How Cell Phone Radiation Affects Your Cells
For the first time, researchers are able to show that molecular changes do take place in your body during exposure to information-carrying radio waves, such as those from your cell phone. Similar effects have previously been found in cultured cells, but now they’re able to show that the impact on the human body is indeed the same.
So what is the physiological significance of these changes in proteins?
So far, no one knows for sure.
But I firmly believe that dismissing it as inconsequential would be a serious mistake, especially in light of ALL the data available, pointing to a wide variety of long-term health risks.
What Causes the Biological Damage?
Let me be VERY clear. Most of the danger from most land-based portable phones, cell phones and Wi-Fi routers is not from the thermal damage produced by these devices from which typical SAR ratings are given on phones. Unless you have massive exposures like you might expect in a microwave oven, these thermal effects are insignificant.
We believe the biological damage comes both from the modulated signals that are carried ON the carrier microwave and the carrier wave itself. However, they do their damage by two entirely different mechanisms. These modulated information-carrying radio waves resonate in biological frequencies of a few to a few hundred cycles per second, and can stimulate your cellular receptors causing a whole cascade of pathological consequences that can culminate in fatigue, anxiety and ultimately cancers.
This is a MAJOR problem because in the last few years we have had an exponential increase in exposure to these waves. It took from 1984 to 2004 to reach the first billion cell phones, the second billion took just 18 months, the third billion took only nine months, and the fourth billion just six months.
And this does not factor in any of your exposure to Wi-Fi routers (wireless internet), which are now pervasive. Since there is a lag time of five to 20 years before many of these effects become clinically apparent, now is the time to act before you or your family suffers the damage.
You May Already Suffer the Ill Effects
Numerous studies claim there is no biological impact of RF radiation within the cell phone range. This latest study punches a hole in that notion.
Additionally, researchers in different countries are finding equally disturbing results that point to far greater health implications than anyone is ready for.
Unfortunately, most people fail to correlate common symptoms and health problems to their exposure to cell phones and other radio frequencies, perhaps because these conditions can so easily be attributed to other causes as well.
Do you suffer from any of these common illnesses and ailments, which have all been scientifically linked to cell phone information-carrying radio waves?
- - Alzheimer’s, senility and dementia
- - Parkinson’s
- - Autism
- - Fatigue
- - Headaches
- - Sleep disruptions
- - Altered memory function, poor concentration and spatial awareness
Although cancer and brain tumors are most often cited as the potential health risks from cell phone radiation, as you can see, cancer is not the only, or the most common, danger that you and your children face.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words
A study published in the June 2003 issue of Environmental Health Perspectives was also the first of its kind; showing that EMF’s emitted by certain mobile phones damage neurons in the brains of rats.
They used 12- to 26-week-old rats in this study because their developmental age is comparable to that of human teenagers, who are some of the heaviest users of mobile phones. Said the study authors:
"The situation of the growing brain might deserve special concern, since biological and maturational processes are particularly vulnerable. We cannot exclude that after some decades of often daily use, a whole generation of users may suffer negative effects as early as middle age."
Is Your Headset Making Matters Worse?
For some time, the standard recommendation to reduce your radiation exposure was to use a headset. But, newer investigations, and the emergence of wireless earpieces (like Bluetooth), turns this idea upside down. These headsets may actually intensify your exposure to harmful radiation because the headset itself acts as an antenna, which is now inserted directly into your ear canal.
Testing has indicated that your cell phone headset may actually raise the amount of radiation emitted by more than 300 percent!It's vital that you know the pros and cons of cell phone headsets -- especially now that laws requiring "hands-free" cell phone headsets while driving are going in effect all over the United States.
The British Independent Group on Mobile Phones suggested that headsets are an ideal solution only if they were used with filters to stop the headset wire from acting as an effective antenna. One solution is an air-tube headset. These conduct sound, but prevent any radiation from traveling up the wire to your brain.
More Safety Tips to Limit Your Exposure
To date, there are few alternatives to ensure complete safety, but there are some common sense recommendations:
- 1) Limit the amount of time you spend on the phone.
- 2) Limit your exposure to WiFi routers. Find out where they are located in your work environment and stay away from them.
- 3) If you have any land-based (non-cellular) portable phones, do NOT use anything other than the 900 MHz phones as the Gigahertz phones stay on continuously, blasting you with information-carrying radio waves 24/7.
- 4) Use the speakerphone instead of putting the phone to your ear; this is probably one of the single most important steps you can take other than not using your cell phone.
- 5) Use a wired headset to limit your exposure to the cell phone -- ideally, an air-tube headset that conducts sound but prevents any radiation from traveling up the wire to your brain. Also make sure the wire is SHIELDED, which prevents the wire from acting as an antenna that could attract more information-carrying radio waves directly to your brain.
- 6) Limit calls inside buildings.
- 7) Use the phone in open spaces as often as possible.
- 8) Limit use by children and preadolescents.
Dr. Mercola is the founder of the world’s most visited natural health web site, www.mercola.com. You can learn the hazardous side effects of OTC Remedies by getting a FREE copy of his latest special report The Dangers of Over the Counter Remedies by going to his Report Page.

Comments
Nancy Parker
I also heard that men who keep their phones in their pockets (on) have lowered sperm counts or was it motility? Anyway, that's not in use, it's just standby mode. What can we do about that?
m erovich
Supposedly Bluetooth emits much less powerful signal and less heat. Its waves need to reach only a few feet, while the regular cellular must go much farther. Does that mean Bluetooth penetrates and affects the brain much less?
Anonymous
I turned in my original cell phone some time ago because, after talking for a little while, it actually got hot! Really, to the point where my ear and check would get red. When I returned to the Verison people, they said there was nothing wrong with the phone. Anyway, I got rid of it.
Anonymous
If it is true that the power of the signal in the carrier envelope can cause harm at the levels suggested, we should all have died from exposure to broadcast television 50 or 60 years ago. In addition, the 60 Hertz radiation common in the US should have killed us 40 or 50 years before that. There just isn't enough power in the carrier (much less the intelligence) to cause anything but an immeasurable amount of heat.
Anonymous
Dr Mercola, Please spend a few minutes talking to an electronics engineer about this. He will tell you that all of the energy in a radio wave lies within a narrow spectrum around the carrier. Unless the cells in your body can demodulate the signal (Quite a trick), there is no way that they can "know" that there is low frequency information hidden in that band of frequencies between, say, 1.9995 GHz and 2.0005 Ghz, much less extract significant energy at low frequencies. If you want to worry about low frequency energy, worry about the 60 Hz fields from the power grid throughout our buildings and the magnetic fields from loudspeakers, and earphones, and any telephone which you hold up to your ear. You're barking up the wrong tree.
Glenn O'Dell, retired Electronics Engineer.
godell@ ieee.org
Anonymous
Glen O'Dell, During the 20th and 21st centuries, we've had a tremendous increase in the rate of cancer among the population of the world. We can't be 100% positive as to its exact causes.
Some causes can be attributed to increased exposure to bio-toxins from pharmaceuticals in our water system and food supply, chemicals and heavy metals being dumped into our water supplies, air pollution (NOx, CO, CO2, lead, etc), etc. Smoking has also shown to be cancerous. Yet there are still unknown causes which we can't explain.
There are people who suffer from EMI/RFI related illnesses. Currently research is being conducted to see if EMI filters help people with hypersensitivity to EMI. Some people shield their rooms with metal to reduce exposure and say they can finally get restful sleep. (Do some google searches if you interested in this subject.)
Until more research is done on this subject, we cannot conclusively say that low levels of EMI/RFI radiation doesn't affect our bodies in some way. Even you, as a retired engineer, cannot be 100% certain that radio/microwave radiation (at low levels) doesn't cause adverse effects on our cells and their growth patterns. Until we can accurately observe cell growth patterns (i.e. cell division, mutation, etc) under the effect of varying EMI/RFI radiation, no one will be able to conclusively say anything for or against it.
One thing is certain: higher levels of radiation (e.g. at the focal point of microwave dishes) are dangerous. Receiving concentrated doses of higher wattage radiation does cause damage. Therefore, at the moment, the best we can do is reduce our exposure as best we can.
albert
Hi Dr. Mercola,
In your article, you made many references to research findings. Could you provide more information about those research findings? journal articles, web URLs etc.?
Secondly, what are your thoughts on EMF protection/harmonizer devices? for example, see http://www.emfblues.com/index.html
Do these EMF shielding devices really work?
On the EMF blues website, they also provide some experimental data of their products: http://www.emfblues.com/ProductT...
I do take this topic seriously, but before I take any preventative measures, I would hope to find substantiating evidence regarding the potential danger of EMF radiation.
thanks
albert
Gandolph
I'm a physicist and I've just written a blog about cell phone and microwave oven radiation. Please check it out (and draw your own conclusions):
http://intensive-purposes.blogsp...
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