WHAT ARE NEGATIVE IONS & WHAT DO THEY DO?
The purpose of generating negative ions in an ionic detox foot spa, is to neutralize the positive ions in the body. Positive ions create an acidic pH and negative ions create an alkaline pH. The higher the pH reading – i.e. the higher the number above 7 – the more the fluid being measured is alkaline and oxygen-rich and healthy. The lower the pH reading, the more the fluid is acidic and oxygen deprived and the more the body becomes prone to disease.
Negative ions have a positive effect on allergies, asthma, catarrh, hay fever, sinusitis, eczema, burns, emphysema and general health. It was discovered that negative ions balance serotonin in the body, which explains why people tend to feel more alert, stable and energized in the presence of negative ions. Researchers discovered that bacteria, staphylococci, and fungi growth is halted in the presence of negative ions, which explains the healing side effect of negative ion therapy. Further studies revealed that positive (not negative) ions make breathing more difficult.
Negative ions are essential to life. Negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain and other parts of the body, resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, more mental energy and improved general health. Negative ions are odorless, tasteless and invisible molecules. We inhale ions in abundance and we can absorb ions through electronic devices that generate negatively charged ions. Once the negative ions reach our bloodstream, they are believed to produce biochemical reactions that increase levels of the mood chemical serotonin, helping to alleviate depression, relieve stress, and boost our daytime energy. Certain environments contain high concentrations of negative ions. These ion rich environments a near mountains, waterfalls, and beaches. Ions are created in nature as air molecules break apart due to sunlight, radiation, electrical charges (lightning storms), moving air and water. You may have experienced the power of negative ions when you last set foot on the beach or walked beneath a waterfall. The action of the pounding surf creates negative air ions. We also see it immediately after spring thunderstorms when people report lightened moods. While part of the euphoria is simply being around these wondrous settings and away from the normal pressures of home and work, the air circulating in the mountains and the beach is said to contain tens of thousands of negative ions, much more than the average home or office building, which contain dozens or hundreds, and many register a flat zero. |
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Negative ions neutralize positive ions. Sodium, potassium, calcium and other ions play an important role in the cells of living organisms, particularly in cell membranes. Special electronic devices that generate negatively charged ions are used in ion therapy programs.
An ion is an atom or group of atoms, normally electrically neutral, that have lost or gained one or more electrons. The process of converting electrically neutral atoms or molecules into ions and the state of being ionized is called ionization. In layman's terms, an ion is any molecule that has a charge.
A negatively charged ion, which has more electrons in its electron than it has protons in its nuclei, is known as an anion (pronounced an-eye-on) due to its attraction to anodes. A positively-charged ion, which has fewer electrons than protons, is known as a cation (pronounced cat-eye-on) due to its attraction to cathodes.