In the electronic age, we have access to dozens if not hundreds of gadgets that improve our everyday lives, and almost all of these devices produce electric and magnetic fields or electromagnetic fields, sometimes referred to as "EMF". These fields silently surround us in our everyday lives and exist around appliances, electronics, power lines and electrical wiring. Infrared saunas also emit EMF fields, and it's that same energy that makes sauna heat so soothing to the body and sore muscles. You can read all about the known benefits on any of our sauna product pages!
Surprisingly enough, it isn't just the gadgets, electrical wiring and appliances that emit these forces. EMF is produced through natural and man-made means alike. In fact, the earth is the single largest static magnetic field. Check your compass and you'll see its magnet is drawn to this force. The human heart, brain and even digestive system produce a magnetic field. Doctors use magnetic and electrical testing as a means to peek inside our mysterious bodies to diagnose or just to keep us healthy. Some foods with high mineral content contain tiny electrical charges, some enough to illuminate a light bulb in a science experiment!
Electricity produces two types of fields. Whenever there is a flow of electricity, both electrical and magnetic fields are created. Measuring these fields requires a handheld meter called a gauss meter. In the U.S., we measure these fields in Milligauss (mG) This unit is named after German Mathematician Carl Friedrich Gauss. The closer the gauss meter is to the EMF source, the stronger the reading. Likewise, when you are at a distance from these sources, the reading significantly drops.
Several thousand papers documenting a vast spectrum of outcomes state the possible beneficial effects of EMF fields on the human body. More than two dozen panels of highly trained independent scientific experts have reviewed the whole of these studies, and they've concluded that EMF can be beneficial and that, as a whole, EMFs are not harmful in moderation. Overall, the main effect of radio frequency electromagnetic fields is a soothing heating of body tissue.
So what do the measurements look like in your home? Here are several common household devices and the EMF's they produce.
** (Variances occur depending on location in the home and proximity to the person)
As with most of the devices we use in our daily lives, infrared saunas also emit magnetic frequencies, and there are many studies that document the benefits these frequencies can have on the body. There's certainly no doubt about the fact that resting in a sauna is extremely relaxing and soothing! Just remember to only use your sauna as long as is recommended by the manufacturer or your own doctor.
