Earth & Other, The Minis - Grounding & Glucose Regulation

And so we’ve reached the finale of The Minis. The best for last I’d say. Glucose regulation is essential for human health. This sugar comes from dietary carbohydrates. It fuels cells by providing a quick energy source or a stored reserve. Hormones, such as insulin and glucagon, work together to keep blood glucose within safe limits. Too much or too little glucose can impair organs that depend on precise metabolic balance.

Diabetes arises when this finely tuned system breaks down. Type 1 diabetes involves an autoimmune attack on insulin-producing cells, leaving the pancreas unable to produce enough insulin. Type 2 diabetes emerges when the body’s cells resist insulin or fail to release sufficient amounts. Both forms raise blood glucose and risk complications like cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, kidney damage, and vision problems. Chronic hyperglycemia also strains vital physiological processes.

A study by the Sokals investigated whether grounding could aid glucose regulation. The study examined 12 participants with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), also known as Type 2 diabetes. They had been taking 10 mg/day of glibenclamide for six months, but their fasting plasma glucose remained above 10 mmol/L. Despite standard dietary and exercise interventions, their glycemic control stayed suboptimal.

Two participants in the grounded group and two in the control group were using ACE inhibitors, which curb the enzyme that forms the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II. This helps widen blood vessels and ease the heart’s workload. Glibenclamide, a sulfonylurea, stimulates insulin release from the pancreas. Patients were split into grounded and ungrounded groups, with the grounded group remaining in contact with Earth’s surface for 72 hours.

After 24 hours of grounding, the grounded group discontinued glibenclamide and ACE inhibitors. Researchers monitored fasting glucose to see whether grounding alone could shift blood sugar levels. In the grounded group, fasting glucose dropped from 10.6 mmol/L to 7.4 mmol/L, which aligns more closely with the ADA target range of 4.4–7.2 mmol/L. This change is significant for people managing Type 2 diabetes, since lower glucose can reduce organ stress and slow disease progression.

These results build on prior findings that grounding affects blood viscosity and zeta potential (see the Earth & Heart series). High blood glucose thickens blood by encouraging red blood cells to aggregate. That can clog small vessels and reduce oxygen delivery to tissues. The combination of higher viscosity and reduced negative charge on cells can escalate cardiovascular risks in individuals with diabetes. Grounding appears to counteract this effect by promoting charge balance across cell membranes.

Diminishing zeta potential in diabetics worsens red blood cell clumping. Zeta potential is the electric charge around the interface between a cell membrane and surrounding fluid. When that charge is too low, red blood cells attract one another, which thickens the blood. In a healthy state, an adequate negative charge helps cells repel each other. Grounding may enhance the flow of electrons from Earth’s surface into the body, which keeps red blood cells more uniformly charged.

A 2008 study at the University of Calcutta was among the first to examine red blood cell zeta potential in diabetic patients [11]. Researchers found it drops as blood sugar rises which leads to progressive clumping and reduced electrodynamic stability. Patients with cardiovascular disease fared even worse. This indicates a strong link between chronic hyperglycemia, cardiovascular risk, and the underlying electrical features of blood cells.

Grounding can improve both metabolic and bioelectrical parameters. By lowering fasting glucose it helps maintain a safer zeta potential and promotes efficient circulation. The flow of electrons from Earth seems to provide an energetic balance for tissues under diabetic stress. Grounding seems like a promising addition to conventional treatments.

This discussion concludes The Minis series. We have covered grounding’s potential influence on thyroid hormone regulation, calcium phosphate homeostasis, and glucose regulation. These processes connect through physical and biochemical pathways that depend on stable energy flow. Grounding adds Earth’s electrical potential to the body which helps enhance metabolic function.. It could be a helpful option for those seeking improved blood sugar control and reduced risks in Type 2 diabetes.

I hope you’ve enjoyed The Minis! As always, if you want to learn more about grounding, check out Earth & Water.

References

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2. Wilcox G. Insulin and insulin resistance. Clin Biochem Rev. 2005 May;26(2):19-39. PMID: 16278749; PMCID: PMC1204764.

3. Cloete L. Diabetes mellitus: an overview of the types, symptoms, complications and management. Nurs Stand. 2022 Jan 5;37(1):61-66. doi: 10.7748/ns.2021.e11709. Epub 2021 Oct 28. PMID: 34708622.

4. Nichols GA, Hillier TA, Brown JB. Normal fasting plasma glucose and risk of type 2 diabetes diagnosis. Am J Med. 2008 Jun;121(6):519-24. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2008.02.026. PMID: 18501234.

5. Tirosh A, Shai I, Tekes-Manova D, Israeli E, Pereg D, Shochat T, Kochba I, Rudich A; Israeli Diabetes Research Group. Normal fasting plasma glucose levels and type 2 diabetes in young men. N Engl J Med. 2005 Oct 6;353(14):1454-62. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa050080. Erratum in: N Engl J Med. 2006 Jun 1;354(22):2401. PMID: 16207847.

6. https://diabetes.org/diabetes/a1c/diagnosis

7. Sokal K, Sokal P. Earthing the human body influences physiologic processes. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Apr;17(4):301-8. doi: 10.1089/acm.2010.0687. Epub 2011 Apr 6. PMID: 21469913; PMCID: PMC3154031.

8. Chevalier G, Sinatra ST, Oschman JL, Delany RM. Earthing (grounding) the human body reduces blood viscosity-a major factor in cardiovascular disease. J Altern Complement Med. 2013 Feb;19(2):102-10. doi: 10.1089/acm.2011.0820. Epub 2012 Jul 3. PMID: 22757749; PMCID: PMC3576907.

9. Brown, Richard & Chevalier, Gaetan. (2015). Grounding the Human Body during Yoga Exercise with a Grounded Yoga Mat Reduces Blood Viscosity. Open Journal of Preventive Medicine. 05. 159-168. 10.4236/ojpm.2015.54019. 

10. Mushtaq M, Abdul Mateen M, Kim UH. Hyperglycemia associated blood viscosity can be a nexus stimuli. Clin Hemorheol Microcirc. 2019;71(1):103-112. doi: 10.3233/CH-180426. PMID: 30056416.

11. Adak S, Chowdhury S, Bhattacharyya M. Dynamic and electrokinetic behavior of erythrocyte membrane in diabetes mellitus and diabetic cardiovascular disease. Biochim Biophys Acta. 2008 Feb;1780(2):108-15. doi: 10.1016/j.bbagen.2007.10.013. Epub 2007 Nov 1. PMID: 18035063.