Today I’m going to share with you what I’ve learned about how electro-magnetic fields (EMFs) affect our bodies and could be increasing our risk for breast cancer.

You probably already know that there are hidden dangers lurking in our homes and places of work but EMFs also occur in nature – the earth itself emits electro-magnetic fields in varying degrees.

The EMFs I am discussing are the ones that are emitted by electrical appliances, power lines and electrical wiring. They are also created by cell phones, cell phone towers, Bluetooth devices, WiFi, and other devices we use on a regular basis.

I read somewhere recently that the highest EMF exposure came from using appliances such as electric blankets, microwave ovens, and hair dryers!

The problem with all of this is that it could be increasing our breast cancer risk, and it isn’t just that. The Institute for Functional Medicine states on their website “Recent observational studies and meta-analyses of human studies have suggested that exposure to various levels of EMFs may result in clinical patterns of toxic health effects among some populations, such as endocrine disruption, mental health disturbances, cardiovascular abnormalities, increased oxidative stress, and increased Alzheimer’s disease and tumor risk.”

That’s a huge concern and why I’m sharing this information. Please read through to the end, because I’ll be sharing some tips on how to reduce your exposure to EMFs.

What’s All the Fuss?

Entire summits have recently been aired online with various experts showing all of the dangers of EMFs and 5G. If you are plugged into any health gurus such as Dr Jockers, Nick Pineault, Jonathan Otto, Sayer Ji – these people have been raising awareness of the dangers of EMFs for a few years now.

Some of the information is pretty scary and some of it is infuriating.

For instance, Nick Pineault, a passionate advocate for safe technology, recently wrote that the regulatory agencies determined that wireless radiation from phones, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth was considered to be safe after testing it on five monkeys and eight rats for 40-60 minutes. That’s it. No long term studies. How disturbing is that?

Pineault says “The entire foundation of our current wireless radiation safety standards – which haven’t changed since the 1990s – is based on these extremely limited experiments.” They only measured whether the radiation heated up the body by more than 1°C, assuming it was completely safe if that didn’t happen.

Another complete travesty is that cell phone safety was tested using plastic dummy heads! Not even real people! Independent scientists have since discovered that a child’s head can absorb over twice as much radiation, and their bone marrow up to ten times more than adults.

What About EMFs and Breast Cancer Risk?

With regard to breast cancer, the majority of epidemiologic studies have shown no relationship between breast cancer in women and exposure to extremely low frequency EMFs (ELF-EMFs) in the home. However, a few individual studies have suggested there IS an association.

One 2004 population-based study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology [1] examined a cohort of women living near a high-voltage power line in Norway – this study DID show an association.

A 2003 Canadian study [2] also found a correlation between occupational exposure of ELF-EMFs and an increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer.

Another 2003 study, also published in the American Journal of Epidemiology [3], found that the use of electrical bedding devices could increase breast cancer risk.

So yes – those studies are a bit old by now – and plenty of articles exist on various cancer  association websites that state there is no correlation or need for concern. But we need to look a little deeper than the popular opinion.

Can we – as breast cancer patients and survivors – afford to take the risk that there is no danger to us from EMFs and 5G?

I certainly didn’t want to when I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2004. As a precautionary measure I moved all the electrical gear out of our bedroom — my beloved electric blanket (so nice in the winter, darn it!), the television (no more laying in bed watching TV), even the electric alarm clock on my bedside table had to go. Because although the “powers that be” took an apathetic view of EMFs, most natural therapists with whom I consulted did not.

What is the Mechanism of EMFs Causing an Increased Risk of Breast Cancer?

Being the naturally curious sort, I set out to figure out exactly why EMFs should increase the risk for breast and other types of cancers.

From an energy standpoint alone, EMFs have a very definite effect on a person’s energy field. Although most of us cannot feel or see it, our individual energy field is very much affected by EMFs. Some individuals are very sensitive to this and are more affected than others.

Then there is the issue of the hormone melatonin, which is secreted by the pineal gland in your brain.

One of the primary functions of melatonin is to regulate the circadian rhythms in the body (these govern our waking and sleep cycles). Melatonin is also a powerful free radical scavenger and facilitates DNA synthesis and cell division. It is known as a potent anti-aging hormone.

A 2013 study [4] showed that melatonin production is disrupted by EMFs.

In fact, studies are increasingly showing that melatonin production is disrupted not only by EMFs but by light – especially the blue light that is emitted by computer screens and cell phones – and by 5G and WiFi.

Here’s one of the reasons why that matters. Depletion of melatonin is linked to immune system dysfunction. [5] Melatonin is required for the formation of white blood cells, lymphocytes and macrophages. Melatonin is also involved in the production of T-cells, natural killer cells and cytokines – all important players in your immune system, the very thing you are relying upon to find cancer cells and get rid of them.

We also know that women and men who have disturbed sleep patterns produce lower amounts of melatonin and tend to develop more estrogen-linked cancers. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) states categorically that poor sleep is considered to be a carcinogen.

So it’s not surprising to discover that night shift workers, nurses, long haul airline personnel, and even women who stay up late three or more nights a week, are 60 percent more likely to develop breast cancer.

One study I read indicated that 32 different types of cancer have been linked to lowered melatonin levels. [6]

The other interesting thing with melatonin is how it interacts with breast cancer cells.

1. Studies have shown that when melatonin is added to breast cancer cells in a petri dish, it inhibits their growth significantly. [7]

2. Melatonin can also disrupt estrogen-mediated cellular pathways, and reduce the effects of estrogenic stimulation to breast cancer cells. [7]

3. It has been noted that women with breast cancer have as little as 1/10 the amount of melatonin in their bodies, compared to healthy women. [8]

To me, it seems fairly clear that EMFs and blue light have the potential to affect our melatonin levels, putting us at a higher risk for breast cancer. It just seems sensible to take some precautionary measures with regard to EMFs.

Here are some great tips to help you with that.

1. Measure your home or office for EMFs – to find out how to do this, watch this great YouTube video: Measuring Your Home for EMFs  The Building Biology Institute recommends <0.2 milligauss of magnetic field to be of “No Concern” and < 1 V/m of electric field to be of “No Concern”. Once you find out where the problems lie, you can begin to correct them.

2. Remove all non-essential electric appliances from the bedroom, especially electric blankets, electric heating pads, and computers. Adjustable beds with motors can be an especially strong source of EMFs – and you are sleeping in that all night! If you can’t remove them, unplug them before you go to bed. If your meter box is easily accessible, you can also turn the breaker off for your bedroom each night.

3. Ensure your bedroom is as dark as you can make it – light disrupts the release of melatonin.

4. About an hour prior to bed, reduce your interaction with cell phones and computers or use a blue-light shield on these devices as the light they emit hampers the release of melatonin

5. Don’t charge your cell phone in the bedroom or anywhere near your body.

6. Look out your bedroom window. If there is a clear and unobstructed view of a cell phone tower facing your way, you would be well advised to look into shielding solutions.

7. Supplements that studies show help to negate EMF damage are vitamins C and E, spirulina, melatonin, resveratrol (seek the advice of a naturopath for proper dosages and products for you personally).

8. Use corded connections. If you can, use a long ethernet cable and connect to the internet at home via this cable rather than Wifi.

9. Put your cell phone on airplane mode at night or whenever you are carrying it in a pocket on your body. Ensure that the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are turned off.

10. Maintain a good distance from WiFi routers and cell phones. EMF exposure decreases rapidly with distance from the source. Try to maintain a distance of at least a meter (about 3.2 feet) from these devices.

11. Consider using EMF shielding devices on your body, and/or on your cell phone – there are a plethora of these on the market, try to find ones that have actual scientific studies done on them.

I hope you found this of interest, and if you have any questions, be sure to contact me.

References
[1] Residential and Occupational Exposures to 50-Hz Magnetic Fields and Breast Cancer in Women: A Population-based Study – https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/159/9/852/167633
[2] Occupational exposures to extremely low frequency magnetic fields and postmenopausal breast cancer – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14635241/
[3] Use of electric bedding devices and risk of breast cancer in African-American women – https://academic.oup.com/aje/article-abstract/158/8/798/64146
[4] Critical time delay of the pineal melatonin rhythm in humans due to weak electromagnetic exposure – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24772943/
[5] Melatonin and Regulation of Immune Function: Impact on Numerous Diseases – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32651969/
[6] The genomic landscape and pharmacogenomic interactions of clock genes in cancer chronotherapy – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6056007/
[7] The potential anti-cancer effects of melatonin on breast cancer – https://www.explorationpub.com/Journals/em/Article/100178
[8] Melatonin and breast cancer: cellular mechanisms, clinical studies and future perspectives – https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4301735/