The Book in a Nutshell
In EMF*D, Joseph Mercola explores the health risks posed by electromagnetic fields (EMFs), particularly non-ionising radiation from everyday devices like cell phones and Wi-Fi routers. He highlights how, contrary to popular belief, non-ionising radiation can damage DNA, cause oxidative stress, and disrupt cellular functions, leading to serious health issues such as cancer, heart disease, and infertility. Drawing parallels between the telecommunications industry and the tobacco industry, Mercola argues that industry-funded studies downplay these risks, especially with the advent of untested 5G technology. He explains the biological mechanisms by which EMFs cause harm, focusing on calcium channel disruption and oxidative stress. To mitigate these risks, he advocates for reducing exposure, boosting cellular repair processes through NAD+ and NADPH, and employing shielding techniques when necessary.
Book Summary: The Key Ideas
#1: Types of radiation and risks: EMFs are categorised as ionising or non-ionising radiation. Ionising radiation (e.g., X-rays, gamma rays) can damage DNA and cause cancer. Non-ionising radiation (e.g., cell phones, Wi-Fi) was once thought harmless but is now linked to DNA damage through carbonyl free radicals.
#2: The telecom industry is the new tobacco industry: Like the tobacco industry, the telecommunications industry is downplaying the health risks of its products. Industry-funded studies dominate research, and the long-term effects of technologies like 5G remain untested. Mercola suggests the telecom industry prioritises profit over public health, drawing parallels with the cigarette industry’s decades of denial.
#3: The biological mechanisms of non-ionising radiation damage: EMF exposure disrupts voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs), increasing intracellular calcium levels. This leads to oxidative stress, free radical formation, and DNA damage. Studies show calcium channel blockers reduce EMF damage, highlighting calcium’s role in non-ionising radiation harm. Children are especially vulnerable to these effects.
#4: The damage caused by EMFs: EMF exposure is linked to numerous health issues, including tinnitus, cataracts, blood-brain barrier disruption, impaired sleep, leaky gut, cancer (glioma, breast cancer, childhood leukaemia), heart disease, psychiatric illnesses, neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, and fertility problems.
#5: How to repair and protect from EMF damage: Reducing EMF exposure is key to protecting health. Boosting NAD+ and NADPH levels can support DNA repair and reduce oxidative stress. Strategies include time-restricted eating, regular exercise, and molecular hydrogen supplements. Mercola emphasises reducing controllable EMF exposure, increasing distance from EMF sources, avoiding 5G, and using shielding techniques when necessary.
Book Notes: The Key Ideas in Detail
The below are more detailed notes on the key ideas from EMF*D by Joseph Mercola. These notes do not by any means cover the full breadth of ideas within the book. They are instead intended to serve as an introduction to some of the key ideas, from which to decide whether the book is worth further attention.
Key Idea #1: Types of Radiation and Risks
EMFs are typically classified into two types of radiation:
- Ionising radiation: This type of radiation has enough energy to disrupt the structure of an atom, transforming a neutral atom into an ion with a positive charge. These ions can in turn produce free radicals, which in excess can attack cell membranes, proteins, stem cells and mitochondria. Ionising radiation can also damage DNA, leading to potential cell death and cancer. Major sources include uranium, x rays and gamma rays.
- Non-ionising radiation: This type of radiation does not have enough energy to create ions and therefore has long been regarded as “harmless”. Research, however, is beginning to tell a story of serious potential harm. Major sources include cell phones, laptops, WiFi routers, microwaves and Bluetooth devices.
Many have long argued that non-ionising radiation does not damage DNA but evidence suggests it does – just via a different mechanism. Non-ionising radiation creates “carbonyl free radicals” that ultimately cause similar damage to nuclear DNA and mitochondria as ionising radiation.
Regulatory standards do not measure this damage, and instead focus on short-term thermal effects of radiation via a measure known as Specific Absorption Rate (SAR). Few people know that even with this incomplete measure, all mobile phone manufacturers recommend holding your phone at least 5 to 15mm away from the body.
We should also consider whether EMFs fall under the categorisation of “pulsed” or “non-pulsed”. Non-pulsed EMFs use direct current (DC) electricity which runs in one direction, which mimics much of our biological function. Pulsed EMFs run on alternating current (AC) electricity, which runs in two different directions and switches between them in regular pulses.
It is important to understand this distinction since studies have shown that the same radio frequency delivered pulsed rather than non-pulsed causes fundamentally different impacts at a biological level. We can even see this in basic heart tests such as ECGs, but the damages can extend much further. Even Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) radiation has been shown to damage DNA in cultured human cells when pulsed.
Key Idea #2: The telecommunications industry is the new tobacco industry
Much like mobile phones today, cigarettes were common place in the mid-20th century. The tobacco industry knew for 50 years that cigarettes caused serious health problems before usage began to decline. This protracted period was facilitated by deceptively designed, industry funded studies, which consistently produced more favourable results than independent studies.
Mercola suggests a disturbing parallel in today’s telecommunication industry. Just as with tobacco, industry-funded studies dominate the research upon which the industry regulators rely. Regulators permit this, Mercola argues, because of “capture” via political party donations and persistent lobbying. What’s more, many US Senators are themselves often heavily invested in the wireless companies they are charged to regulate.
The worst part, Mercola argues, is that we could control our own exposure to cigarettes, but EMFs are often unavoidable:
“There are strong arguments that EMFs are even more pernicious than cigarettes, because you can substantially control your exposure to cigarette smoke; the same cannot be said about your EMF exposure.”
No recent technological advancement highlights the problems with the industry more than 5G. The long-term health ramifications of 5G technology have not been tested. Indeed, the frequencies that 5G uses are structurally very different from 3G and 4G, measurable as millimetre waves (MMWs).
Telecoms companies are turning to MMWs because their bandwidth is much larger than radio waves in prior generations of cell phones and WiFi technology, permitting faster speeds and lower latency. But while they will allow faster communication and speeds, MMWs require more antennas – not by a small margin but orders of magnitude more, billions more. They also need to be “beamformed” taking a signal the most direct route to a user.
Small cell stations will be installed every 300 feet or so, with 100 or so antenna ports on each. This will also be supported by a network of tens of thousands of satellites to reach rural areas. This is different from the dispersed 3G/4G cell towers, and makes it difficult to avoid being bathed in MMW radiation.
“The difference between 4G and 5G is the equivalent of the difference between a mountain stream of EMF exposure and a vast ocean of it.”
The promises of a “fourth industrial revolution” require continuous transmission and receiving of signals. But the real reason for 5G is to enable telecoms companies to connect to homes and businesses without cables. In other words, it’s not about progressing humanity; rather the bottom line of telecoms businesses.
At this stage, there are no studies on constant MMW exposure and common EMF radiation, but there are many studies demonstrating potential harms of MMW radiation in isolation. Links include eye problems, heart rate variability, structural changes in cell membrane and suppressed immune function. With no research on mass MMW radiation via 5G, we could be risking public health disaster.
Key Idea #3: Biological mechanisms of non-ionising radiation damage
EMFs increase oxidative stress in a process involving our intercellular calcium levels. Studies have shown that EMFs may increase calcium levels inside our cells, affecting our voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs). EMF exposure then disrupts the flow of calcium once inside the cells, allowing too much to flow into mitochondria. This in turn leads to oxidative stress and cell death.
A number of studies have explored this mechanism by looking at EMF damage while using a calcium channel blocker medication. EMF damage was radically reduced in animals and vitro cells dosed with calcium channel blockers, clearly implicating calcium in the EMF damage process.
VGCCs exist in virtually all lifeforms, suggesting EMFs can impact everything in our ecosystem. Excess calcium in our cells increases free radical molecules, which damage cell membranes, proteins, mitochondria, stem cells and ultimately our nuclear DNA. This is ironically the same effects as ionising radiation, just at a slower pace.
At a molecular level, it is worthwhile understanding how this plays out. Extra calcium ions drive up the levels of two molecules known as nitric oxide and superoxide. Released in mass, these two molecules can combine and form into peroxynitrite, a toxic molecule that can damage proteins, cell membranes, mitochondria, stem cells and DNA.
A poor, carb-rich diet can exacerbate superoxide levels, compounding the risk of forming peroxynitrite. Nitric oxide levels, meanwhile, are beneficial outside cells, but the calcium channel impact of EMF drives it inside the cells. As it is highly reactive, this increases the risk of it combining with superoxide.
When peroxynitrite forms, it primarily breaks down into carbonate free radicals. These have a long enough half-life to travel within and between cells and cause DNA damage, releasing carbonate free radicals that trigger breaks in strands of DNA. Peroxynitrite also inhibits an antioxidant known as superoxide dismutase (SOD), which helps to neutralise and convert superoxide.
While a different mechanism, non-ionizing radiation can potentially therefore do similar or even more damage than ionising radiation. Some studies have shown that low EMF exposure can produce more DNA breaks than x-rays, for example.
Some organs and tissues with higher concentration of VGCCs are impacted more, e.g. brain, heart and reproductive organs. Studies also demonstrate an interference with bacteria. Worse, EMF radiation affects children even more than adults, with their brains absorbing more EMF radiation.
Key Idea #4: The damage caused by EMFs
Studies suggest that exposure to non-ionising EMFs can have serious health effects, impacting various aspects of physical and mental well-being. One common symptom associated with EMF hypersensitivity is tinnitus, where individuals experience persistent ringing in the ears. Research also links EMF exposure to the formation of cataracts in unusual spots in the eye. EMFs might also increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier, driven by oxidative stress and the production of peroxynitrite. This in turn potentially allows harmful substances to enter the brain.
EMF exposure also impairs sleep by reducing melatonin production, a hormone critical for sleep regulation. EMF harms extend to the digestive system, where EMFs may cause a “leaky gut,” allowing toxins to pass through the intestinal barrier. Additionally, studies show that EMFs increase the leaching of mercury from metal dental fillings, raising concerns about toxic absorption.
One of the most significant health concerns is the link between EMF exposure and cancer. Research suggests a connection between EMFs and glioma (a type of brain tumor), breast cancer, and childhood leukemia. People living near power lines, for examples, show a higher incidence of leukemia per several studies. EMF exposure has also been associated with heart problems, affecting heart rate and blood pressure.
On a neurological level, associations include increased risks of psychiatric illnesses and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. Occupations with high EMF exposure or proximity to power lines may heighten this risk.
EMFs could also pose significant threats to reproductive health. Exposure to wireless radiation has been shown to reduce sperm count, motility, and quality in men, and lower progesterone levels and disrupt menstrual cycles in women. Rats exposed to EMF radiation experienced a significant reduction in testosterone. Furthermore, EMF exposure has been linked to an increased risk of miscarriage.
Key Idea #5: How to Repair and Protect from EMF Damage
Our bodies possess built-in repair systems, one of which includes the PARP1 enzyme that assists in DNA repair. However, the repair process is heavily dependent on nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+), a crucial coenzyme. Exposure to EMFs depletes NAD+ levels, affecting DNA repair, mitochondrial function and ATP production, which are essential for energy. Furthermore, NAD+ depletion hinders other processes, including the activity of sirtuins, proteins that contribute to longevity. Without sufficient NAD+, aging may accelerate, and antioxidant levels (such as vitamin C and glutathione) diminish, impacting overall health.
To support recovery, increasing NADPH levels, which act as a “battery” for cells, is crucial. Strategies to boost NADPH include reducing EMF exposure, avoiding food 3-4 hours before sleep to promote cellular recycling (autophagy), and inhibiting NADPH oxidase (NOX), which EMFs tend to overactivate. Raising NAD+ levels can also be achieved through lifestyle practices such as eating within a 6-8 hour window, regular exercise, and supplementation with molecular hydrogen, niacin, and magnesium. Indirectly, heat exposure (e.g. near-infrared saunas) and photodynamic therapy can also enhance NAD+ production.
Dr. Mercola highlights four key principles for EMF protection:
- Reduce controllable EMF exposure: Use grounded Ethernet cables instead of Wi-Fi, turn off routers at night, avoid carrying phones on the body, and address wiring errors in your home. Replacing wireless devices with wired alternatives, avoiding fluorescent bulbs, microwaves, and baby monitors, and creating an EMF-free bedroom sanctuary are essential steps.
- Maximise distance from EMF sources: Keep phones on speaker mode and away from your body, avoid Bluetooth devices, keep Wi-Fi routers far from living spaces, and test bedrooms for EMF levels.
- Reduce external EMF exposure: Avoid 5G-enabled phones, assess EMF levels before purchasing a home, and relocate if living near power lines.
- Shield yourself when necessary: When reducing exposure is insufficient, shielding methods, such as EMF-blocking paint, Faraday bags, protective clothing, and smart meter guards, can help.
In addition, it’s essential to advocate for stricter safety measures and push for fibre-optic technology as an alternative to 5G. Awareness and proactive measures can mitigate the potential health risks associated with EMF exposure.
