With every 33 seconds that pass, a person dies from cardiovascular disease, reports the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In a 2013 study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, researchers looked at the effects of grounding (also referred to as earthing) on various components of our blood health. It’s many of these elements that influence our risk of heart disease, including blood pressure, clotting, blood viscosity, inflammation, and more.

For two hours, ten healthy participants had each of their hands and the bottoms of their feet attached to wired conductive patches, which were hooked up to a metal rod stuck into the earth. Blood samples revealed that earthing produced a decrease in both blood viscosity and clumping by boosting the surface charge of participant red blood cells. The researchers explained that increased blood viscosity is a contributing risk factor for heart disease and that grounding may be a safer alternative to the use of cholesterol-lowering statin medications that can come with severe adverse effects.