NEGATIVE IONS AND YOUR HEALTH

Most particles found in the air have a positive charge.  In nature, negative ions are generated by sunlight, lightning, waves, and waterfalls.  That's why people feel so invigorated in these settings.  Indoors, however, negative ions are lacking hence the development of negative ion generators to improve air quality inside businesses and homes.

The science behind it is that negative ions will be attracted to positive ions in the air.  When there is a high enough concentration of negative ions in the air, they will attract floating positively charged particles in large numbers.  This causes the particle to become too heavy to remain airborne.  As a result, the particle will fall out of the air, preventing it from being inhaled into the respiratory tract where it can trigger breathing and health problems.

The claimed health benefits of negative ion generators are:

• The reduction of dust in the air which can help people suffering with asthma, allergies and other respiratory problems.
  
• The reduction of viruses, bacteria and fungi in the air.
  
• Improvements in depression, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), fatigue and sleep by changes in serotonin production and/or brain receptor responsiveness to serotonin.
  

The cheapest ways to incorporate more negative ions into the home are:

SALT CRYSTAL LAMPS:

Salt crystal lamps are natural ionizers:  The salt crystal binds the negative ions with the excess positive ions.  When the lamp becomes warm, it absorbs moisture and crystal will be damp on the surface.  This builds up the ion field.  Through the lamp, the positively charged atmosphere of the room can be neutralized.  In addition to this, the colors of the salt crystal stones can have a healing effect.  You can buy these at Pomme Naturals on Metral Drive or The Soap Exchange in Country Club Mall, Nanaimo.  The prices range depending on the size of the crystal starting at $25.00.  That's the price I paid for the one pictured above.

INDOOR WATERFALLS:

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Indoor waterfalls and desktop fountains provide a constant source of running water.  Running water reduces stress factors in the environment by producing negatively charged ions and by creating white noise which can help neutralize irritating sounds.  You can buy these online starting at $100.00.  The one pictured above was a gift so I'm not sure where it was purchased from.  If any island business sells these, please contact my site so I can spread the good word.

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