Magnetic therapy has been used for centuries to heal wounds and treat different types of pain and inflammatory conditions.
Magnetic therapy has been used for centuries to heal wounds and treat different types of pain and inflammatory conditions. But new research suggests it may also reduce oxidative stress, a key instigator of aging and disease.
Results of a preliminary study published in
Scientific Reports suggest that therapy involving the rotation of a magnetic field can reduce oxidative stress, which occurs when free radicals exceed antioxidant defenses. When this imbalance occurs, organs and tissues are at risk of damage, and a person becomes more susceptible to various diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer.
Exposure to free radicals is often a result of lifestyle choices and environmental factors. Sometimes, they can be avoided—for instance, by not smoking. But other times, they are unavoidable, as they are produced in the environment by air pollution, pesticides, certain pharmaceuticals, and radiation.
Rotating Magnetic Field Boosts Antioxidant Capacity
In the study, 30 healthy individuals (15 men and 15 women), with an average age of 25 years, received rotating magnetic field (RMF) therapy, a form of magnetic therapy not yet approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. During the study, the treatment duration and the magnetic field’s strength varied. Some participants were subjected to a magnetic field twice as strong as others.The research team found that regardless of how long a person was subjected to a magnetic field or how strong the field was, oxidative stress was reduced. However, the frequency of treatment, not the duration, had more of an effect on antioxidant capacity. The researchers determined that the optimal conditions for reducing oxidative stress were one hour of magnetic field therapy at 50 hertz and that three hours at 25 hertz was optimal for boosting total antioxidant capacity.
Antioxidant enzymes are required to eliminate reactive oxygen species, whose concentration spurs oxidative stress. RMF therapy influences the production of these beneficial enzymes and boosts total antioxidant capacity, or the body’s ability to scavenge free radicals.
What Is a Magnetic Field?
A magnetic field is produced whenever a charged particle, such as an electron, moves. Both living and nonliving things create
magnetic fields that can significantly affect the human body.
Magnetic fields can regulate biological functions, specifically the body’s inflammatory processes. They can also affect cell differentiation and gene expression, which can be helpful in cancer treatment. Researchers are still trying to pinpoint the mechanisms behind magnetic field therapy, and some believe it has no place in cancer treatment, as there is
not enough evidence suggesting that it can correct bodily disruptions. Some theories suggest the therapy supports cancer treatment by improving ion flow, enabling the body to heal better, and altering protein and enzyme structures that interact with free radicals. Others posit that magnet therapy simply creates a placebo effect.
Regardless of the mechanism or how well it works, pregnant women and people with pacemakers or other implants should avoid magnet therapy.
