Why Water Helps You Get Earthing Benefits
Denzel SueltoGrounding (also known as earthing) means connecting your body with the Earth’s electrical energy, usually by walking barefoot on grass or using a grounding mat. Many people report benefits from grounding – such as reduced inflammation and stress – but one often overlooked factor is hydration. Staying well-hydrated may actually help you get the most out of grounding.
Here, we’ll explore how water in your body plays a role in grounding’s effects.
Your Body Acts as a Conductor
The human body is about 60% water. This water, along with electrolytes (minerals like sodium and potassium), makes our tissues conductive. In simple terms, water helps electricity flow. Research shows that total body water directly affects the body’s electrical conductivity.
If you are dehydrated (low on water), your tissues resist electrical currents more. Grounding works by allowing a gentle electrical charge (electrons) from the Earth to spread through your body. Being hydrated helps those electrons travel smoothly through your cells and nerves. In contrast, if you’re dried out, it’s a bit like having poor wiring – the signal is weaker.
Hydration, Blood Flow, and Grounding
Another reason hydration matters is circulation. Proper hydration keeps your blood fluid and moving easily. Grounding itself has been shown to benefit circulation. In one study, people who grounded for two hours had less red blood cell clumping and reduced blood viscosity (thickness). Thinner, freely flowing blood means better delivery of oxygen and nutrients to tissues.
But dehydration does the opposite – it makes blood thicker and sludgier. Medical research confirms that when you’re dehydrated, your blood volume drops and viscosity increases. This can slow circulation. Therefore, drinking enough water may boost grounding’s circulatory benefits. Grounding already helps your blood flow; being hydrated ensures your blood isn’t holding anything back.
Supporting the Body’s Healing Processes
Grounding is known to calm the nervous system and reduce inflammation in the body. People sometimes refer to this as helping the body “detox” or heal. But for your body to repair cells or flush out wastes, it needs water. For example, your kidneys require adequate fluids to filter out toxins.
If you practice grounding but don’t drink enough, your body might start mobilising inflammatory byproducts without an easy way to remove them. Some folks who try grounding while dehydrated may feel a bit unwell – tired, headachy, or “flush” – possibly because the body can’t efficiently clear regular waste.
In short, water is the transport medium for all the good stuff (nutrients, oxygen, electrons) and the bad stuff (waste) in our system. Keeping yourself hydrated helps your lymphatic system, kidneys, and liver work together to sweep out any cellular “trash” that grounding helps release.
Tips to Stay Hydrated for Better Grounding
- Drink Water Regularly: Don’t wait until you’re very thirsty. Sip water throughout the day. Remember that beverages like sugary drinks and alcohol can further dehydrate you, so plain water is best.
- Include Electrolytes: A pinch of natural sea salt or eating mineral-rich foods (like fruits and vegetables) can help your body retain water. Electrolytes help electricity flow in the body, supporting the grounding effect.
- Monitor Dehydration Signs: Pay attention to clues like a dry mouth, infrequent urination or dark urine, fatigue, or muscle cramps. These signs mean you might need more fluids. Even feeling “foggy” or getting a headache after grounding could be your body’s way of saying it’s running dry.
- Combine Grounding with Nature’s Water: If possible, try grounding outdoors on dewy grass or moist soil. The moisture on the ground can enhance conductivity. And of course, you’re more likely to remember to drink water when you’re out on a warm day!
By staying hydrated, you essentially give your body “better wiring” to absorb the Earth’s energy. Water increases your blood volume and tissue conductivity, creating an ideal internal environment for grounding to do its work.
Science supports this connection: for instance, higher body water content has been linked to improved electrical readings. And when your blood is fluid, grounding’s known benefits for circulation can have a greater impact.
Bottom Line
Grounding and hydration go hand in hand. Grounding is a natural way to restore balance and calm to your body, and hydration is a basic need that keeps your body functioning optimally.
When you combine them, you’re more likely to feel the soothing, healing effects that grounding can provide. So, the next time you kick off your shoes to reconnect with the Earth, consider sipping a glass of water beforehand. Your body will thank you, and you’ll be “grounded and glowing” – from the outside in and the inside out!
Start your grounding journey at home with our grounding bedsheets for sleeping and grounding mats for those on-the-go moments.
References
- Schierbauer, J., Günther, S., Haupt, S., Zimmer, R. T., Herz, D., Voit, T., … & Moser, O. (2023). Acute fluid intake impacts assessment of body composition via bioelectrical impedance analysis: A randomized, controlled crossover pilot trial. Metabolites, 13(4), 473. DOI: 10.3390/metabo13040473
- Chevalier, G., Sinatra, S. T., Oschman, J. L., & Delany, R. M. (2013). Earthing (grounding) the human body reduces blood viscosity—a major factor in cardiovascular disease. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 19(2), 102–110. DOI: 10.1089/acm.2011.0820
- Cortés-Vicente, E., Guisado-Alonso, D., Delgado-Mederos, R., Camps-Renom, P., Prats-Sánchez, L., Martínez-Domeño, A., & Martí-Fàbregas, J. (2019). Frequency, risk factors, and prognosis of dehydration in acute stroke. Frontiers in Neurology, 10, 305. DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00305
