I had a patient of mine come in the other day with a nice, unique looking pair of shoes. He is very with it when it comes to style and fashion. Dresses nicely, likes nice cars, watches and pens. He has worked hard and likes to reward himself on occasion. I asked him where he got the shoes and he told me. Then he pointed out a round knob that was on the sole of the shoe and he asked me if I knew what it was. I had no idea. I don’t think he did either until he researched it and found out that it was a a grounding plug for his shoe. It reminded me of the circular anchor on the cheap flip flops (thongs in my day) that was at the bottom, which research tells me was actually referred to as a plug which anchored the sandal strap. I had heard of grounding on line but never researched it. He did not realize that they were “grounding shoes” but here is a little review since the shoes “sparked” my interest. Get it? 🙂
Grounding, also referred to as “Earthing”, “Vitamin G” and “Electron nutrition”. Stick with me here. It involves getting direct contact with the Earth’s surface (walking barefoot on grass, soil or sand) or using conductive devices like mats or sheets or shoes which incorporate conductive elements. These elements can be in the form of carbon plugs, copper wires or conductive rubber soles to restore electron flows that we are now lacking and have been lacking since synthetic materials have been utilized predominantly since the 1960’s. Before the twentieth century, many shoes had leather soles, which are somewhat conductive, allowing electron flow. Proponents of this theory suggest that it allows the body to absorb negatively charged free electrons from the Earth which MAY neutralize the positive free radicals and help promote various health effects. Believers of this theory feel that modern life styles, you know, wearing shoes, insulate us from receiving Earth’s electrons causing multiple health imbalances.
It should be pointed out that studies show mixed or limited evidence at best. Most of the studies are small scale and are not well done, from a scientific standpoint. A lot of the hype is from anecdotal reports and reviews. (It reminds me of the Power Balance silicone bracelets that were the rage in and around 2010. The claim was that these bracelets could improve balance, strength and flexibility by interacting with the bodies “energy field”. You remember the ad. Some random guy walks up to a person on the boardwalk in New Jersey or at Venice Beach with a microphone in hand and has the individual close his eyes and then pushes or pulls the individual who then loses his/her balance. I’m mean who wouldn’t? Who expects someone to push or pull them with their eyes closed. Then they are told to put the bracelet on and close their eyes once again and just see the difference. The individuals were amazed and when they asked how it worked, besides knowing what was going to happen the second time, they are told it is because of the hologram in the bracelet. You know, the same type that is on most of our credit cards so shouldn’t our balance be extremely good with all of the cards we are carrying these days?)
The potential benefits of grounding include, reduced inflammation, improved sleep quality, pain relief and faster healing. Improvement of stress and mood. Improved cardiovascular health, immune support as well as many other benefits. It sounds like it can fix everything and when I hear this I become a bit skeptical.
Improved Sleep Quality: by regulating the circadian rhythm and cortisol levels resulting in better sleep patterns and less insomnia. Some studies showed longer sleep times and improved sleep efficiency using grounding mats or patches which “re-synchronize the bodies internal clock with Earth’s electrical circuit.” They sell “Grounded Sleep Systems” that range in price from ~$90-$300. They can be cotton sheets with conductive carbon or silver thread which is woven into the sheet. The sheet then connects to a wire that leads out of the bedroom window to a metal rod that is inserted into the ground or the more expensive models are connected to the ground terminal to an electric plug (Warning: they say your should not use these systems during a thunder storm because you cold get a electrocuted!! I kid you not!! 🙂
Pain Relief and Faster Healing: Apparently this is done by reducing the free radicals in our body and therefore reducing the inflammation that this can cause. Connecting the body to the Earth enables free electrons from the Earth’s surface to spread over and into the body where they can have an antioxidant effect. It suggests that “mobile electrons create an anti-oxidant micro-environment, slowing or preventing the production of reactive oxygen species”. This aspect of the grounding is most commonly cited as benefiting conditions such as arthritis, both osteoarthritis and rheumatoid , autoimmune diseases such as lupus. These anti-inflammatory properties potentially prevent or eliminate symptoms such as redness, swelling, heat and loss of function which reduces pain, muscle tension and soreness.
Cardiovascular and Blood Health: Grounding potentially helps promote better circulation, reduces blood viscosity and increase heart rate variability. It does this by increasing the negative surface charge on red blood cells, reducing their tendency to clump. This thins the blood mildly, enhancing micro-circulation.
Stress and Mood Benefits: Grounding potentially decreases stress, anxiety and depression by shifting the autonomic nervous system from the sympathetic arm “fight or flight” to the parasympathetic “rest and digest”.
Other Benefits: It potentially helps the immune system by decreasing the inflammatory response as regulating our blood sugars (but this finding was based on a 2011 study in a controlled hospital experiment with 12 patients who had type 2 diabetes). The mechanism is thought to occur by enhancing mitochondrial function reducing oxidative stress. A 2025 lab study found that “grounded” conditions produced 5-11% more ATP (cellular energy) by cutting reactive oxygen species )ROS by 22-33%. In diabetes excess ROS drives insulin resistance and impairs glucose uptake.
How Long Should You Ground Yourself?: The benefits of grounding can occur within minutes to hours. Typically if you are grounding for 10-30 minutes “you will appreciate a shift in mood, reduced stress or a sense of calm.” Your HRV (Heart Rate Variability), which can be viewed as a marker of health and relaxation can increase after as little as 20 minutes of grounding. The anti-inflammatory properties, measured by decreasing inflammatory markers (ESR, C-reactive protein, interleukins) are found to decrease when one is grounded for 30-60 minutes. So if you want to maximize all of the benefits of grounding you would want to shoot for 30-60 minutes of being one with mother Earth.
Risks of Grounding: Don’t laugh. Like anything else that has potential benefits there are potential risks as well. I would not have thought there would be, but there some with grounding. If you are walking around barefoot your have the risk of injury from misstepping, or stepping on something that could penetrate the skin (rock, glass, nail, bee etc..) which can predispose to an infection or an allergic reaction. So make sure you are up to date with your tetanus shot and carry your Epipen if you are allergic to bee stings or peanuts that may have been left by someone picnicking and eating peanuts in a ravenous way. When walking, they also list as a risk of tripping and falling and even drowning, when attempting to ground in a water source! So wear a life vest, wings or carry a foam ring if you must. They also list dehydration as a risk. So as with any outdoor activity, make sure you are hydrated. Now the indoor grounding risks are only listed when there is a thunderstorm and you can get electrocuted when you are sleeping! So there’s that. 🙂
I have to ask myself, are all of these amazing benefits the result of us sharing our electrical current with Earth or are the benefits because we are outdoors being one with nature. I know that when I am walking barefoot somewhere in nature it is usually around a beautiful place. Near a river or a mountain creek. Near a granite pool or while I am fishing. On the beach walking with a loved one or with your dog or both as you stare at the ocean and are amazed at the greatness of this amazing world that we live in. Walking barefoot in the grass at a park while you are their with family and friends having a great time playing Frisbee, volleyball, croquet, Jarts (before they were taken off the market) or whatever outdoor activity your family and friends enjoy. These are pleasurable moments that we all cherish and I believe that the benefits of “Vitamin G” are just this. Immersing ourselves in a state of calm and pleasure which activates all the benefits that I described above. It is not being barefoot, or wearing special shoes or sleeping on special sheets that are giving us the benefits, but the experience itself. I would like to see if the benefits of grounding are the same when one is being forced to walk barefoot in a hostile environment. On gravel or a hot, uncomfortable surface. Wearing grounding shoes that are not comfortable or being made fun of when you are walking in a ugly or funny looking pair of shoes. (I wonder if SAS shoes sell a grounding shoe?) Either way, my feeling is that if you feel you get a benefit from the “Grounding”, “Earthing” or getting your dose of “Vitamin G”, go for it. Get outside and enjoy nature and if your grounding indoors make sure you unplug your “sleep system” when there is a thunder storm. 🙂 Go ground yourself and stay healthy my friends.
Doug
