time indoors. They rarely if ever get their feet and hands in direct contact with the Earth.

If you want better sleep, better hydration, improvements in blood oxygen, lower inflammation, increased HRV, better CNS recovery, reduced snoring, less muscle tension, improved PMS conditions, improved liver and pancreas health, and a plethora of other health benefits, consider how you can begin to implement grounding into your everyday life.

The #1 choice would be to jump in the ocean, but more realistically look to take off the shoes and be barefoot in grass everyday. More is better (30+ minutes), but even a few minutes will give you a host of the benefits. For in-home grounding, this Earthing Essentials Kit includes a sleep mat, a universal mat (often used at a desk), and 60 earthing patches.

For a mega deep dive into all the studies done on grounding, this 40-page integrative review published in February of this year has you covered.

If you like watching videos, you can watch this quick 6-minute video where Ober is interviewed by The Minimalists or this 15-minute short film, “Down To Earth.”

Supplement Spotlight: Methylene Blue

Methylene Blue (methylthioninium chloride) is a synthetic compound with various applications, including its use as a nootropic to enhance memory, mood, and longevity.

Originally developed as a blue dye for textiles in the late 1800s, Methylene Blue (MB) quickly transitioned to become the first synthetic drug used in humans, specifically for the treatment of malaria.

During the early 20th century, psychiatrists experimented with MB for the treatment of schizophrenia, exploring its potential therapeutic effects in mental health.

Currently, MB is the subject of ongoing research as a potential therapy for mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and other neurodegenerative disorders that share a common issue with mitochondrial function. Mitochondria play a crucial role in providing energy to the brain's neurons, and any dysfunction in mitochondrial function can have detrimental effects on overall brain health.

Methylene Blue stands out as a promising agent in the realm of anti-aging and neuroprotection. It readily crosses the blood-brain barrier and exerts beneficial effects by improving mitochondrial efficiency, enhancing respiration, acting as an antioxidant, and increasing the lifespan of brain cells. These mechanisms contribute to improved memory, mood, and overall cognitive function.

Here are some of the many health benefits of Methylene Blue:

1. Improved NAD+ Levels: MB stimulates glucose metabolism in oxygen-free conditions and enhances the production of NAD+ by the mitochondria.

2. Optimizing Mitochondrial Function: Studies have found that MB acts as an anti-aging tool by enhancing mitochondrial function. It increases complex IV and oxygen consumption, crucial for ATP production, as well as water and carbon dioxide generation.

3. Treating Viruses: Combining low doses of MB with specific light spectra, especially UV light, has shown effectiveness in combatting viruses.

4. Anti-Depressant Effects: At low doses, MB acts as a monoamine oxidase (MAO) inhibitor, resulting in an antidepressant-like effect. MAOs are mitochondrial enzymes involved in removing neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine from the brain. By inhibiting MAO, MB prevents the breakdown of these neurotransmitters, leading to increased levels and potentially improving mood.

5. Preventing Neurodegeneration: Clinical trials have shown that MB can inhibit the formation of tau protein, which is associated with Alzheimer's disease. It is being considered as a potential treatment for Alzheimer's disease due to its ability to improve electron flow, ATP production, external photon absorption, and prevent excessive free radical damage or biophoton emission from stressed cells.

6. Brain Health Support: MB supports brain cell respiration by raising oxygen levels throughout the body and providing electrons to the mitochondria's electron transport chain.

7. Antioxidant Properties: Lower doses of MB act as a potent antioxidant by searching for free electrons in the mitochondria and cytosol, neutralizing them, and providing neuroprotection. It may also reverse skin damage and offer skin protection.

8. Antimicrobial Effects: MB exhibits unique gut-healing abilities by inhibiting the transition of Candida infections into hyphal conditions, preventing colonization and associated health issues.

9. Skin and Connective Tissue Health: At low doses, MB stimulates improvements in collagen and elastin production, promoting glowing, vibrant skin and robust connective tissue.

10. Thyroid Production: Animal studies have indicated that MB increases thyroxine (T4) levels, which may be indirectly connected to decreased prolactin levels after stimulating a stress response with the administration of estrogen.

Disclaimer: DO NOT take MB if you are on SSRIs, SNRIs, or any other drugs that increase serotonin levels. DO NOT take while pregnant or breastfeeding. DO NOT take with psychedelic substances.

Other than that, MB is a very safe drug and one that has a true laundry list of health benefits. It has seen an explosion in popularity in the biohacking and alternative health crowds in the last several years.

With over 11,000 studies on MB, its therapeutic benefits are well known in the medical community, “Methylene Blue has the fantastic ability of being able to repair damaged tissue, cells and mitochondria, allowing them to restore proper energy function.”

The MB I’ve been using for years is from Troscriptions, but if you don’t want the blue tongue, Health Natura is an option.

The best time to take MB is in the morning away from food and liquid. The typical half-life is 5 hours and you can expect to see energy and cognition boosts as well as a ton of under-the-hood benefits.

Don’t Touch the Receipt!

Scientists in Missouri found that the total mass of BPA (bisphenol A) on a receipt is 250 to 1,000 times greater than the amount of BPA found in canned food. They go on to say that a “significant portion of the public may be exposed to BPA by handling receipts.”

And according to a recent study conducted by Swiss scientists, it was discovered that BPA easily transfers from receipts to the skin and possesses the ability to penetrate the skin to a depth that makes it resistant to washing off.

This finding raises concerns about the potential infiltration of this chemical into the deeper layers of the skin, potentially allowing direct entry into the bloodstream. Laboratory studies have also demonstrated the ability of BPA to penetrate the skin.

The negative health effects of BPA include infertility, obesity, arrhythmia, teeth damage, endocrine disruption, hormone imbalance, and more.

If you must handle receipts, wash your hands before eating. Don’t give a receipt to a child to play with. Store receipts separately in an envelope. Do not use alcohol-based hand cleaners after handing receipts (shown in this study).

It’s wild that something as ubiquitous as receipts is actually a serious health hazard. If this is news to you, hopefully you start saying “No, thanks” to your cashier, or offer them a pair of gloves.

*Cashiers look at me like I’m crazy when I tell them all this

The Life Stylist Podcast with Luke Storey: This podcast, “for people dedicated to living life at the highest level of human potential”, has been a regular in my rotation for years. Luke has had an incredibly diverse set of guests on his show to talk about all things health, wellness, spirituality, and beyond. You can check out his interview with Rick Rubin, learn all about infrared sauna therapy with Connie Zach, and listen to an AMA episode where he speaks out against circumcision, explains how to detox from fluoride, and talks about his spiritual journey.

Bryan Johnson’s Health Practices: The following tweet got a bunch of emotional reactions. Johnson is on a quest to live as long as possible and has spared no expense to make that a reality. Arguably the most polarizing figure currently in the “biohacking” space, there are lessons to be learned from him, whether you agree with his approach or ultimately realize this isn’t the way to live life.

My Current YouTube Rabbit Hole: Lately I’ve been watching a ton of “non-duality” videos. Non-duality is a philosophical and spiritual concept that explores the nature of reality and the nature of self. It challenges the traditional dualistic perspective that perceives the world as consisting of separate and distinct entities, such as "self" and "other," "subject" and "object," or "good" and "bad." Instead, non-duality emphasizes the fundamental interconnectedness and unity of all things. The YouTube channels I’ve been watching are Simply Always Awake, Adyashanti, Scott Kiloby, Nondual Devotion, Matt Garrett, Rupert Spira, Suzanne Non-duality, and Science and Nonduality.

I plan to write a lot more on this topic in the future, but in the meantime, if anyone is already interested in this please respond to this email, I’d love to hear from you!

That will do it for this time! Hopefully you got some value out of it. If you have any questions/comments/things you’d like to learn more about please don’t hesitate to reach out. If you know anyone who loves learning about these types of topics, pass it along!