Technology is ubiquitous in our daily life, offering limitless information and services at our fingertips – with Google maps, Uber eats and live traffic updates now a part of our everyday life. 

But what if we could enhance this experience and go well beyond that? What if we could download movies in moments instead of hours; Livestream events instantaneously without delays, lapses or telecommunication interferences; and automate our cooking and cleaning to return home to the optimal temperature, our favourite tunes playing and with the oven on and ready for dinner?

Welcome to the promised land of 5G technology – where the interconnectedness of our devices to our homes and environments means that our daily habits will be reflected in our ‘smart’ environments.

The Internet of Things (IoT)

Driving the enthusiasm for 5G is the Internet of Things (IoT). The IoT is the connectivity of billions of ‘smart’ devices, from ‘smart homes’ and household appliances to ‘smart phones’, ‘smart energy’ - to virtual reality devices and driverless cars. This technology can perform functions practically on auto-pilot – with almost no human intervention necessary. Sounds good – but wait, there’s more. The possibilities are endless with artificial intelligence’s ability to work autonomously and connect to any piece of machinery that carries an antenna and microchip. The opportunities of this new technology are exhilarating, with capabilities to monitor any number of people with their health, fitness, medication regime and monitoring of vitals (BP, blood sugar, sleep). Not only that, 5G technology has wider agricultural utilisation in assisting farmers in tracking their livestock’s health, their sleep patterns, as well as aerial monitoring of temperature and growing conditions, all from their tablet or smart phone.^{1, 2}

5G – what is it?

5G stands for 5th generation, an updated network of mobile wireless communication technology that will be rolled out extensively from 2020 onward to accommodate the large growth in data and connectivity of today’s modern society.³ 5G promises the ‘better-faster-longer’ adage of better connectivity; faster streaming and downloads; greater network speeds; and very low latency (response time) over the network.⁴

With global demands for this new technology at an all-time high, concerns regarding the safety of 5G technology remain to be fully elucidated. These concerns include the unknown and unexplored effects on:

• Health – with the concept of a ‘control group’ fast becoming impossible, how do we accurately assess and predict what the effects/health ramifications are of our increased exposure to wireless technology.
• Privacy - data collection takes place in real-time, with computer hackers’ (or the governments) ability to access your personal data, private information and potential to compromise the safety of your home.
• The environment - trees and bees, plants and insects - with bees exposed to EMF radiation exhibiting symptoms of behavioural changes,⁵ poor orientation⁶ skills and bee colony collapse.⁷ This has further implications for our farming and food future.
• The frequency (95 GHz) has been used for crowd control and is considered a military weapon (known as Active Denial System) whereby they use a focused beam.⁸

These are just a few of the concerns raised by this new technology, of which may be advancing at a rate faster than our legislation, privacy laws and spyware are able to keep up with.

What’s the frequency, Kenneth?

Radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic radiation (EMR) is the transfer of energy by radio waves. RF EMR lies in the frequency range between 3 kilohertz (kHz) to 300 gigahertz (GHz). RF EMR is non-ionising radiation, meaning that it has insufficient energy to break chemical bonds or remove electrons (ionisation).⁹ Both natural and artificial sources emit RF EMF – the sun and earth emit low levels, whilst microwaves, radars, mobile phones, wireless networks (WIFI and cordless phones) and radio and TV broadcasting emit EMFs.

Current frequencies of 4G – 600MHz and 5.8GHz 5G – 6 GHz and upwards to 100GHz – said to carry wireless data 10 times faster than 4G with 1000 times the data.

In order to carry out this increase in data and connectivity, there will be millions of small cell antennas mounted on existing structures and installed every 50-250m to ensure better coverage, particularly in high-density populations/areas. Also appearing will be MIMO (multiple in multiple out) antennas – with many antenna connections for sending and receiving greater amounts of data simultaneously.

What do we know about EMFs?

EMF radiation exposure has been researched for decades, with inconclusive results on its genotoxic and carcinogenic effects.¹¹ Given the rate of people becoming sensitive to EMFs is increasing over time¹⁰ -  with incidences estimated to be from 1.5% of the population of Sweden, to 13.3% of the population in Taiwan being affected¹² - we must take into consideration the combined additive effect on one’s system with this constant exposure to low-level EMFs.

Several studies have concluded that the molecular effects of non-ionising radiation on the body include: an increase of oxidative stress¹³, and thus significant activation of key pathways generating reactive oxidative species^6,13 which may damage DNA^6,13 and affect sperm quality¹⁴ with the major site of intracellular ROS generation observed after RF-EMR exposure being the mitochondria.¹⁴

OM(5)G – what can we do?

Like it or not, this technology has and will become a permanent feature in our lives, with the technological advances now a necessity in order to keep up with our global alliances. However, we can utilise strategies to remain informed and provide protection for ourselves, friends, families and the wider communities in which we live.

Our first port of call is to identify sources of RF-EMF in our immediate environment and reduce our exposure to them. Some common household radiation-emitting devices include WIFI routers, smart meter and electrical boxes, mobile phones, tablet devices and computers, Bluetooth technology, and microwave ovens.

For more information visit: https://www.arpansa.gov.au¹⁵ 

Key activities to reduce cellular damage from radiation include: Support mitochondria health; Reduce DNA damage and oxidative stress (ROS) via Nrf2 antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms to protect cells from radiation exposure; Upregulate glutathione (GSH), Superoxide dismutase SOD, sulphation and all antioxidant mechanisms.

5 ingredients to thrive in a 5G landscape

Curcumin (Curcuma longa) – Is there anything curcumin can’t do? A well-established antioxidant (upregulates Nrf2)¹⁶ and anti-inflammatory herb (inhibits NF-kB),17 humble turmeric and it’s active curcuminoids have been found to significantly reduce the expression of NF-kB in the cytosols and nuclei of cells exposed to EMF radiation.¹⁸

Green tea (Camellia sinensis) – The high content of antioxidants and polyphenols, specifically catechins, in green tea have been studied widely for the protective effects on cellular function to reduce oxidative stress,¹⁹ reduce DNA damage caused by UV radiation²⁰ and provide neuronal protection against a broad range of toxic and nervous agents.²¹

N-acetylcysteine (NAC) – A thiol-containing antioxidant and precursor to glutathione, NAC is a go-to for reducing oxidative stress, improving antioxidant mechanisms and mitochondrial support. A rat study found that administration of NAC before high dose irradiation protected from radiation-induced damage by: replenishing glutathione stores; scavenging ROS; and inhibiting NO, thereby reducing cellular and DNA damage caused by radiation.²²

Gingko (Ginkgo biloba) – Recovery workers from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster site were treated with 40mg ginkgo TDS for 2 months, showing the clastogenic effect (markers of chromosomal damage from irradiation) were reduced to control levels on the first day of the end of the treatment. The benefits persisted for over a year, showing ongoing protective effects of ginkgo²³ and authors concluding that gingko has proven anti-clastogenic effects.²⁴ 

Rats exposed to prolonged exposure to mobile phone radiation demonstrated that radiation stimulated degenerative changes in the brain, inducing neuronal structural alterations. Those that were given ginkgo were found to have had minimal changes in comparison to control groups.²⁵

Korean ginseng (Panax ginseng) – Ginseng has been shown in several studies to have protective effects from radiation exposure.²⁶ In mice exposed to radiation, ginseng demonstrated neuroprotective benefits to the hippocampus, via the maintenance of calcium homeostasis by preventing impairment of intracellular calcium levels in the hippocampus.²⁷

The radioprotective efficacy of ginseng was studied in the testicular enzymes of mice, concluding that ginseng markedly reduced lipid peroxidation and altered acid and alkaline phosphatases, protecting from the harmful effects of radiation and reducing oxidative stress.²⁸ 

To conclude

The constant omnipresence of radiation exposure from various devices, WIFI, Bluetooth and emissions from cell towers is now the norm. Whilst we are aware of potential impacts of this technology on health at a cellular level, we can be encouraged to provide some natural solutions in order to enhance our body’s innate protective measures and enhance mitochondrial health.

References

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