Studies have also shown that electromagnetic radiation inhibits the production of a hormone called melatonin. Melatonin regulates the sleep cycle and is secreted by the pineal gland in the brain. It is produced about 90 minutes after falling asleep. Consequently, melatonin levels rise at night and remain low during the day. Melatonin has many useful effects but the most common is that of regulating the sleep cycle. When cell phone radiation, or other EMR, inhibits this important hormone the sleep cycle is compromised. Could this be one reason why so many people today have insomnia? Could the multitude of sleep problems in America today be a result of all the radiation in our environment? Should we remove the cordless phone or clock radio from the nightstand near our bed? Common sense would say so.
Why is this important? If the body doesn't reach the deeper phases of sleep during the night it cannot repair itself. Cells will not have a chance to rejuvenate and repair. Sleep is necessary for this repair process to occur. Yet today81% of young people 15 to 20 years of agesleep withtheir cell phone on! Considering the value of melatonin to our health the implications of this statistic cannot be overstated.
A study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that awoman's risk of breast cancer increased up to 60%if she routinely worked a nighttime shift. Men's risk of prostate cancer also increased. How does this occur? Light raises cortisol levels. Cortisol is produced by the adrenal gland which is activated by light. Light furthermore inhibits production of melatonin by the pineal gland in the brain. So the combination of increased cortisol, which suppresses our immune system, and decreased melatonin, which suppresses tumor development leads to conditions favorable for the potential development of cancer. Melatonin is also a known regulator of estrogen. So when melatonin isn't produced in adequate amounts one of the body's natural mechanisms to suppress estrogen is removed and estrogen dominance results.
Another important function of melatonin is that it is a powerful antioxidant and is very efficient in destroying free radicals.Destruction of free radicals and proper DNA synthesisallows our cells to function properly. One of the known effects of free radicals is premature aging and one of the ways free radicals are produced is from environmental toxins thatinclude EMR.
Melatonin also enhances the immune system. It does this is through its ability to increase the activity of the immune system's killer lymphocytes. Additionally, melatonin also strengthens the ability of Vitamin D to stop tumor growth. In fact, the tumor-fighting ability of Vitamin D is strengthened by 20 to 100 times.
A study published in the Journal of Pineal Research in 2007 reported on the therapeutic effects of melatonin in treating cognitive impairment such as that found in Alzheimer' disease, dementia, etc. Results showed significantly better improvement in patients treated with melatonin. As we can see melatonin is important for many reasons. Any disruptive influence, like electromagnetic radiation, that would suppress or limit the body's ability to produce melatonin could have serious health implications for each of us.
A 2001 study done at Japan's National Institute for Environmental Studies revealed that breast cancer cells treated with melatonin wouldresume growingwhen exposed to electromagnetic radiation! Findings showed that the cells' signaling system wasdisrupted, impeding orpreventing cell-to-cell communication. Thus, cells were not able to communicate effectively with each other and this affected their ability to respond to environmental challenges and threats.
Perhaps one of the most important functions of melatonin is that it inhibits the release of estrogen and suppresses the development of breast cancer. Seventy percent of breast cancers today are estrogen sensitive. When EMR inhibits the release of melatonin the activity of one of the body's most protective hormones is lost. Additionally, other studies have shown that reduced levels of melatonin from electromagnetic radiation suppression have caused a number of other malignancies including prostate cancer, melanoma, and ovarian cancer.
A causal link between breast cancer and EMR continues to be reported. Dr. Patricia Coogan at Boston University of Public Health reported a forty-three per cent increased risk for breast cancer for women who worked in occupations where exposure to magnetic fields occurred. Such occupations included electricians, power line workers, phone installation workers, electrical engineers and those working near mainframe computers. This increased risk has been directly linked to the suppression of melatonin by EMR.
There is also concern that this increased risk of breast cancer is not confined to women. As much as a six-fold increase in male breast cancer has been found among men who work in the utilities industries, in switching stations and as telephone lineman.
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