Walking barefoot on natural ground could improve your health.
Written by Susan Parker | Updated on May 28, 2025
Reviewed by Susan Parker
11 sources cited
Overview
Is it possible that walking barefoot and having direct contact with the earth can significantly enhance your health? An increasing number of researchers suggest that it can indeed, and various studies back up this assertion. This perspective, though not universally embraced within the medical community, is worth exploring due to the passionate advocates who claim that grounding oneself by going barefoot can promote better health. The rationale behind the health benefits of walking barefoot lies in the electrical charge of the earth, which contains abundant electrons. According to these researchers, when your skin touches the earth or your body is grounded in some way, the electrons you absorb can result in antioxidant advantages and other health-enhancing effects that contribute to your overall well-being. This practice is commonly referred to as "earthing."How Earthing Functions
A fundamental argument supporting the benefits of earthing stems from the impact of our "electrical environment" on our bodies. We are constantly surrounded by electrical devices, lights, computers, phones, and even the wiring in our walls, all of which generate electric fields that induce a charge on our skin and disrupt the electric charges of the molecules in our bodies. As Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman explains, when you acquire electrons from the earth through physical contact, the earth's robust energetic potential serves as the mechanism that neutralizes, diminishes, or repels electric fields from the body.1 Regardless of the validity of this concept, studies have shown that earthing can produce tangible effects.Alleviating the Impact of Our Electrical Surroundings
A 12-week randomized controlled study conducted in Asia on individuals over the age of 65 with "mild" Alzheimer's disease revealed that grounding sessions led to an improvement in their sleep quality.2 One possible reason for this enhanced sleep quality, according to the researchers, could be the reduction of the stress hormone cortisol during the night. Elevated cortisol levels when trying to sleep can result in restlessness that hinders falling asleep. Previous research has indicated that earthing may help rebalance cortisol secretion, potentially reducing nighttime wakefulness.3 The researchers note that although their study found earthing to be "beneficial for enhancing sleep quality in dementia patients," no changes in depression or anxiety were observed. They suggest that larger and longer trials are necessary to uncover more of the potential benefits of earthing.Earthing for Pain Relief and Mood Enhancement
Recent research has identified additional benefits of earthing that are often overlooked:- Enhanced mood: A study at the University of California Irvine found that grounding can significantly improve mood. Participants who were grounded experienced uplifted moods, as measured by the Brief Mood Introspection Scale, while those who were "sham-grounded" did not experience the same mood enhancement.4
- Pain reduction: Studies at the University of California San Diego demonstrated that grounding can alleviate pain, enhance physical function, and improve quality of life. Researchers also observed a reduction in inflammation biomarkers in blood tests as a result of grounding.5
- Blood pressure regulation: Research at Iowa State University revealed that earthing can lower blood pressure, with an average reduction of approximately 14% in systolic blood pressure readings.6
Can Earthing Enhance Your Health?
Advocates suggest trying grounding by walking barefoot for 30 minutes to an hour daily to assess its impact on your well-being. If you engage in regular physical activity, earthing may be particularly beneficial. A study in Austria indicated that grounding can expedite muscle recovery after exercise. So, if you feel fatigued after an intense workout, lying on the grass and making full body contact with the earth could be a rejuvenating experience for your tired muscles. It's worth a shot!- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3265077/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8954071/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15650465/
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/06.pr0.116k21w5
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30448083/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30982019/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30745882/
