Why is it that we tend to have better moods, increased alertness, or fewer occurrences of illness around places where water crashes such as waterfalls, beaches, or even our bathroom shower? Besides the euphoria of simply being around these features, the answer could very well be microscopic charged particles known as negative ions. While the sound of the words negative ions evokes thoughts of mad scientists or esoteric particle physics, it seems that negative ions tend to have positive effects on us. Among the benefits of negative ions on the human body include an increase in the rate at which serotonin (a hormone linked with mood) is oxidized in the bloodstream as well as the interception of microbes and germs in the air. The effects of negative ions have been known since 1789 when a European monk noticed and wondered how medical patients responded to changes in the electrical state of the air they were breathing. However, it wasn't until after the 1930s when researchers have been running experiments and medical studies to provide some scientific basis for how negative ions affect the human body.
So what produces negatively charged ions? The idea is that falling water splits normally neutral particles in the air and frees up negative ions. The negative ions in turn bond with neighboring smaller air particles, which gives the new compound an overall negative charge. The newly formed negatively-charged air molecules tend occur near waterfalls or breaking ocean surf. Even flowing water from showers can result in negative ions. Is it any wonder why we feel refreshed and healthier around waterfalls or at the beach? Or, why taking a shower tends to have a therapeutic effect on us?
On the flip side, if negative ions seem to do us plenty of good, the positive ions seem to do the opposite. High concentrations of positive ions have been observed to reduce our resistance to airborne allergens due to its effect on our throat's ability to produce mucous, which helps move germs down our digestive tract to be burned in our acidic stomachs. Moreover, experiments have demonstrated that positive ions tend to constrict vascular tissues (veins, capillaries, etc.) which decrease the rate at which nutrient-rich oxygen gets circulated and absorbed by the various components throughout our body. Perhaps it's also not surprising that positive ions tend to occur where there's pollution - such as factories, offices, vehicles, and even most urban and suburban homes near cities. They also occur where there's hot and arid desert air. In fact, cultures from around the world have correlated the effects of arid and hot winds from the desert with calamity, misfortune, and poor health. Desert winds such as the Santa Ana winds in California, the Foehn in the French Alps, the Sharav in Israel, etc. are such well-known examples. I can attest to the Santa Ana winds because in addition to increased pollution levels and brush fires, I know they exacerbate my wife's allergies and make me feel very lethargic.
In a show of just how serious the medical and commercial communities are treating the negative ion phenomenon, there are numerous ionizing products out on the market promising to generate and distribute negative ions. But before you shell out your hard-earned money for these devices, there's plenty of doubt about whether these devices deliver what they promise. The reason for this is that these devices tend to be used in places where positive ions dominate the air (especially if you live in or near a city), which may more than neutralize the quantities of negative ions being generated. Moreover, some ionizers can produce potentially dangerous levels of ozone. Therefore, it seems clean air is necessary in order for negative ions to be in the air long enough for us to benefit from them.
So in the end, man may try to mimick and improve upon nature, but if we truly want to experience the effects of negative ions, there may be no substitute for the real thing. Thus, we'll have to go outdoors and experience the mist and spray around waterfalls or be around the seaspray generated from crashing ocean waves. Of course, you could stay in the shower for a long time, but your water bill and the resulting waste of water may not justify such an action. Indeed, nature is good for the mind, body, and soul, and now there's some science that's backing up what many of us have always been suspecting all along.
