All about the benefits of negative ions - Teqoya SIGH-SAD score improvement was 51.1% for high-density ions v. 17.0% for low-density ions. They emit negative ions into the air as a way to clean it which is harmless to you. In addition, we quantitatively examined negative air ionization and depression symptom severity using meta-analysis. Studies on negative-ion therapy in Japan, the US, Britain, and other countries have all shown similar positive benefits to using negative ions. The findings suggested that in the majority of treated patients, attenuation or the complete disappearance of anxiety and depressive reactions, including insomnia and general disposition, were identified. What are Positive Ions? A controlled trial of timed bright light and negative air ionization for treatment of winter depression. Several more recent studies [13,35,40] examined the influence of exposure to negative air ions only on personal comfort among adults. You. Since all studies were experimental, most, but not all, observations were made within a controlled environment and prospectively. [14], all four subjects fell asleep and reported feeling calm following negative air ionization in the first phase of the study (non-blind). Positive ions are small molecules that have gained a positive charge. [37] conducted two single-blind experiments to evaluate the influence of negative and positive air ionization on subjective feelings among two groups: 6 randomly-selected women (age range: 2030) and 12 adults (age range: 1945) who appeared to be most sensitive to ionization. Bailey WH, Charry JM. Dauphinais DR, Rosenthal JZ, Terman M, DiFebo HM, Tuggle C. Rosenthal NE: Controlled trial of safety and efficacy of bright light therapy vs. negative air ions in patients with bipolar depression. He has been involved in air ion research since 1982 and served as a science advisor to the Minnesota Environmental Quality Board and the Vermont Department of Public Service on health and safety issues relating to air ions. The effect of positive and negative air ions on bronchial asthma. When one or more electrons is stripped away from an atom, it becomes positively charged. BDI beck depression inventory; CgA-like IR chromogranin A-like immunoreacitivity; HDNI high-density negative ions; SR self-rating; STAI-S state trait anxiety inventory scale; SIGH-SAD structured interview guide for the hamilton depression rating scale, seasonal affective disorder. The influence of air ions, temperature and humidity on subjective wellbeing and comfort. Past speculation has suggested that exposure to positive air ions may be harmful to one's health, while exposure to negative air ions may be associated with beneficial health effects. This study summarizes a qualitative literature review and quantitative meta-analysis, where applicable, that examines the potential effects of . Nakane H, Asami O, Yamada Y, Ohira H. Effect of negative air ions on computer operation, anxiety and salivary chromogranin A-like immunoreactivity. In a double-blind RCT by Terman and Terman [7], 99 adults with SAD or bipolar II disorder were followed to examine the effects of high- and low-density negative air ionization and light therapy during the final hours of sleep. Negative ion treatment increases positive emotional processing in seasonal affective disorder. An official website of the United States government. All but one study [19] was published in a peer-reviewed journal. Here are just a few places where negative ions can be found in high quantities: If you dont have access to the outdoors, then you might want to consider buying a negative ion generator. [39] conducted a double-blind experiment with 44 patients randomized to the control and 51 patients randomized to receive negative air ion treatment (mean age: 40). Five degrees of tension were defined: 1=relaxed; 2=normal tension; 3=mild tension; 4=moderate tension; and 5=severe tension. Three previously mentioned studies on air ions and mood associations also evaluated ion effects on relaxation or sleepiness, or both [12,29,34]. However, no relationship between the duration or frequency of ionization treatment on depression ratings was evident. A socio-relational framework of sex differences in the expression of emotion. Association between BDI score and treatment; increased recall and recognition of positive terms versus negative terms; findings indicate that HDNI treatment produces a positive bias in emotional recall and recognition. Gender differences in emotion regulation: An fMRI study of cognitive reappraisal. Most forms of pollution, toxic chemicals, pet dander, pollen, mold, and other harmful chemicals in the air carry a positive electrical charge, making them positive ions. McRae K, Ochsner K, Mauss I, Gabrieli J, Gross J. Reilly T, Stevenson IC. Negatively charged ions are the opposite of positive ions and they have directly the opposite effect on your health, mood and energy levels. Received 2012 May 16; Accepted 2013 Jan 8. Increase of amplitude interpreted as improvement of perception and apperception. Self-reported feelings of temperature, pleasantness, fatigue, and sweating. Harmer CJ, O'Sullivan U, Favaron E, Massey-Chase R, Ayres R, Reinecke A, Goodwin GM, Cowen PJ. Task performance was slightly but significantly improved by the presence of negative air ions. Some might be filled with a pool of positive ions than negative and vice versa. Office air-conditioning systems, fluorescent lights and electrical and . All analyses were performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software (version 2.2.046; Biostat, Englewood, NJ). Charry JM. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) criteria for SAD, Self-reported computer-oriented stress, physiological and psychological stress. Degree of tension: 1 = relaxed; 2 = normal tension; 3 = mild tension; 4 = moderate tension; and 5 = severe tension. [8]; Flory et al. Terman et al.s [8] double-blind study of the effects of timed bright light and negative air ionization on SAD in 124 adults showed that exposure to high-density air ionization provided subjects with clinically significant relief by producing a 50% reduction in depressive symptoms from baseline. Giannini AJ, Giannini JD, Melemis S, Giannini JN. Chemistry Articles Positive and Negative Ions: Cations and Anions Updated: 07-23-2021 Inorganic Chemistry For Dummies Explore Book Buy On Amazon Cations (positively-charged ions) and anions (negatively-charged ions) are formed when a metal loses electrons, and a nonmetal gains those electrons. Sleep measures subjects given morning light awakened 0.62 0.62 hours earlier than at baseline; negative air ions, 0.41 0.37 hours earlier; and evening light, 0.09 0.58 hours earlier. In addition, participants in 2830 studies remained blind to exposure and ion density, thus mitigating potential bias. In fact, it appears that low dose ionization may be regarded by these investigators as an inactive exposure condition [22,24]. Positive ions are naturally occur Goel and Etwaroo [5] performed a single-blind RCT to determine the immediate effects of bright light, auditory stimulus, and high-density (n=29) and low-density negative air ionization (n=30) on mood and attentiveness in 118 mildly depressed and non-depressed college students (mean age: 19.4). They have a detrimental effect on our health and feelings of wellbeing. Thirty-three studies (19572012) evaluating the effects of air ionization on depression, anxiety, mood states, and subjective feelings of mental well-being in humans were included. CI: Confidence Interval; SIGH-SAD: Structured Interview Guide for the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale, Seasonal Affective Disorders. A significant anti-manic effect was observed: total rating scores declined with anion treatment. Decrease in alpha frequency manifestation of general relaxation induced by negative air ions. In phase two, three of the four subjects showed score reductions consistent with clinical improvement; however, inference of these findings was impossible due to the limited number of subjects examined. Giannini AJ, Jones BT, Loiselle RH, Price WA. PDF A Bipolar Ionization Primer for HVAC Professionals - ASHRAE Fifteen studies on activation, anxiety, and mood examined the effects of negative air ions only [5,9,10,12,14,18,26,28-35]. [9] induced stress in 20 adults (age range: 2435; mean age: 28.9) in a single-blind study by performing a computer-oriented task, the subjects reported a significant decrease in computer-oriented stress and psychological stress following negative air ionization. Similarly, in a single-blind study of light and air ion treatment for depression, Goel and Etwaroo [5] found no significant differences in subjects feelings of sedation, pleasantness, or intensity. Positive and Negative Ions: Cations and Anions - dummies In addition, using validated metrics for outcome assessment in large study populations; determining justifiable thresholds to delineate between sham, low, and high air ion concentrations; and implementing an adequate exposure duration and follow-up period are recommended. It is well known that the spatial distribution and numbers of air ions vary considerably due to differences in these factors [47]. Positive Ions Though doctors and scientists cannot say with certainty what exactly negative ions do for humans and animals, many experts agree that at the very least, negative ions can help increase energy and improve mood. [40] conducted a single-blind experiment and found no significant effect of negative air ionization on personal comfort among 26 adults working within 5 different rooms of an office building. Estimates of treatment effects for studies with multiple follow-up times [6-8] were examined by time point also. HHS Vulnerability Disclosure, Help They are also generated by air ionizers sold commercially and by corona activity on the surface of high voltage conductors of transmission lines. Likert scales assessed four aspects of stimulus perception using a 7-point scale. For reporting purposes, we have organized our review of studies by outcome, ascending year of publication, and the first authors last name. Lips et al. On the other hand, Lips et al. Negative ion (7.5 min/day or 15 min/day if tolerable for 8 weeks). How Negative And Positive Ions Affect Your Health - Organic Soul In addition, since ozone is generated along with ions, these may contribute to the bacterial killing. In particular, ion-sensitive subjects showed that activation decreased and reaction times increased during exposure to positive air ions while non-sensitive subjects showed increased activation and no effects on reaction time. No significant differences were observed between experimental and control conditions. Already on our list? Accessibility A structured literature review was conducted to identify human experimental studies published through August, 2012. Dantzler et al. Harmer CJ, Cowen PJ, Goodwin GM. [32] study subsequently performed a double-blind RCT of adults (21 patients with SAD and 21 controls) exposed to high-density negative air ions and also reported no effect on measures of visual analogue (mood) or State-Trait Anxiety Inventory ratings [31]. Sensitivity analyses were performed to examine data robustness. Negative air ions (NAIs) have been discovered for more than 100 years and are widely used for air cleaning. Of note, the clinic that performed the Malcolm et al. All life on this planet has a bioelectric field of energy surrounding it and thus can easily be influenced by things like electromagnetic pollution and more. Charry JM, Hawkinshire FB. 1Exponent, Inc., Health Sciences, Center for Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Computational Biology, 525 West Monroe Street, Suite 1050, 60661, Chicago, IL, USA, 2Exponent, Inc., Health Sciences, Center for Epidemiology, Biostatistics, and Computational Biology, 4141 Arapahoe Avenue, Suite 101, 80303, Boulder, CO, USA, 3Exponent, Inc., Health Sciences, Center for Exposure Assessment and Dose Reconstruction, 17000 Science Drive, Suite 200, 20715, Bowie, MD, USA. Our main findings were two-fold. In a single-blind study conducted by Watanabe et al. National Library of Medicine Goel N, Terman M, Terman JS, Macchi MM, Stewart JW. Goel N, Etwaroo GR. High-density negative ion treatment increases positive affective memory. Negative ions are created when a molecule gains a negatively charged electron. The Harmful Effects of Positive Ions on The Body - Infinity Pro There isn't any strong evidence that positive ions are bad for your health. Nonetheless, human studies to date on the relationship between exposure duration, within high and low air ion concentrations, and depression symptom severity do not support such a relationship. Lips R, Salawu JT, Kember P, Probert SD. sharing sensitive information, make sure youre on a federal Emergence or exacerbation of depression, sleep, appetite/weight, headache. These effects by negative air ions were also observed using STAI-S. Of note, the low-density group was considered the control and too few data were available for the high-density group to allow for a meaningful analysis; therefore, data among the high-density group were not reported. Our narrative review provides no basis for further investigation of a variety of emotional state indicators and air ionization. Terman M, Terman JS. An air ionizer is a device that releases negative ions into the air. For raw scale scores, neither main effects of treatment nor interactions between treatment and time were significant. Some places may have more concentration than others. Five studies on negative ionization and depression (measured using a structured interview guide) were evaluated by level of exposure intensity (high vs. low) using meta-analysis. In this regard, instruments other than the SIGH-SAD to measure depression severity (e.g., the BDI [52], the Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale [53], the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale [54]) might be considered in future studies since different depression scales may vary in sensitivity and specificity for depression severity, may differ in the measurement of different construct(s) based on the inclusion of specific survey items (i.e., items may discriminate between different dimensions of depression), and may be more suited over others in specific target populations (e.g., young adults vs. elderly patients). Thirty-three English-language studies published between 1957 and 2012 met our inclusion criteria (Table1). Tom et al. An investigation of the effects of negative air ions on responses to submaximal exercise at different times of day.