Benefits of a Negative Ion Humidifier
Air ionizers generate negative ions and are effective at reducing dust particles, pathogens and microorganisms. They also work well to remove allergens.
Negative ions are abundant in nature, found in forests, waterfalls, mountains and even beaches. They improve air quality by removing airborne pollutants, inhibiting germ transmission and improving mood.
Increases Serotonin Levels
Inhaling negative ions allows your body to convert excess serotonin into 5HIAA (5-hydroxytryptamine), a harmless mist humidifier chemical. This helps reduce agitation and depression, while increasing your mood and mental performance. It can also help to improve your appetite and sleep, as well as relieve gastrointestinal discomfort, such as nausea.
Negative ions accelerate the oxidative degradation of serotonin, while positively charged ions inhibit this process. This is why people feel better when they are outdoors or near waterfalls, rivers, creeks, beaches, and decorative water fountains (such as those found in the lobbies of office buildings and hotels).
The ionization process can even make air purifiers work more efficiently, as it causes dust particles to agglomerate and settle out of the air. In fact, Good Housekeeping Magazine tested ionizers and determined that they cleared out smoke faster than standard filters.
In a double-blind study, Gianinni et al. investigated the effects of positive and negative air ions on the moods of 14 university-affiliated subjects using a questionnaire. Subjects rated their mood before and after entering a sauna. They discovered that ratings of mood improved after exposure to enhanced negative air ions, but did not change for subjects who entered a normal sauna without the ionizer. The results suggest that the effect of negative air ions on mood may be influenced by personality type. Exposure to a low concentration of negative air ions heightened aggression in Type A individuals, while it did not affect mood in other subjects.
Decreases Inflammation
With winter coming, indoor air can be dry and irritable. With a negative ion humidifier, you can help your family stay healthy and feel better by reducing inflammation in the home.
Negative ions are produced naturally in nature by sunlight, waves from the ocean and waterfalls. “Concrete jungles” minimize the natural production of these ions, which is why ionizer/ionic air purifiers use electrode pins (“needlepoints”) to electrically produce a high concentration of negative ions, similar to those found at Niagara Falls and other healthy environments.
Studies have shown that negative ions decrease inflammation and the oxidative stress caused by particulate matter (PM) in human cells. In one study, negative air ionization significantly reduced the levels of PM-induced proinflammatory cytokines in HaCaT cells, and suppressed intracellular ROS generation and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase activation.
Ionizers have also been found to reduce inflammation in people with chronic depression, helping them to improve their mood and sleep quality. Researchers found that the negative ions produced by an ionizer are just as effective at improving depression symptoms as antidepressants. This effect was attributed to the negative ions’ ability to positively affect mood through the inhibition of inflammatory and sympathetic nervous system activity.
Decreases Asthma
A negative ion humidifier releases negatively charged ions into the air. These ions are able to bind to airborne particles like dust, pollen and pet dander, and cause them to become heavy enough that they no longer remain in the air. This allows the particles to fall to the ground or furniture, preventing them from being inhaled into the respiratory tract.
These negative ions also help kill bacteria and mold spores that are floating in the air, which is great news for people with asthma. Studies have shown that using an ionizer with a negative air charge can dramatically decrease the number of bacteria in the environment and reduce asthma symptoms.
Getting rid of allergens in the home is an important step for anyone with asthma, but using a negative ion humidifier can make this task easier. Try to keep your home as allergen-free as possible by avoiding wall-to-wall carpet, washing stuffed toys and rugs often, and keeping pets outdoors as much as possible. Talk to your primary healthcare provider about a referral to an allergy specialist and create an asthma action plan with your doctor to help you manage your condition.
The winter months can be rough on your skin, allergies and breathing, especially with sub-zero temperatures and generated heat. Adding moisture back into the air with a negative ion humidifier can prevent these issues, making your home a healthy and happy place.
Increases Sleep
A negative ion humidifier allows you to sleep better and increase your level of rest. The ions in the air help to remove electromagnetic fields created by household appliances, reduce unpleasant odors, and improve the quality of indoor air. This allows your body to get that essential rest it needs to feel revitalized, healthy and happy.
Studies of ionized air have shown that people who sleep with a negative ion humidifier have increased mood, more energy and improved health. They also have fewer problems with breathing, mist humidifier asthma and allergies. This is because ionizers produce negative ions which neutralize positive ions and clean the air.
The negative ions in our humidifiers attach to dust particles and microorganisms in the air, bind them together, making them heavier than air so that they fall down, filtered away and cleaned from your home’s atmosphere. The ionization feature of a humidifier helps to fight oxygen starvation in the blood, which is one of the causes of fatigue and low energy.
In a double-blind experiment by Terman et al. [32], 21 patients with SAD and 21 controls were exposed to high and low densities of negative air ions, along with timed bright light therapy. This study reported no differences in measures of anxiety, depression or mood, but did find that the negative ion treatment significantly increased vigilance on the unmasked visual dot probe task for SAD patients.