Negative Ions and The Brain The atmosphere we breathe normally is full of positive and negative ions. Air conditioning, lack of ventilation and long dry spells remove negative ions, which usually serve to latch onto airborne dirt particles and wrestle them to the floor, rendering the air purer. Roughly one-third of the population seems to be particularly sensitive to negative-ion depletion. The proportion of negative ions is highest around moving water (storms, oceans, rivers, waterfalls)—it’s no wonder that we feel so energized at the beach. The best ratios of negative to positive ions are associated with waterfalls and the time before, during, and after storms. The worst are found in windowless rooms and closed, moving vehicles. Air purifiers typically work by emitting negative ions, which purify room air by attaching to impurities and sinking them. High concentrations of negative ions are essential for high energy and positive mood. Marian Diamond, a professor of neuro-anatomy at the University of California, Berkeley, has found that levels of negative ions are inversely related to levels of serotonin in the brain. Negative ions suppress serotonin levels in much the same way that natural sunlight suppresses melatonin. Hence the invigorating effect of fresh air and sunshine and the correspondingly depressed feelings associated with being closed in and dark. If you deplete the air of negative ions, you experience an increase in serotonin and its attendant drowsiness and relaxation—not what you want when mental agility is demanded. The impact of negative ions is powerful. Originally they were found to help asthma patients. Later they were discovered to affect Serotonin levels in the bloodstream, stabilize alpha rhythms and to positively affect reactions to sensory stimuli. The attendant greater level of alertness can translate into improved learning, improved well being and enhanced performance of mental tasks 0402 751 242
Posted on: Wed, 23 Jul 2014 09:00:00 +0000
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