What are Negative Ion Products?

There had been experiments on using negative ions in products known to benefit health. There was a surge of new appliances in the market using the technology of negative ions in 2002. Most of these products available to the consumers are mainly home appliances like hair dryers, refrigerators, vacuum cleaners and air purifiers. There were already debates as far back as in the 1980s on air ionizers. Early studies have shown that an increase of negative ions in the air benefits respiratory sufferers, cure a range of minor health ailments such as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, insomnia, and even fight cancer.

At the same time, there were also refutes on such claims. Reports had also found such air purifiers to have little air-cleansing effect and even emit high-level ozone. Only purifiers with filters proved to be effective and emit moderate levels of ozone. The catch is high-level ozone - which can be a highly toxic gas - has a strong oxidizing effect and is often used for sterilizing and bleaching. However, as it kills bacteria, at a certain level it is beneficial to human health, though inhaling too much lowers immunity and may increase the risk of contracting illnesses. Other experiments involving rats and ozone, scientists at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have identified a chemical reaction that may explain higher rates of illness observed among some people.

Sources:
[1] DEBATE IS RENEWED ON ION GENERATORS. The New York Times, 10 August
1980, 967 words, (English)

[2] Ionizer benefits still not proved. The Globe and Mail, 27 February 1981, 606 words, (English)

[3] Negative ions may fight cancer. Daily Yomiuri, 25 September 2003, 351 words, (English)

[4] Negative ions charge the marketplace. Daily Yomiuri, 26 April 2003, 661 words, (English)

[5] Air purifiers using negative ions have little effect. The Korea Herald, 10 May 2006, 290 words, (English)

[6] HIGH-VOLTAGE LINES, NEGATIVE IONS AND RATS ; TESTS SHOW HOW PERSONAL TOXIC CLOUD OF OZONE IS CREATED. Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 7 February
2004, 949 words, (English)

[7] Plugging into the charged de bate over negative ions. The Japan Times, 18 August 2002, 1991 words, (English)

Sources:
[1] Yoga offering an ideal stressbuster to combat grind of daily life. Shanghai Daily, 21 November 2006, 560 words, (English)

[2] Soqi health spa in Toa Payoh. Straits Times, 18 November 2006, 320 words, (English)

[3] Japanese Inventor Develops Bracelet Irradiating Anion. US Fed News, 19 September 2006, 364 words, (English)

[4] Samsung launches EFT monitors. The Hindu, 16 June 2006, 190 words, (English)

[5] The Effects of Repeated Thermal Therapy for Patients with Chronic Pain. Akinori Masuda, Yasuyuki Koga, Masato Hattanmaru, Shinichi Minagoe, Chuwa Tei. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics. Basel: 2005. Vol. 74, Iss. 5; p. 288

[6] The effect of monochromatic infrared energy on sensation in subjects with diabetic peripheral neuropathy: A double-blind, placebo-controlled study: Response to Clifft et al. Burke TJ. Diabetes Care [NLM - MEDLINE]. May 2006. Vol. 29, Iss. 5; p. 1186, a

[7] Wavelength-dependent collagen fragmentation during mid-IR laser ablation. Xiao Y, Guo M, Parker K, Hutson MS. Biophysical Journal [NLM -MEDLINE]. Aug 15 2006. Vol. 91, Iss. 4; p. 1424

Please note that the above information is not a tool for self-diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. The above sources were taken from our e-databases of EBSCOhost, Encyclopaedia Britannica Online, Factiva, Gale Virtual Reference Library and Proquest Medical Complete.