Health Benefits of “Earthing/Grounding”?

[Captain Cactus]

Hi all:

Does anyone have any experience with intentionally “earthing”, aka “grounding”?

I recognize that many people probably enjoy walking barefoot or going to the beach, etc... but I’m wondering if anyone has experience to share regarding their specific situations to include improvements in health?

Anyone invested in a “grounding mat”?

Thanks!

Edited to address typo in subject line.

[windytrail]

I wear Vivobarefoots because I love feeling the ground when walking or running. It's short of going completely barefoot, but in the City there's glass and metal shards to worry about.

It sounds like you're referring to something else, though?

PTF.

[Metalcat]

Sounds pretty new-agey to me.

Go nuts and enjoy walking around on the ground barefoot, I don't doubt it's probably good for you for some reason, but I'm skeptical that that reason has been so well isolated that it can be reproduced in a commercially made mat.

I'm all for being open minded about the therapeutic/healing power of nature, even if it's poorly understood by science, but I'm not for being sold pseudoscientific products that claim to harness nature.

[BussoV6]

This has a strong whiff of snake oil. I would love to be proven wrong though.

[cool7hand]

I have no doubt that most people get a lot of benefit from spending time in nature. The idea that you can get the same benefit through some product that attempts to replicate real time in nature is just an attempt to rob you. Find a way to enjoy nature for free--including in your bare feet if that helps.

[LennStar]

I have only a vague guess what a grounding mat is, but if it is anything close to what I think it is, it is a scam. Like homeopathy - there is nothing in it that works, it's just the circumstances that (may) make the difference.

Hm... a placebo for a real walk? Is that a grounding mat?

[Tinker]

while there are undeniable benefits to walking barefoot where the ground allows (i.e. not in Brooklyn or Sanfran), earthing and grounding is a cult and associated accessories are guaranteed to give you the same placebo benefits a proper audiophile might collect from his 1000$ magic cables

[Dicey]

Hmmm, i opened thus thread after leaving another in frustration becsuse no one was facepunching someone who has a $160k car on order. It seems there is a definite lack of facepunching of late and that the return of them is sorely needed. I'm sure this thing you want costs nowhere near as much, but IMO is equally facepunch worthy.

[ToTheMoon]

I have no idea what a grounding mat is, but you should look into "forest bathing." This may be more along the lines of what you are asking about. Not just time in the outdoors, but time spent with intention in the outdoors. I have not tried it, but there are a few people in our area who lead retreats to teach it. Sounds interesting. YMMV

[Captain Cactus]

Thanks all for the replies.

To be clearer, looking for feedback on 3 topics. I should have been more precise.

1). Do you have personal experience with grounding/earthing?
2). If so, have you purchased an earthing/grounding product?  Or simply being conscious about going outside barefoot, etc...?
3).  If you do have experience with either method, could you describe the impact on your own life?

“Face punch” if you want, but I’m not asking for “permission” to buy anything.

Edited to fix typos and add clarity.

[bloodaxe]

Somewhat related, but I have felt better since doing more to improve my natural movements.

I no longer sit in chairs and walk around barefoot at home. It's really helped my mobility and flexibility.

[Captain Cactus]

Somewhat related, but I have felt better since doing more to improve my natural movements.

I no longer sit in chairs and walk around barefoot at home. It's really helped my mobility and flexibility.

Cool, I like that.  Working from home has opened up all kinds of new options... in lieu of trying to recreate the office environment we can work in a way that works best for ourselves, allows us to simultaneously be productive and validate our authentic selves. 

[ericrugiero]

I don't work on "grounding" but I have switched almost exclusively to minimalist or barefoot shoes.  These shoes allow you feet to move naturally allowing the muscles to strengthen and the foot to work as the natural shock absorber it's supposed to be.  It's like being barefoot with some protection.  Since switching (after time to adapt), I have less foot pain, knee pain, and back pain.  I also have greatly reduced injuries while playing sports.  I wear mostly Xero shoes but there are other brands available.  https://xeroshoes.com/  Word of warning:  If you switch, don't overdo the activity right away.  It takes time to develop the strength and flexibility you have lost by wearing supportive shoes. 

edit:  Like others have said, I don't doubt there could be some benefits from actually connecting your feet to the ground.  I am skeptical that we have figured out how to replicate that with a man-made product designed to make someone rich. 

[K_in_the_kitchen]

Earthing/grounding started gaining traction among some of my friends and family at least a decade ago.  It's a simple principle and there is some data out there to suggest it can have a positive effect on health.  Until recently humans didn't wear shoes all of the time.  I recall how in summer my sibling and I were mostly barefoot, except for when we needed flip flops to not burn our feet.  We'd outgrown the previous year's school shoes and our parents weren't going to buy new shoes until the week before school started again.

For me, the whole earthing/grounding thing falls under interesting, because connecting with the earth's magnetic field and soil's rich microbiome via our bare feet is something humans have done most of our history.  It doesn't hurt to spend more time in direct contact with the earth, and according to an article in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health, has been shown to improve sleep and reduce pain.

I tried earthing back in the early 2010s, but there was so much else going wrong with my health that it was like the proverbial bailing out of a sinking boat with a thimble.  I don't think earthing is a magic cure for anything.  But I do include it now in the natural health behaviors I use to improve my overall health (these include sunbathing, walking daily and preferably more than once a day, making sure I don't sit for 8+ hours a day, drinking enough water, spending time in nature at least weekly, spending some time barefoot to strengthen my feet, reducing stress, finding things that make me laugh, etc.).

I think the reason this may seem new is because someone figured out how to make a buck with it by selling grounding mats.  You can earth/ground on unsealed concrete, so most people have options even if they don't have a lot of dirt and grass to stand on.  There's no way I would buy a grounding mat, just like I didn't buy into the magnetic mattress hype.

[Captain Cactus]

Earthing/grounding started gaining traction among some of my friends and family at least a decade ago.  It's a simple principle and there is some data out there to suggest it can have a positive effect on health.  Until recently humans didn't wear shoes all of the time.  I recall how in summer my sibling and I were mostly barefoot, except for when we needed flip flops to not burn our feet.  We'd outgrown the previous year's school shoes and our parents weren't going to buy new shoes until the week before school started again.

For me, the whole earthing/grounding thing falls under interesting, because connecting with the earth's magnetic field and soil's rich microbiome via our bare feet is something humans have done most of our history.  It doesn't hurt to spend more time in direct contact with the earth, and according to an article in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health, has been shown to improve sleep and reduce pain.

I tried earthing back in the early 2010s, but there was so much else going wrong with my health that it was like the proverbial bailing out of a sinking boat with a thimble.  I don't think earthing is a magic cure for anything.  But I do include it now in the natural health behaviors I use to improve my overall health (these include sunbathing, walking daily and preferably more than once a day, making sure I don't sit for 8+ hours a day, drinking enough water, spending time in nature at least weekly, spending some time barefoot to strengthen my feet, reducing stress, finding things that make me laugh, etc.).

I think the reason this may seem new is because someone figured out how to make a buck with it by selling grounding mats.  You can earth/ground on unsealed concrete, so most people have options even if they don't have a lot of dirt and grass to stand on.  There's no way I would buy a grounding mat, just like I didn't buy into the magnetic mattress hype.

Thank you!  This is the kind of insight I was hoping for (ie not a knee-jerk response).  Very thoughtful, I appreciate it. 

[Metalcat]

Earthing/grounding started gaining traction among some of my friends and family at least a decade ago.  It's a simple principle and there is some data out there to suggest it can have a positive effect on health.  Until recently humans didn't wear shoes all of the time.  I recall how in summer my sibling and I were mostly barefoot, except for when we needed flip flops to not burn our feet.  We'd outgrown the previous year's school shoes and our parents weren't going to buy new shoes until the week before school started again.

For me, the whole earthing/grounding thing falls under interesting, because connecting with the earth's magnetic field and soil's rich microbiome via our bare feet is something humans have done most of our history.  It doesn't hurt to spend more time in direct contact with the earth, and according to an article in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health, has been shown to improve sleep and reduce pain.

I tried earthing back in the early 2010s, but there was so much else going wrong with my health that it was like the proverbial bailing out of a sinking boat with a thimble.  I don't think earthing is a magic cure for anything.  But I do include it now in the natural health behaviors I use to improve my overall health (these include sunbathing, walking daily and preferably more than once a day, making sure I don't sit for 8+ hours a day, drinking enough water, spending time in nature at least weekly, spending some time barefoot to strengthen my feet, reducing stress, finding things that make me laugh, etc.).

I think the reason this may seem new is because someone figured out how to make a buck with it by selling grounding mats.  You can earth/ground on unsealed concrete, so most people have options even if they don't have a lot of dirt and grass to stand on.  There's no way I would buy a grounding mat, just like I didn't buy into the magnetic mattress hype.

Thank you!  This is the kind of insight I was hoping for (ie not a knee-jerk response).  Very thoughtful, I appreciate it.

??? Knee-jerk reaction???

A lot of us said basically the exact same thing, just with less detail.

I acknowledged the benefits while being skeptical about commercial products trying to capitalize on those benefits. I think most commercial products that try to claim that they can harness the healing benefits of nature are a bullshit scam, because they are.

There's excellent science indicating that nature is therapeutic, but there's only piss poor science claiming to explain exactly why.

[windytrail]

There's excellent science indicating that nature is therapeutic, but there's only piss poor science claiming to explain exactly why.

True, Western medicine has failed to understand certain truths about humans and nature as taught by Eastern philosophy  for thousands of years. Crudely, it's Reductionism v. Holism.

You can improve your well-being by meditating, practicing yoga or tai chi, and going for walks in nature. Western medicine attempts to explain why this is the case in terms of specific biological and neurological processes, but it misses the mark. Similarly, you do not need any knowledge from a biology course to become a master gardener.

Instead of buying a grounding mat, I would recommend checking out books at your library from authors such as: The Dalai Llama, Thich Nhat Hanh, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Benjamin Hoff. For free, you will gain a deeper understanding of the metaphysical truths underlying Eastern philosophy, which (in a diluted, secular form) have trickled into Western medicine.

[Kris]

The medical history podcast Sawbones has an entire episode on it.

https://www.themcelroy.family/2020/8/14/21368934/sawbones-grounded-for-life

[mwulff]

I have no idea about the whole "grounding" thing, seems a little woo woo to me, but hey to each their own.

But I do honestly love wearing five-finger barefoot shoes. They really improve my feet and well being when I do. Unfortunately they are too coold for 4 months of the year here.

[Captain Cactus]

Thank you everyone for your replies.  Sounds like there may be some kind of benefit to safely walking the earth barefoot, but it's not possible to boil that down into a retail product.  Certainly not a panacea.  And definitely not a substitute for eating healthy foods, regular exercise, good night's sleep, etc...

Unrelated to this topic, I do have a pair of those Virbram finger toe shoes that I wear to the beach. 

[K_in_the_kitchen]

There's excellent science indicating that nature is therapeutic, but there's only piss poor science claiming to explain exactly why.

True, Western medicine has failed to understand certain truths about humans and nature as taught by Eastern philosophy  for thousands of years. Crudely, it's Reductionism v. Holism.

You can improve your well-being by meditating, practicing yoga or tai chi, and going for walks in nature. Western medicine attempts to explain why this is the case in terms of specific biological and neurological processes, but it misses the mark. Similarly, you do not need any knowledge from a biology course to become a master gardener.

Both of these statements speak truth.  In the West people look to science to explain everything -- we want to know the why and then we reduce things to parts.  Nutrition "science" and vitamins are good examples of this.  At some point people figured out that certain foods were healthy because they prevented serious conditions caused by the deficiency of certain nutrients.  Because foods containing vitamin C could prevent scurvy (although people didn't know it was because of vitamin C), those foods were valued, and eventually vitamin C was discovered and became a nutrition darling.  When I was younger and superfoods were really taking off, I read how apples are inferior to oranges because they contain less vitamin C (and less potassium and less calcium and less ...).  Scientists were measuring what they could find, reducing the apple to what they could measure.  But then I read T. Colin Campbell and he wrote about the wholeness of the apple and taking it in that way, understanding that we don't know all of the compounds in an apple or how they work together.  Actually, I'm not explaining it well at all, so here's part of the publisher's blurb for Whole:

Every apple contains thousands of antioxidants whose names, beyond a few like vitamin C, are unfamiliar to us, and each of these powerful chemicals has the potential to play an important role in supporting our health. They impact thousands upon thousands of metabolic reactions inside the human body. But calculating the specific influence of each of these chemicals isn’t nearly sufficient to explain the effect of the apple as a whole. Because almost every chemical can affect every other chemical, there is an almost infinite number of possible biological consequences—and that’s just from an apple.

Nutritional science, long stuck in a reductionist mindset, is at the cusp of a revolution. The traditional gold standard of nutrition research has been to study one chemical at a time in an attempt to determine its particular impact on the human body. These sorts of studies are helpful to food companies trying to prove there is a chemical in milk or prepackaged dinners that is “good” for us, but they provide little insight into the complexity of what actually happens in our bodies or how those chemicals contribute to our health.

Of course it isn't just about chemicals in our food, either.  I think what Eastern medicine gets right is the concept that we are whole beings and our health is affected by everything, including our minds.

I actually don't think of myself as practicing "earthing" or "grounding".  I don't think about it at all.  I just made it a habit to be barefoot outside, walking on grass and concrete (and sometimes dirt but I don't love it).  I walk on sand when I can.  I put my feet in the ocean and in rivers and streams.  I just try to be a human and to connect with the nature as a human.  I'm not paleo or primal, either.  Earthing just made sense to me and was free to try.  Has it done anything for my health?  I wouldn't even try to figure it out separately from everything else I do.

[Captain Cactus]

There's excellent science indicating that nature is therapeutic, but there's only piss poor science claiming to explain exactly why.

True, Western medicine has failed to understand certain truths about humans and nature as taught by Eastern philosophy  for thousands of years. Crudely, it's Reductionism v. Holism.

You can improve your well-being by meditating, practicing yoga or tai chi, and going for walks in nature. Western medicine attempts to explain why this is the case in terms of specific biological and neurological processes, but it misses the mark. Similarly, you do not need any knowledge from a biology course to become a master gardener.

Both of these statements speak truth.  In the West people look to science to explain everything -- we want to know the why and then we reduce things to parts.  Nutrition "science" and vitamins are good examples of this.  At some point people figured out that certain foods were healthy because they prevented serious conditions caused by the deficiency of certain nutrients.  Because foods containing vitamin C could prevent scurvy (although people didn't know it was because of vitamin C), those foods were valued, and eventually vitamin C was discovered and became a nutrition darling.  When I was younger and superfoods were really taking off, I read how apples are inferior to oranges because they contain less vitamin C (and less potassium and less calcium and less ...).  Scientists were measuring what they could find, reducing the apple to what they could measure.  But then I read T. Colin Campbell and he wrote about the wholeness of the apple and taking it in that way, understanding that we don't know all of the compounds in an apple or how they work together.  Actually, I'm not explaining it well at all, so here's part of the publisher's blurb for Whole:

Every apple contains thousands of antioxidants whose names, beyond a few like vitamin C, are unfamiliar to us, and each of these powerful chemicals has the potential to play an important role in supporting our health. They impact thousands upon thousands of metabolic reactions inside the human body. But calculating the specific influence of each of these chemicals isn’t nearly sufficient to explain the effect of the apple as a whole. Because almost every chemical can affect every other chemical, there is an almost infinite number of possible biological consequences—and that’s just from an apple.

Nutritional science, long stuck in a reductionist mindset, is at the cusp of a revolution. The traditional gold standard of nutrition research has been to study one chemical at a time in an attempt to determine its particular impact on the human body. These sorts of studies are helpful to food companies trying to prove there is a chemical in milk or prepackaged dinners that is “good” for us, but they provide little insight into the complexity of what actually happens in our bodies or how those chemicals contribute to our health.

Of course it isn't just about chemicals in our food, either.  I think what Eastern medicine gets right is the concept that we are whole beings and our health is affected by everything, including our minds.

I actually don't think of myself as practicing "earthing" or "grounding".  I don't think about it at all.  I just made it a habit to be barefoot outside, walking on grass and concrete (and sometimes dirt but I don't love it).  I walk on sand when I can.  I put my feet in the ocean and in rivers and streams.  I just try to be a human and to connect with the nature as a human.  I'm not paleo or primal, either.  Earthing just made sense to me and was free to try.  Has it done anything for my health?  I wouldn't even try to figure it out separately from everything else I do.

I love this, thank you for putting the time into writing this up. 

[sparkytheop]

I think nature has a lot of health benefits (I am much less tense and stressed when I'm on my ~9 treed acres, it's pretty, peaceful, usually pretty quiet, etc).  For my mom, it's gardening (she finds my acreage almost claustrophobic because of all the trees).   But no "mat" will ever produce anything like that for me (or her).

As far as actual grounding mats, I've used them when working on electronics so I don't fry those, but they did nothing for me either.  (Yes, that sounds flippant...  but, I'm also coming at this as someone extremely sensitive to frequency and pressure changes.  I've "felt" machines going bad from days, to a couple years before they completely self-destructed.  I'm 99% sure it has to do with my eardrums-- they're hyper-flexible, and certain vibrations make me sick to my stomach.  Slight changes from "normal" are felt internally.)

Anyway, I think going outside and sitting under a tree on a nice day will do more for you than any "product" that claims to do so from the comfort of your own climate-controlled building.

[FINate]

Potential health benefits aside (which I don't have opinions on), the grounding mats I found online plug into wall sockets to connect to the electrical ground. It should be noted that every other fixture and most appliances connect to the same ground for safety reasons, to drain current if there's a fault in the wiring system. While I'm generally not too worried about touching a ground wire, I would not want to spent and extended amount of time (e.g. sleeping) doing so. Also, in the event of an electrical storm, a ground mat would essentially put your body on the path of least resistance... basically, you become part of a lightning rod. For these reasons, this would be a hard no for me. I'm actually a little surprised that people are allowed to sell these.

[lutorm]

There are great health benefits to earthing or grounding equipment: to avoid receiving dangerous shocks from them. As to the benefit or grounding yourself, that's generally a detriment since it means you will conduct to ground if you contact a conductor at a different potential. It's usually considered safer to insulate yourself from ground by, i.e. wearing rubber soled shoes, to minimize this risk.

[CodingHare]

I have no idea what a grounding mat is, but you should look into "forest bathing." This may be more along the lines of what you are asking about. Not just time in the outdoors, but time spent with intention in the outdoors. I have not tried it, but there are a few people in our area who lead retreats to teach it. Sounds interesting. YMMV

Seconding the recommendation for forest bathing.  The idea is that we humans evolved in the outdoors and gain a certain amount of stress relief just looking at nature.  Meanwhile, now we live in wooden boxes and spend maybe an hour a day outside?  Maybe even less than that with COVID.  It's also tied to research that humans respond emotionally to colors.  Red makes us feel more stressed, blue and green make us feel more energized.

None of this is an absolute of course, but there is some promising research into the effect being near plants has on us.  For myself, I feel much more cheerful after my daily 30 minute walk with the dog, and even better if I can sit out on the deck and look at the trees for another half hour.

[FIRE 20/20]

Earthing/grounding started gaining traction among some of my friends and family at least a decade ago.  It's a simple principle and there is some data out there to suggest it can have a positive effect on health. 

I heard about this a while ago too, and at the time I looked into the studies that showed some benefit.  Each of the studies I found at the time were funded and performed by companies who sell earthing products.  At the time (this may have changed) there were no independent studies that showed any benefit.

[MilesTeg]

Hi all:

Does anyone have any experience with intentionally “earthing”, aka “grounding”?

I recognize that many people probably enjoy walking barefoot or going to the beach, etc... but I’m wondering if anyone has experience to share regarding their specific situations to include improvements in health?

Anyone invested in a “grounding mat”?

Thanks!

Edited to address typo in subject line.

Pure unadulterated woo. If walking around barefoot makes you happy, do it. I love it. Don't throw away your money on woo.

[Samuel]

The Skeptoid podcast covered this pretty well. Transcript: https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4611

Bottom line: Unless you go out of your way to purposely insulate yourself from the ground the typical materials of shoes, buildings, and beds have enough conductivity to ground you given the absolutely minuscule differences in electrical charge that sometimes happen between people and the earth.

Regarding grounding products: "Its only therapeutic effect is what doctors call a Wallet Extraction. So keep that wallet safe; and if you feel like it, by all means take off your shoes at the beach or the park. It can be quite relaxing. And though you won't be any more grounded than you were a moment before and no electrons are likely to flow, you might well feel the stress flow away. And that's actually real science."

[jinga nation]

Is this a first world problem, especially in urban areas because people don't walk barefoot in nature or don't have spaces to do it or weather reasons?

Maybe I've never seen or heard of this, because where I live, it is common to see parents and kids running barefoot in grass at a public park, and there are beaches close to me. Plus when tending my fruit/veg/herb trees/plants, I work barefoot as I enjoy the feel of cool grass. A calming effect after a long day.

I did see a couple of hippies walking barefoot on the Mountains to Sea Trail along the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, NC. They were self-absorbed in their thoughts and muttering something.

[aetheldrea]

If you are already wearing the tinfoil hat, you might as well attach a grounding strap to shunt off all the negative energy. Need to protect your Purity Of Essence.