Magnet Basics

By Janet Forsythe

Are you wondering “What is gauss?” or “What is bi-polar?” If so, I will try to answer a few of your questions.

For starters, what is a magnet anyway? A magnet is basically any material that exerts a magnetic field. Magnets fall into two basic types: permanent magnets and electromagnets. Electromagnets generate magnetic fields using electric currents. Permanent magnets, on the other hand, are materials that generate magnetic fields on their own and never lose their strength. Most magnetic therapy products use permanent magnets.

Magnetic flux density is a measure of the strength of the magnetic field produced by a magnet. The tesla (symbol: T) is the most widely used unit of magnetic flux density. One tesla is equal to 10,000 gauss. Gauss (symbol: G) is a more convenient unit to use when talking about the kinds of magnets that the average person is used to. To give you an idea of what a gauss is, your typical refrigerator magnet exerts a magnetic field of about 10 gauss. Thus, a magnet of one tesla would be a very strong magnet. Magnetic therapy products tend to use magnets that range from a few hundred gauss to over ten thousand gauss. The magnetic flux density of a magnet is largely a function of what the magnet is made of.

Practically speaking, a great number of materials can be made into magnets. Typical permanent magnets include ceramic magnets, plastic magnets, hematite magnets, and neodymium magnets. The last of these, neodymium magnets (also known as rare earth magnets), exert extremely powerful magnetic fields – so strong, in fact, that a neodymium magnet the size of a penny can sometimes lift hundreds of pounds with the force of its magnetic field!

The size of a magnet also plays a significant role in determining the magnet’s therapeutic strength. The same neodymium magnet that can lift hundreds of pounds with its magnetic field may in fact not even be able to penetrate more than a few inches into the human body due to its small size. It is the combination of magnetic flux density and magnet size that determines the therapeutic strength of a particular magnet.

Finally, there is polarity. Perhaps one of the least understood aspects of magnetic therapy is the role that polarity plays in generating therapeutic effects. All magnets have north and south poles, with the magnet’s north pole pointing to Earth’s North Pole and the magnet’s south pole pointing to Earth’s South Pole. Polarity is the term used to describe the alignment of particles within the magnet. There are two types of magnets: bipolar magnets and unipolar magnets. Bipolar magnets are those that have both north and south polarity on the same side of the magnet, while unipolar magnets have the north pole on one side and the south pole on the other. One difference between bipolar and unipolar magnets is that unipolar magnets tend to have greater penetration than bipolar ones due to the fact that the polarity is uniform on each side. Any other differences between the two types of magnets are still up for investigation.

Prevent Disease, Naturally.

You may have heard that antioxidants – such as vitamins C and E, carotene, lycopene, lutein and many other substances – may play a role in helping to prevent diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer’s disease and mucular degeneration. But if you’re looking to prevent these diseases by taking antioxidant supplements, recent research indicates that it’s unlikely you’ll experience much benefit – and it’s possible that some supplements could be harmful.

Fortunately, research is also increasingly showing that you can reap the potential health benefits of antioxidant intake by eating a diet rich in antioxidant-containing foods. As a bonus, foods high in antioxidants typically offer many other health benefits as well.

Free radicals

Antioxidants are thought to be helpful because they can neutralize free radicals, which are toxic byproducts of natural cell metabolism. Free radicals can also be introduced into the body by exposure to certain substances such as cigarette smoke, sunlight or pesticides.

Although free radicals perform some useful functions, in excess or in the wrong place they can damage healthy cells through a process called oxidation this thought to be a factor in the development of certain diseases. Overall, free radicals do far more harm than they do good.

Our bodies naturally produce antioxidants and are quite effective at neutralizing free radicals. The minerals copper, manganese, selenium and zinc are important players in this process. But this process isn’t 100 percent effective, and it’s effectiveness declines with age.

Why are foods best ?

One reason why foods appear to be a better choice than supplements is that foods contain an unmatchable array of antioxidant substances. A supplement may contain a single type of antioxidant — or even several. However, foods contain thousands of types of antioxidants -- vitamin A alone has several hundred forms – and it’s not known which of these substances are able to confer benefits. In fact, many researchers theorize that antioxidants in food form chemical networks that then interact with our own cellular and genetic intricacies.

In addition, although supplements containing antioxidants are generally considered safe, two recent studies have suggested that taking higher doses of supplements such as vitamin E over time may actually increase your risk of death.

In contract, foods higher in antioxidants are often plant based and offer health benefits in addition to their antioxidant content, such as being high in fiber, protein, and other vitamins and minerals and low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Food sources of antioxidants

No one food or food group should be your sole focus. It’s best to include a wide variety of foods from the categories listed below as part of a healthy well balanced diet. Some of the better sources of antioxidants include:

Berries – Blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, strawberries and cranberries are among the top sources of antioxidants.
Beans – Small red beans and kidney, pinto and black beans are among the top sources of antioxidants.
Fruits – Many apple varieties (with peel) are high in antioxidants, as are avocados, cherries, green and red pears, fresh or dried plums, pineapple, oranges, kiwi and others.
Vegetables – Those with the highest antioxidant content include artichokes, spinach, red cabbage, red and white potatoes (with peel), sweet potatoes and broccoli. The effect of cooking on antioxidant levels varies by cooking method and vegetable. One recent study shows that cooking generally increased levels among select vegetables.
Beverages – Green tea may come in mind as a good source of antioxidants, but other beverages have high levels, too, including coffee, red wine and many fruit juices.
Nuts -- Walnuts, pistachios, pecans, hazelnuts and almonds are some of the top nuts for antioxidant content.
Herbs – These may be unexpected suppliers of antioxidants, but ground cloves, cinnamon or ginger, dried oregano leaf, and turmeric powder are all good sources.
Grains – In general, oat-based products are higher in antioxidants that are those derived from grain sources.
And for dessert – Don’t forget that piece of dark chocolate ranks as high or higher than most fruits and vegetables in terms of antioxidant content.

Many thanks to the Mayo Clinic for this article.

September SPECIAL
Hematite Bracelets, Hematite Necklaces, and Custom Bracelets.
Also Stainless Steel Necklace SPECIAL PRICE !

Hematite Magnetic Bracelets will help Relieve Pain in the hands, arms & fingers

caused by conditions such as:

Arthritis, Rheumatism, Carpel Tunnel, Tennis Elbow, or Tendonitis.

They will also increase your Energy level, & Circulation, give you better

Mobility, & provide more Restful Sleep.

This month we are getting “MAGNETIC WATER”. We are looking into getting “Crocks” (at reasonable prices) for 2 and 5 gallon plastic bottles.

Several months ago we had Magnetic Water that I thought was quite high in price. We finally found a better system at a better price. We want to save you money and give you the benefit of FANTASTIC Bio-Magnetic Water to HELP your well being.

Janet has several articles that have recently been published. You might want to check them out on our “Article Page”.

The NEW Magnetic Dots are really helping people to relieve there ouches. These Dots are fantastic, and they seem to relieve everything.

That’s it for this month, we hope you will have a GREAT MONTH and take care of your health. We at Forsythe & Associates are concerned with your well being !

Gary & Janet Forsythe

The Bio-Magnetic Water is NOW on web site. 9/10/2007

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