Will Prolonged Exposure to Magnets Cause Harm to The Body?
2023-04-20
Magnet was not invented by man, but natural magnetite. The ancient Greeks and Chinese discovered a naturally magnetized stone in nature, called a "magnet". This type of stone can magically lift small pieces of iron and always point in the same direction after swinging freely.
Early navigators used this magnet as their earliest compass at sea to distinguish direction. It should be the Chinese who first discovered and used magnets, that is, to make "compass" with magnets, which is one of China's the Four Great Inventions.
After thousands of years of development, magnets have become powerful materials in our daily lives today. By synthesizing alloys of different materials, the same effect as magnetite can be achieved, and the magnetic force can also be improved.
Artificial magnets appeared in the 18th century, but the process of making stronger magnetic materials was very slow until the production of aluminum nickel cobalt (Alnico) in the 1920s. Subsequently, ferrites were manufactured in the 1950s and rare earth magnets were manufactured in the 1970s [including neodymium iron boron (NdFeB) and samarium cobalt (SmCo)]. At this point, magnetic technology has developed rapidly, and strong magnetic materials have also made components more miniaturized.
The Earth itself has a strong magnetic field, so humans have an adaptation or even dependence on magnetism. A weak and stable magnetic field is beneficial to the body, and magnetic therapy is often used in medical treatment. Electromagnetic waves, on the other hand, are high-energy waves whose frequency can have adverse effects on the body. So magnets are not harmful to the human body
Magnetic bracelets are neither harmful nor beneficial to the human body. Medical equipment contains magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and high magnetic fields of over 3T are not harmful to the human body. It is widely recognized that among all medical equipment in the radiology department, nuclear magnetic resonance is the safest. That is to say, people are not afraid of magnetic fields, but even more afraid of radiation. High magnetic fields do have certain negative effects on the human body, but the content of magnets in magnetic bracelets is limited, making it impossible to have any impact on the human body. Some people claim that magnets provide magnetic force that alters physiological tissues, and even believe that every cell has positive and negative poles. Others claim that magnets can enhance blood circulation. In fact, there is no evidence to prove that there is any interaction between human histiocyte or blood and magnetic field. The iron ions in red blood cells are not ferromagnetic, or even diamagnetic, and will not be attracted by the magnetic field. As we all know, hot compress can promote blood circulation, and the result is that the skin will turn red. If the magnet can really promote the flow of blood, why is there no redness in the skin directly contacted with the magnet?
The effect of magnetic therapy is only the so-called psychological suggestion ability and does not have a very direct and obvious medical effect. The magnetic bracelet continuously stimulates the microcirculation system of the wrist through weak magnetic lines of force, which has a very weak effect on promoting blood circulation, improving the physiological magnetic field of the human body, and eliminating fatigue. It does have certain benefits for sleep, but it is not significant. Wearing a magnet bracelet for a long time will not cause any harm to the human body.
But if the magnetic field strength of a magnet is very strong. Generally speaking, magnets with a magnetic field strength exceeding 3000 are harmful to the human body. The harm to the human body below this standard is negligible.
The penetration of magnetic fields can harm the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, etc., and have important impacts on biological growth, life activities, and behavioral habits.
