Hi,
Just joined and I sell magnetic therapy products. Who threw that!!!!!!!
I too read the report by Fingold and Flamm as I mentioned in my intoduction as a new member, picking out a ridiculous statement by a company who probably copied from someone else who doesn't know what they are talking about is not proof of evidence that it doesn't work!
Most of the outlandish claims come from the US and any one new wanting to cash in on selling jewellery with magnets (I phrased that on purpose) would most likely copy someone else's phrases off the website or brochure.
F and F did this and hey presto they found a load of idiots who didn't know what they were talking about and this is the evidence they produced as "proof"!
For the sake of argument I will pick out a couple of points that F and F used as "proof".
1. Sellers claim that magnets help flush out toxins.
2. Magnets can increase blood flow.
3. Is there anything in the human body that is affected by magnetic fields, the answer appears to be no!
Firstly they accept that "moving magnetic fields can create electrical fields that can have some effect on living tissue" what if an atomic particle moves through a magnetic field at speed? the Hall Effect tells us that this will generate an electical field which in turn increases energy. The iron in blood is paramagnetic even if only slightly and if you place blood that is clustered together onto a powerful magnet they will separate and I have seen this done within 5 minutes.
The proton has a positive potential and the electron negative, in blood the iron atom has more electrons that protons which means they are meant to and will stay separated in ideal conditions the same as two like pole magnets. Put an electron and proton near each other and they will move closer together. The theory is that the increase energy created in red blood cells help IMPROVE (not increase 2.) the pick up of oxygen which in turn improves the delivery of oxygen into damaged cells. By improving blood flow into damaged cells and tissue help with the removal of carbon dioxide and toxins and waste (lympahtic system 1.) Basically this what we do when we first hurt ourselves-we rub it to generate heat and improved blood flow into the area. No one can deny that improving circulation is the key to good health (along with other good health practices) especially if there are no drugs involved and cheap!
And now the crunch 3! F and F write a lot about the effects of the MRI and it's non effect on this or that so tell me what then is the purpose of an MRI scan if nothing in the human body is effected by a magnetic field??????
In my humble opinion as long as the products are sold ethically, which is why I strongly believe that the industry should be regulated, and they can be returned for a refund if no benefit is felt (try this with your box of pills or creams at your local chemist) then I can see no harm.
The biggest problem is the misleading claims and again the US are more guilty of this and indeed F and F use two US companies as examples and more importantly the journal that sparked this "investigation" the British Medical Journal.
The BMJ published a report of a clinical trial where magnets were used to ease pain caused by Oesteoarthritis of the hip and knee. People did feel a benefit but the placebo could not be ruled out so the trial was flawed. The product used was a magnetic wrist strap with a magnet of certain power and dimensions. When the BMJ and newspaper journalists published these "amazing" results they both used the term "bracelet" and subsequently showed images of fashion jewellery magnetic bracelets and bangles. The magnets in these items are often so weak so as not to pick up even a paper clip which were not the same strength as used in the trial. So off the public go the local market, buy a pretty bangle or magnetic bracelet and hey presto two to thee weeks later no benefit!!!! suprise suprise and in come F and F and every other expert who pounced on these articles but didn't read it through. Wood and trees and blind leading the bling come to mind.
Back to the magnets used in the trial, the company then went on to change the design of the wrist strap used and put in a smaller weaker magnet and some of the agents still use the trial as a sales aid!!!
Enough said. I hope I have shown that even those who would judge are not without fault and they too can mislead. I rest my case----for now!
Ray
