You’ve probably landed here because you’ve seen countless people talking about the Somavedic - a glass dome filled with”semi-precious stones and minerals” and powered by an LED light that claims to be “The Ultimate EMF Mitigation Device”.  Here's a recent Somavedic ad on Google Search:

So many trusted names in the health and wellness industry swear by this device and are claiming they are experiencing incredible results—it’s hard not to get excited about the promises the Somavedic is making.

BUT—should you get one?  And if you have one, do you know how it works, what the technology is?

That, my friends, is the question, because depending on the model you choose, Somavedics sell in that price range. 

And that's what I'm here to try and understand:  The claims that Somavedic makes and the research the company uses to back them up.  Most importantly, what, if anything, those claims have to do with EMF--because EMF is what so many people talk about when they recommend Somavedic.

People whose trust I’ve earned as a voice of reason in the EMF space, have been reaching out via direct messages, emails and website inquiries on a very regular basis: “What’s your opinion on the Somavedic?” “Should I get a Somavedic? It says it’s the #1 EMF mitigation.”  “What about the Somavedic, does it work?”  

Just like the softly obscured glass that hides what’s actually inside the Somavedic from those who might wonder, this device presented itself as something of a mystery to me.

It’s our policy at Tech Wellness that we do not endorse any solution until we try it, test it for EMF and review the research on it. I don't get paid for reviews, in fact, I purchase the products and I only recommend solutions that I trust and that have been vetted by research or a trusted team of experts. 

So after so many questions and after seeing some of the glowing reviews on social media, I wanted to learn more about the Somavedic. And wow—In my nearly 20 years of doing this, the Somavedic has taken me down the longest, windingest path of any EMF product so far.  

You're invited to discover with me on this journey.

I’m sharing what I learned from respected scientists, the leadership of the company, and through personal experience with two that I purchased myself. And of course, based on all of this, I did come to a conclusion.

Here's what I'll cover in this article:

• Why I bought 2 Somavedics
• Tech Wellness
• EMF Basics And Mitigation
• What is A Somavedic? How Does A Somavedic Work? What Does it Do?
• Somavedic Summary - What you need to know 
• My Somavedic Journey • Medic Green Ultra • Somavedic Sky
• Testing Somavedic for Negative Ions and Electric EMF
• Expert Research Scientist Reviews Somavedic Science and Claims
• Free EMF protection

Before we begin, I think it’s important for you to understand the extensive lengths I have gone to in order to inform our review.  Over the course of the last several months, I've done the following:

• Purchased and tried two different versions of the Somavedic in my home for extended periods of time;
• Spoken directly with the CEO of Somavedic, where I was joined by one of the top EMF researchers in the world, Dr. George Carlo.  We inquired about the device’s underlying technology, the company's research results and claims, and how they have used that information in their marketing. We talked about utilizing more accepted scientific practices in research. 
• Did a deep dive into the research, certifications and scientific claims found on the Somavedic website; we engaged a scientist who has authored over 600 papers in the EMF space and has been published in the world’s top scientific Journal, Nature, to give us a detailed analysis of the research and claims as well;
• Consulted other EMF experts I know and work with including an electrical engineer and others who are sensitive to EMFs 
• Purchased the same ION Meter that Somavedic uses in the “Science” section on its website to try and duplicate their claim that the device produces high volumes of negative ions, using one of the Somavedics I purchased.

It’s not completely unheard of for us to go to this level of detail in our review process, but it was especially important in this case, since Somavedic touts its impressive research results to consumers and to the health and wellness professionals who endorse it.  I wanted to make sure I had thoroughly explored the information available and experience the Somavedic for myself.

New to Tech Wellness or the EMF space?

If that’s you, I’d love to quickly introduce myself and give you a little bit of background on Tech Wellness and on EMFs. 

Who Am I?  I’m August Brice.  Founder of Tech Wellness.  I’m not a doctor or a research scientist, but I am a former Emmy, Gabriel, and Gold Mic Award-winning investigative journalist who has been studying this issue seriously and collaborating with the most informed scientists in the world in this space for most of my adult life.

What is Tech Wellness?  Solutions For Living Well and Thriving With Technology:  Mind, body and soul.  We, are first and foremost, interested in providing you with trustworthy information, solutions and advice.  We’ve produced literally hundreds of articles, videos, podcasts and social posts to help educate and inform.  Our areas of interest include data privacy, digital addiction, the effects of blue light from our screens, creating healthy digital homes  and of course, EMF.  The site was developed out of my research and personal experience of having electromagnetic sensitivity syndrome. You can learn more about this in my About section. 

My Thoughts On Alternative Healing Modalities: I’ve had a litany of often undiagnosable health issues over the course of my life.  And when regular medicine can’t help you, you look for alternative ideas that can. I’ve explored countless alternative healing methods since the 1980’s, from biofeedback, hair analysis, Reiki, a German MD who lived and worked on a Native American reservation offering infusions, cupping, acupuncture, watsu, aromatherapy, cranial sacral and Jin Shin Jytsu to name a few. I even saw psychic healers (before I realized that I could look to God). I meditate, I eat organic, stay away from environmental toxins, visit naturopaths and chiropractors and my Jin Shin Jytsu practitioner regularly.  I’ve seen the good that alternative therapies can do in my own life and I encourage everyone I know to explore them when appropriate.

EMF 101

A brief sidebar with what you need to know about EMFs

EMF stands for electromagnetic fields—and it’s a type of electromagnetic radiation that “radiates” from virtually all things electric. Lightning, electrical panels, high tension power lines, all appliances and everything that is wireless, they all emit EMF.  There are many “types” of EMF because they travel in invisible waves of energy at different speeds or frequencies.  So the electromagnetic spectrum goes on the low end from magnetic EMF, the lowest frequency, to wireless energy’s Radio Frequency (RF) and all the way up to dangerous Gamma Rays on the high end.  If you want to dig deep into EMFs, read our comprehensive EMF Guide

Our experts at techwellness.com help us understand that, simply put, the true damage that’s occurring from wireless EMF comes from the fact that these waves are now carrying data.  We have changed their natural state and attached your kid’s soccer schedule, today’s podcast and tomorrow’s weather to them!

In fact, they’re known as Information Carrying Radio Waves (ICRW). It’s technical, but attaching the data (voice, text, games, news, music, etc.) polarizes the wave—changes its electrical charge.  It’s been shown in thousands of peer reviewed studies over the last 40 years that our cells really don’t react well to that change in polarity—and cause negative biological effects including cancer, insomnia, headaches, changes to growing fetuses, infertility, anxiety and more. Many of them are solid double blind peer-reviewed research studies that clearly demonstrate negative effects of EMF exposure -so much so that the FCC was successfully sued for not taking into account the latest research when publishing new safety standards.

Here’s the way I look at it:  I think of EMFs as a “Tech Toxin,” because like other toxins, such as smoke or diesel fumes or pesticides, my body has work hard to put them to balance in order to stay healthy and feel good when I’m exposed them.  

Given everything we know about ICRW or EMF from our wireless devices and negative health effects, it’s understandable that so many would be looking for quick fixes or simple all-in-one solutions to protect our families.

It would be so nice if there was a magic pill that took care of our problem.   As our exposure and awareness of EMF grows, so does the market for EMF Protection products. Believe me, there are plenty of them out there: From shielding cases and clothing to special chips to put on your devices to crystals to wear around your neck, to devices that promise to “harmonize our environments” and reduce the impact of EMFs.  

And that leads us to the Somavedic, its popularity and this review. 

What is the Somavedic? 

The Somavedic is an array of precious, semi-precious stones and minerals inside a hand blown glass orbital dome that glows with an LED light powered by a charging cord. It actually looks lovely.

Depending on the combination of stones and the color of the glass, the more expensive the Somavedic can be all the way up to 24k gold plated Somavedic Gold.  However, except for the color and broad description of the various models offered, there is no detail on exactly which stones and/or minerals are inside the various models.  

The company says that this highly scientific combination of specific stones and minerals spreads energy that can among other things, neutralize EMF and 5G radiation up to 100 feet away or 2800 square feet. The company puts the device in the bio-resonance and frequency category.

Somavedic, in interviews and online, reports it has proprietary technology - which sounds impressive. But here's how the founder describes the "technology" .

It's "based on the principal of the exact arrangement of semi precious stones and gemstones, that when arranged in a certain way, create a much larger energy field than any stone could manage on it's own."

Ivan Rybjansky in a Somavedic Technologies video tells us,"stones can carry information and radiate energy" comparing Somavedic's stones to a computer saying, "there is a stone acting as a memory or processor, a stone acting as a sender and a stone acting as a battery so each and every stone has it's precise function and moreover each stone corrects a certain thing in the area within its frequency to clear blockages. . ."  And that appears to be as "technical" as it gets, because the stones are said to work without the LED light, which apparently magnifies the stones "energy field"

He continues in the video,  "In the Somavedic there are 2 to 2.5 million frequencies which constantly broadcast to scan the surroundings: people, flora and fauna to to try and eliminate blockages that impede proper function of the organism."

I think he's saying that those little stones in the Somavedic have such powerful energy that they are beaming signals that expand into the environment and scan(a la Doc on Star Trek) people and plants for blockages that prevent them from working properly - and then the energy just wipes away those blocks.  

Watch the video and you'll hear how he believes that a large Somavedic could be built over Hiroshima to eliminate all the bad energy there.  He also says Somavedic eliminates 99% manifestations(he's referring to ghosts).

This kind of "technology" as they call it takes a lot of belief in the invisible.  And not the EMF kind of invisible that can be detected and quantified with meters. 

Now you might believe stones and minerals carry two and half million frequencies that spread out killing mold and parasites and unblocking blockages.  But that's not how Somavedic is marketed.

Mostly Somavedic and the people recommending it talk about the Science that proves it works. But a research scientist, specializing in EMF said this about some of the studies on the Somavedic site.

"They are all uncontrolled and dependent. Furthermore, data is lacking in regards to  how the standardization was done, how the samples were collected, how the fields of vision were selected, what kind of biomedical statistics that was used, no internal controls are presented, no calibrations met, no blind-coding regiment described, etc". . . Olle Johansson, PH.D 

The Somavedic Review Summary-What You Need To Know

For those of you who want to get to the bottom line, here's the summary. For those of you who want to read my whole journey with the Somavedic including an in depth review of the research - keep reading. 

1. THE SOMAVEDIC DOES NOT ACTUALLY "MITIGATE EMF" AND USERS COULD EASILY DEVELOP A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY AND ACTUALLY INCREASE THEIR OVERALL EXPOSURE.

Many of you are likely looking into the Somavedic because of its EMF mitigation powers so I want to be sure to set this straight. I understand why it’s confusing because much of the messaging about Somavedic (including the current ads below) headlines with: "The Ultimate Mitigation Device" - could make you think it’s reducing EMF. The reality is the Somavedic does not prevent or reduce EMF exposure. 

Screen shot of Google search results

That’s the main thing that makes me nervous about harmonizing devices such as the Somavedic. People receive a false sense of security and think that they no longer have to take steps to eliminate EMF - they are good, safe, and protected thanks to their Somavedic! I see people on social media saying this all the time “I’m so glad I’m protected from EMF and 5G because of this Somavedic!” This is extremely dangerous thinking. Thankfully, the Somavedic site’s messaging claims it “mitigates the effects of EMF” I’m not saying that Somavedic proves those claims or that Somavedic can actually mitigate the effects of EMF--

I encourage Somavedic to monitor this messaging and arm their affiliates and influencers with accurate messaging and solid research.
 

2. I DETECTED SIGNIFICANT LEVELS OF ELECTRIC EMF COMING FROM THE SOMAVEDIC DEVICE.

This is not surprising. Many appliances or gadgets that have a wire or charging wire connected to them will spew electric EMF.  Like all EMF it drops off as you distance yourself from it. However, since it could be the reason I personally didn't feel well with the Somavedic in my home.  As you'll see in my journey, I discovered using a grounded power strip helps eliminate the electric EMF. I hope all of you who already have a Somavedic will use something similar. 

3. I DID NOT SEE AN INCREASE IN NEGATIVE IONS.

One of the selling points Somavedic claims is its effect on negative ions. This is an ION Meter from Alpha Labs and Somavedic has this photo in it's Science Section under "Somavedics effects on the number on negative ions"

That photo on their page shows a significant level of negative ions. I actually purchased the same exact negative ion meter that they used to try it out myself. You can see the readings I got above showed around 1.5 vs the 5.00 negative ion measurement in the photo Somavedic has on its site.

The Negative ION measurement with the Somavedic in the room is 1.03•Somavedic’s Research Science Photo Showed a 5.01 reading

The Negative Ion Measurement In My Home With NO Somavedic

4. According to world renowned scientific experts, the research that Somavedic presents to support claims that it mitigates the EFFECT of EMF on the body does not prove that it does.

On the Somavedic website, the company presents page after page of scientific research and certifications that outline "proven positive effects.” The research is meant to demonstrate everything from increased negative ions to better heart rate variability for the people using Somavedic. Sounds compelling, doesn’t it?

I reached out to to Olle Johansson, PH.D.

I asked him to help me understand, should the credible looking studies on the site help me feel confident about recommending or using a Somavedic? Here’s what Professor Johansson said:

“ They are all uncontrolled and dependent. Furthermore, data is lacking in regards to  how the standardization was done, how the samples were collected, how the fields of vision were selected, what kind of biomedical statistics that was used, no internal controls are presented, no calibrations met, no blind-coding regiment described, etc”

Please join us below as we break down research findings and review the science in relation to the claims found on the Somavedic website - including "improved HRV, decrease in oxidative stress, and positive effects on the cardiovascular system."

5.  The CEO of Somavedic says new research is forthcoming. I think that's important if you're basing your opinion of Somavedic on scientific research.

Our EMF expert Dr. George Carlo, had similar thoughts that he brought up on our call with Somavedic CEO, Juraj KOCAR. Dr. Carlo even offered ideas for more accepted scientific principals to be incorporated in future studies

In summary, as the research stands now, it is not strong enough for me to base a large purchase off of, however I hope that Somavedic goes ahead with the additional research studies and I think this is really important because like many companies, Somavedic has many Health and Wellness professionals and influencers that participate in their Affiliate program who reference the research as they promote the product. 

I wonder if some of these professionals may take a cursory look and see that there's a LOT of it, along with "certifications" (that may be less important than they seem) and can easily become convinced that this adequate proof of performance.

6. Somavedic has a "Certification" but, the source of the certification seems questionable

The Somavedic website shares that the reviews were certified by IGEF or The International Association of Electrosmog Research. It appears that this association is mainly a vehicle for “certifying” frequency devices that claim to harmonize, neutralize or protect from 5G or EMF. Products that display the IGEF range from pendants or twisted silver art on Etsy,  Stickers or quantum pouches and clothing to Nano-magnetic cards  - none of which I would recommend. 

The Website indicates that the Scientific Advisory Board of this organization specifies a procedure that results in a Seal Of Approval, the IGEF certificate.  It isn’t clear who makes up the Scientific Advisory Board, however the website advises that Mr. José Joaquín Machado, who invented one of the IGEF certified products is the person that is authorized to process the IGEF certificate.This is an aside but it doesn’t boost my confidence in the research.

7. Somavedic makes claims throughout the site that it doesn’t verify or try to verify with research or Science. Like this:

  "Eliminate viruses, parasites & mold"

I didn't see any back up for this very appealing claim that's found in the Doctors and Clinics Section on the website: https://somavedic.com/pages/doctors-clinics

8. My body did not respond well to it and yours might not either, but they have a great 60 day return policy. 

I bought two different versions of the Somavedic, the Sky and the Medic Green Ultra - which really made me feel sick.  I even pushed through their “detox stage” and nothing changed. I put fruit in front of one and it didn't end up being any less fresh than the one 150' away.  Since I am especially sensitive to wireless energy I have become extra aware of how devices affect me and it was not positive.

It very well could have been the electric fields from the Somavedic.

Read my journey for more information.

I will say that the Somavedic was helpful and nice and didn’t give me any issues for returning the product within 60 days.   

9. If the Somavedic “harmonizes negative effects of EMF” with stones or crystals, I'm concerned because there are no scientific studies that show crystals can heal.

Somavedic says it uses a collection of different precious and semi-precious stones and minerals and creates a harmonizing energy field that extends 100.  To be clear, fossilera.com explains  "Depending on the context, stone may refer to a rock, a crystal or a mineral."

Unfortunately, there are no scientific studies that point to or prove that crystals have healing power. I did find experts and a study that pointed to the power of belief and placebo and the mind- body connection. It’s all fascinating and helpful, but it doesn’t in any way prove the power of the Somavedic.

So, if you're basing your opinion of Somavedic on the claims that Somavedic presents and the Science that's used to back up those claims, you may want to take a deeper look.

If you read my journey and still want to try it out with your extra cash - go for it! These are just some things I’ve discovered and reasons I have personally decided not to keep using the Somavedic.

I know many satisfied customers will respond to this with the great results they have seen since getting a Somavedic or the other perceived benefits like water structuring (not my area of expertise but I would encourage you to find another source to confirm this). If it's working for you great! I’m so glad!  At this point I am not sure why it’s working (could be the power of the Placebo Effect?),  but I hope we find out soon with accurate and solid research.

My Somavedic Journey

Perhaps like you, I started seeing Somavedic across my Instagram feed with people raving about the one-stop shop for EMF Protection.

My first thought was it probably doesn’t work. Why? Because I’ve made it a point through the years to buy and try everything including other harmonizers like EMF Harmony, Vibes Up, Crystals, Shungite and Chips - all promoted as EMF Protection to see if they could alleviate my Electromagnetic Sensitivity (EHS). What I came to understand over 15 years ago, is that the main thing that helps or worsens how I feel is turning off wireless or getting exposed to more of it. 

Trying out my first Somavedic Device

I soon ordered the Medic Green Ultra to try it out and when I turned the Somavedic on, I actually felt worse. I’m not sure why, maybe it was the electric fields - which were significant, like many wired appliances. 

It wasn't until months later that I listened to another interview with the creator of Somavedic where he kept talking about Uranium- yes radioactive Uranium, in the "new" Somavedic.  The interview was from 2020.  When I bought the Medic Green Ultra the fine print said nothing about Uranium.  But after I heard the interview I searched and found this:

Why Put Radio Active Material In An "EMF Protection" Device?

Somavedic doesn't give the details about the ingredients in any of their models so I'm not sure how much Uranium Oxide (also called uranium dioxide) was in that Medic Green Ultra- or how much is in yours.

But I know for sure I wouldn't have bought it at all had I thought there was radio active material in it.

Vaseline glass containers are clear, yellow, or yellowish-green glass pieces made with 0.1% to 2% uranium dioxide. Somavedic uses 0.22% of uranium dioxide. An extensive study https://www.nrc.gov/docs/ML0119/ML011980333.pdf done by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in 2001 found that the amount of radiation exposure caused by Vaseline glass to its owner is only 4 millirems per year, which is about 1-2% of the radiation that an average person is exposed to each year.

I've seen some experts online say that to know for sure you need a geiger counter.  And I did find that Nuclear Regulatory Commission has standards for the amount of any radio active material you can use in a product without a license. For everything you would ever want to know about Uranium, this .gov has it all: https://web.evs.anl.gov/uranium/faq/uproperties/faq3.cfm

A Somavedic user posted a testimonial that said they put fruit near it and it magically stayed fresh. I sliced a peach, put one right next to it, the other 150’ away. After 10 hours, the peach near the Somavedic didn’t fare as well as the one far away.

Unlike me, lots of people say Somavedics help them sleep and feel better

You know how once you buy something, you start noticing it everywhere?  Well, more and more I began to notice popular, respected influencers - biohackers, natural health aficionados, organic-lovers and some really cool people were showing up on my social feeds, holding  Somavedics and  sharing about their  improved sleep and better HRV.  

I actually felt a bit of digital peer pressure.   So many people were resonating with the power in the gadgets - but I felt worse.

Screen shot from the Somavedic website

So I kept it on for several days since some say there is a detox period, but I continued to feel horrible. After a week I put the Medic Green Ultra in a box and then in a storage closet that's outside in our driveway. I noticed Somavedic had so much research on their site. I found something called Pre-Clinical, but I didn't see the Clinical Trial that should have gone with it. 

I did find a  2020 YouTube video where the CEO talked about a clinical trial that they were currently in, done by Czech doctors that was a double-blinded study to measure free radicals, HRV and blood pressure, so I sent an email asking for that research.  I got a reply back that all research was already on the website. So, at that time, and at the time of publication, there was no information or data regarding any clinical trial.

We have learned that Somavedic’s clinical trial was interrupted and postponed due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Testing out the Negative Ion Claim

It’s important that you know that I kept the first Somavedic, the Medic Green Ultra for awhile in the the storage room outside the garage.  I was waiting for a the Alpha Lab Ion meter. 

I had talked to the maker of the meter, Bill Lee, PH. D., right after I got the Somavedic and asked him if he had seen the picture on the website with his meter detecting negative ions when placed next to a Somavedic.  He had not seen it, but I asked if 5.01 was a high reading, he asked what the setting was- and then said, yes that's a high reading -one that high would normally be from something that was radioactive.  HMMMM.  William told me that meter was out of stock but would be back in soon, so I ordered one.

I wasn’t convinced the Somavedic didn’t work. It just didn’t do anything for me or my peaches.  Before I wrote about it, I wanted to get that Alpha Lab negative ion meter that Somavedic shows in a photo on it’s site to demonstrate how the Somavedic produces a high level of negative ions.

As the 60 day window to return came close, I sent it back and waited for the Ion Meter. I promptly received a refund from Somavedic.

Meanwhile a lovely woman from the Somavedic team reached out to me on LinkedIn to ask me if I would like to sell Somavedic on Techwellness.com with their new wholesale program.  I asked her if  before I recommended or offered their product in our store, if it would be possible to speak to the CEO along with one of my site experts to go over the science so I could understand it better.

My Call with The CEO of Somavedic 

We had a nice Zoom call a couple of months ago with the Somavedic CEO, Juraj Kocar and our site expert, Dr. George Carlo.

Our call was conversational. My goal was to try and understand the research and Dr. Carlo was hoping to understand more about how the product worked- what was it doing to cause the effects of better sleep etc that customers were reporting. 

We talked about why the founder created the Somavedic, the consistent positive reviews Somavedic buyers proclaim and actual studies that could confirm those findings,  the type of tests and studies that have been done, the stones and minerals and why there is an electrical component

We were all engaged, and the discourse was professional and honest. 

George inquired about the research and recommended that more accepted scientific principals be incorporated in future studies that Juraj  mentioned that they were planning on doing. George expressed concern about the research as it stood on the website in terms of sample size, data collection and methods.

Dr. George Carlo suggested that Somavedic should be able to explain its effect in the environment-in your home, your office, anywhere it's supposed to be working.  He said the there wasn't alot of science in the current package on the site and advised that the research be good enough for mainstream and medical communities to believe in.  He noted that "the action is in the mechanism" and suggested that research "explain how Somavedic is working from a biophysics and biochemical point of view" as that's where scientists want to go.

The CEO shared that many doctors are convinced of the efficacy of the product to change oxidative stress by using free radical urine test strips before and after exposure to Somavedic. 

Dr Carlo suggested that Somavedic might collect data measuring blood levels of malendioaldhyde, (MDA) with and without the Somavedic with specific and consistent exposure to WiFi in orderto quantify that there is an actual effect from the Somavedic. He explained that when our cell's vibration receptors (tiny tubulin protrusions that come from the cell) are exposed to polarized waveforms from wireless antenna's and recognize that signal as incoherent, lipid peroxidation is triggered. He said the by products of  lipid peroxidation can be measured with a blood marker of malendioaldhyde MDA.  The higher the MDA, the more resonant damage.

Dr. Carlo, who has tremendous experience in structuring and executing research gave examples of thoughtful parameters such as taking into account that normal household exposure from WiFi is naturally lower at night because it isn’t being accessed therefore data points should be collected at times when the WiFi was on and being utilized. 

Juraj said that cells are not as influenced by external factors in their environment when they are using a Somavedic because the living organisms that are living in the field of the Somavedic behave differently --But oh how I wished there was research or science to back up that claim! 

He also pointed out that customers reported plants grew better and kids sleep better and people feel better.

He said there was a specific combination of stones that made the Somavedic effective and that the electrical element (LED light) served only to amplify the effect. But what does the Somavedic actually do to us when it's in our home? Dr. Carlo emphasized that it was important to identify the mechanism of repair, i.e. what actions happening inside our bodies when we're exposed to the Somavedic.  

Interestingly, there is a video of the founder on YouTube where he does say that he could create a more powerful Somavedic to completely block EMF, but it would cause TV's and phones to turn off....

Maybe they just got busy. Or maybe our concerns about how the research was conducted  made them wish we hadn’t spoken in the first place.

I want to mention here that neither Dr. Carlo nor Dr. Johansson saw or experienced a Somavedic. Their views were based on conversations with the company and - or any info they saw on the website. So, even though they didn't have  first-hand research information they did what they could to put the product into some context based on their years of experience in this field and I respect their input.

Comparing The Ion Measurement on My Device With The Ion Measurement On The Somavedic Science Page

So when that Alpha Lab Ion meter finally got off back order and delivered to my office, I went ahead and bought a new Somavedic. I was really excited.  I thought sure, this would be the key-it really would prove, as it does on the site that it was generating an impressive amount of negative ions.  

No, not so much.

 The negative ion reading wasn’t even close to the reading on the Somavedic website - it actually didn’t affect the reading in my home at all, it was actually slightly lower when I turned it on.

In the Science Tab, under Negative Ions, Somavedic has the photo of a reading of 5.01 and the reading in my home was approximately 1.35  without the Somavedic is was approximately 1.25.  ( I was actually releived after what William Lee had said about high readings coming from radio activity) The Alpha Lab ION meter takes readings continually and they do fluctuate as you'll see in the video below so I wouldn't say that the readings with or without the Somavedic were significantly different. Each time you reset, the meter starts a few points(in thousands) higher and then settles in within several seconds, but bounced around in a range that was within .50 points for the readings with and without the Somavedic.  

I urge any of you contemplating a purchase based on negative ions to do this comparison yourself. 

In Our Tests, The Somavedic Showed Very High Levels of Electric EMF.

Also, speaking of meters, I used two professional quality RF or Wireless EMF meters to verify that there was no wireless EMF coming from the two Somavedics I tried. 

There was however, significant or high levels of electric EMF.  Beyond two feet from the device, there was no exposure to EMFs.

Not surprising, many appliances or gadgets that have a wire or charging wire connected to them will spew electric EMF.  Like all EMF it drops off as you distance yourself from it. 

The Grounded Power Strip we offer fixed and eliminated the EMF from Somavedic completely!  Here is a video demonstrating the electric EMF levels with and without the grounded power strip. If you do decide to use a Somavedic, I highly recommend you ensure it is grounded properly.

And as far as Structuring water goes, I did not research this issue.  But I do know that the Journal of Animal Science, Volume 99, has a great review of what structured water does to animals and it mentions that benefits occur with structured water that is exposed to the correct amount magnetic fields and too many or too much exposure can be bad. Just an FYI.

Somavedic: Science, Placebo and Crystals

The Importance of Research

During my journey I reached out to one of the highly respected influencers I saw posting about the Somavedic - an ND who I follow and said “Really? I didn’t notice anything and have you seen the research?”  She wrote back and said-"Oh, I know I see that now, such a small sample size.  Maybe it’s placebo!?

Indeed it could be the placebo effect. Countless studies, typically using sugar pills or injections or some physical treatment confirm the idea that your brain can convince your body a fake treatment is the real thing.  Scientists are still trying to harness the exact way placebo and nocebo work. But here’s a meta- analysis that looked into placebo vs no treatment for sleep issues.

To Believe In The Somavedic Is To Believe In the Power of Gemstones and Semi-precious Stones or Crystals.

Somavedic Technologies Youtube channel has a 42 minute interview with Ivan Rybjusky the founder and inventor of Somavedic.  He explains that a Somavedic is "based on the principal of the exact arrangement of semi precious stones and gemstones, that when arranged in a certain way, create a much larger energy field than any stone could manage on it's own." 

He also says, "In the Somavedic there are 2 to 2.5 million frequencies which constantly brodacast to scan the surroundings: people, flora and faruna to to try and eliminate blockages that  impeed proper function of the organism. " He did say that the stones that are lined up in a pyramid sort of arrangement at the core-inside the glass dome- then, "there are two copper plates used for earthing, one  serving as an antenna there are also copper wires working as frequency emitters, so to speak, to appropriate the radiation."

Ivan Rybjansky that "when you plug the device in the elimination of negative energies is activated, it's the the same principal applies in carrying a stone in your pocket.  Every 24 hours you should wash it in cold water, let it sun-dry and then wipe it with a napkin and this is what the Somavedic does automatically."

Susan Hall interviewed Jujaj in August and he told her, ”Somavedic has whole minerals and gem stones inside. Stones used across the whole spectrum of products include: Ruby, Carnelian, Tourmaline, Agate, Pyrate, Rose quartz, Lepidolite, Magnetite, Sodalite, Tourmaline, Ruby, Hematite, Fluorite, Malachite and Jasper.”

“We choose stones for their different physical and psychological effects on our bodies and mind. Take ruby for example:  The Ruby stone is an excellent aid to assist you with recharging your energy levels. It is very effective for encouraging vitality, sensuality and aiding intimate relationships. Its color is analogous of its energy, which may stimulate your mind to be more positive and self-assured.”  

You may believe there are energetic associations with stones and you may not, but clearly many many people are looking to stones to help them feel better.

Even though there's no study, no scientific proof that the crystals actually do anything in terms of healing, look at this Google Search!

In the last 12 months more people have googled “crystals for healing” then two other popular topics “5g health” and “EMF Protection” which speaks to the trending belief that crystals or stones hold energy that can flow into the body to heal and cleanse. (Source: Google Trends- 4/22)

Anyone can find out what's trending in terms of what people are searching by checking out Google Search Trends.  Many businesses track search console to find out what they should be creating and what they should be blogging.

Sites like Healthline- that claims to have "medical advice you can trust"  will have entire articles devoted to crystals including details on which chakra's to put them on to battle a certain illness- and then only at the very end will they have a disclaimer(shame on Healhline to use "crystals for healing" as click bait for a "medical advice" site!)- with statements like "crystals have the power to create an electrical charge, but that’s about all the evidence shows." and "We may never know for sure whether crystals help us through energy or through the placebo effect."

Scientific Studies Indicate Crytals' Power Is The Placebo Effect

Unfortunately, there are no scientific studies that point to or prove that crystals have healing power. While they do hold energy (like all living things) researchers in London concluded that with crystals “ the belief was stronger than the stone,” after 80 people given fake and real crystals reported feeling no difference. “When given cheap, fake crystals, people reported exactly the same mysterious sensations as when they handled the genuine articles,” the Telegraph reported.

 
But so many really truly believe crystals do heal- so why is that? The Washington Post did a deep dive into this phenomenon, “Many psychologists attribute perceived crystal healing to the placebo effect, according to Thomas Plante, professor of psychology and religious studies at Santa Clara University and adjunct clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford University’s School of Medicine.

“Your belief in anything you think might help you — whether it be crystals, herbal supplements or experimental medical treatment — may do so, even if there’s no active ingredient involved. “When these beliefs are supported by friends and family or various social media blogs, they become more powerful,” Plante said.

Confusion About Crystals and Energy

When people talk about the energy from crystals, many times they will rely on research that found that crystals are piezoelectric- so they say, that proves that the crystal can effect our body's energy levels.  But science didn't make any connection between the the electric energy created by heating some crystals and healing our body or sending "energy" to the environment .  Yes many crystals are Piezoelectric-so are some polymers and ceramics by the way.  The Researcher from 1880 found that putting pressure and changing the temperature of the crystals created electricity. This technology is used now to create things like quartz watches and ink jet printers-but not to make crystal healing devices. 

Research led by Kaptchuk, Harvard Professor and Director of the Program in Placebo Studies and the Therapeutic Encounter (PiPS) show the mind-body connection can help us heal even if we realize it’s not real.  Researchers gave subjects a pain medication or a pill named(on the jar) Placebo  and found that the Placebo pill was 50% as effective in reducing pain.

Kapttchuk thinks it was likely because we are conditioned to believe in the power of pills.  

And much of the time we get that proof from research.  It’s not always or ever 100%, but we like to see that science is exploring and validating our decisions about lots of stuff we use or don’t use.  How many of us have opted out of fake sweeteners or smoking or chemicals because a research study showed us our health could be negatively effected?  

Scientific research, how it’s executed and what it proves or fails to prove is so important 

Why are published, peer reviewed scientific studies important?

What constitutes solid research? 

Scientific research follows accepted standards and practices and when it’s evaluated, points to consider are things like, why a study was done, who funded it, sample size, the precise way the data is collected, if results reproducible, is it subject to peer review, (where other qualified scientists analyze the study and comment on it), does it build upon previous research, the definitions, methods and procedures. 

Somavedic’s Scientific Claims  

Seeing the profound difference in the negative ion readings from the Somavedic site compared to readings I got with the identical meter I just purchased, made me wonder what other claims I should take a closer look at. 

Unless you spend an inordinate amount of time actually reading it, at first glance, Somavedic seems to have checked the research box.

Somavedic makes very broad, bold, confident claims about how well the product works.

Scientific Research As A Marketing Tool:  The Somavedic Website Has A  Research Section Called: "Proven Positive Effects".- and "Reducing the Effects of Mobile Phone Radiation" as Effect number 1.

But Does The Research actually PROVE Somavedic Reduces The Effects Of Radiation Exposure From Your Cellphone?

The research section is dense and full of official looking documents and certificates and "results."  However, when you start to "peel the onion" a bit, you find that there is only one actual "published study" and the most impressive 68 page "study" is simply an outline for a proposed study.

We're going to dive into the details with Olle Johansson, PH.D, but here's why I believe the research section is misleading:

I wanted to really understand for me and for you. A Somavedic is not a small purchase--they can go to over $5,000. So yeah, this is a big deal, protecting your family is a big deal. But totally worth it if can really reduce the effects of mobile phone radiation, like they say, right?

Olle Johansson, PH.D and longtime professor at the prestigious Karolinska Institute is an EMF research and study expert. He has published over 500 papers and participated in, or led many research studies. 

You can listen to our podcast with him here.  He’s engaging and he’s brilliant.  

 I engaged him to help me understand, should the credible looking studies on the site help me feel confident about what Somavedic says the science proving?  As I looked at them, I thought, hmm maybe I’m wrong-are they done according to acceptable research standards? Here’s what Professor Johansson said: 

“ They are all uncontrolled and dependent. Furthermore, no data at all is given about how the standardization was done, how the samples were collected, how the fields of vision were selected, what kind of biomedical statistics that was used, no internal controls are presented, no calibrations met, no blind-coding regiment described, etc” --Olle Johansson

In fact, he was part of a team studying another EMF protection gadget, called the MobileFloww that used the Karolinska Institute's independent statisticians for the evaluation of the entire research plan, for the pilot material ANOVA analysis, as well as for the entire final evaluation of the outcome data.

A Detailed Look At The Somavedic Science From Their Website.

First, We’ll Look at Studies From The International Association of Electrosmog Research

The Somavedic website shares that the reviews were certified by IGEF or The International Association of Electrosmog Research. It appears that this association is mainly a vehicle for “certifying” frequency devices that claim to harmonize, neutralize or protect from 5G or EMF. 

Products that display the IGEF range from pendants or twisted silver art on Etsy,  Radiation Balancing Stickers or quantum pouches and clothing to Nano-magnetic cards called Spiro - none of which I would recommend. 

Screen shot from the IGEF website

The Website indicates that the Scientific Advisory Board of this organization specifies a procedure that results in a Seal Of Approval, the IGEF certificate.  It isn’t clear who makes up the Scientific Advisory Board, however the website advises that Mr. José Joaquín Machado, who invented another EMF “energy” device is the person that is authorized to process the IGEF certificate.This is an aside but it doesn’t boost my confidence in the research. 

Screen shot from the IGEF website

Click on the IGEF Seal section for the detail on how to obtain a certificate and you’ll find  products that pay a fee and then are judged and deemed protective properties against electrosmog. I searched the page and didn’t find a link of members or directors. I did notice that the IGEF lists only one product in the  Products for protection against Electro Smog  section: Omni Radiation Balancer Energy pendants and stickers.

So let’s look a the research that was done under the auspices of this of this certification.

Heart Rate Variability or HRV

HRV or Heart Rate Variability has become a buzz term when it comes to markers of health and wellbeing.

Like blood pressure and and heart rate are metrics of health, HRV is literally the variance of the time between heart beats.  The greater the variability of time-say a second between two beats and then a second and a half between two others-the better. HRV is currently considered one the best objective measurements of physical fitness.

The Cleveland Clinic notes that it can indicate current and future health problems including heart conditions and mental health issues like anxiety and depression.   Frontiers in an HRV overview  says, “An optimal level of HRV is associated with health and self-regulatory capacity, and adaptability or resilience.”

Does EMF Exposure affect HRV?

Research on HRV has shown us that things like worry and breathing can effect HRV, but early and fairly recent research did not find that wireless energy or Radio Frequency (RF) EMF had any effect on most heart variability parameters.
Here’s the study from the French National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks 

HRV and Somavedic

More and more we hear of doctors, biohackers and health aficionados talking about their HRV and using trackers like Oura Ring to analyze how breathing and meditation and exercise effects their readings.  And, when doctors, and influencers talk about Somavedic, they often often refer to HRV and this study that Somavedic invites us to review.

HRV - Does This Study Mean A Somavedic Leads To Improved Heart Rate Variability?

On Somavedic It's Listed As Research Claim #3. Improved Heart Rate Variability, Circulation and Internal Balance.

Open the PDF here and read along with me. Notice there are just 10 people in the study and notice a the readings they take are at inconsistent times throughout the research period. Actually there doesn’t seem to be an actual research period. 

Dr. Johansson verified that this was not a standardized approach.  With research, he tells us, you have to establish a set-up using an internal control- and you do this first, through a pilot study in order to establish an optimal time point.  He explains  that the results  here turn out to be pretty weak because not only were there so few “test objects"-but also because of the odd time points and inconsistency in the measurements, subdividing them led to even less statistical power, which was already weak.

Effects of The Somavedic on Red Blood Cells

You’ll find this study in the IGEF section. And It's Listed As

Research Claim #4, Significant Improvement Of Sedimentation

So, this is microscopy in the dark field.  We see this a lot when it comes to alternative medicine devices as proof that some modalities work. I kind of fall for it because I see it so often and even had a naturopath “test” me to “prove” shungite worked.  I had to to ask Professor Johansson-heres how that went:

First he asked me to ponder that if dark field microscopy was reliable, why wasn’t it used in hematological centers all over the world?  Yes. I know. But those photos always seem compelling . . .

Here are Professor Johansson’s answers to my questions about dark field microscopy.
Q. Is this dark field microscopy a reliable indicator that something is working to change the body's response to EMF exposure?
A. No. And especially not when included in non-controlled 'studies'.

So, there ya have it.  Let’s move on to the next section on Somavedic’s science page.
 

Preclinical Research and Somavedic Efficacy

On Somavedic this is listed as Research Claim #2. Positive Effects On Cardiovascular and Nervous System

That’s what they called this section.  It’s two documents.  Preclinical Research is what you do before you start a research project.  The idea is to establish a baseline that covers things like safety issues and observed effects outside the clinical situation that you’re about to enter in with actual research.

Look at it yourself:  I downloaded the PDF and you can too, realize it is a PROPOSAL that contains a study that even the report admits

Check Wikipedia or any of the companies that help drugs and medical products move through pre-clinical to clinical trials in an effort to get their products on the market, Pre-Clinical studies are what drug and medical devces do to show their products are save PRIOR to doing studies on human or in-human as the medical community says.  And, the study should be done according to Good Laboratory Practice.

The "pre-clinical" research could make you believe- especially from the Key Findings that Somavedic publishes in relationship to it, that a valid research study took place.  Read it and you'll see that 12 people got a Somavedic, put it in the house and the self-reported how they felt and took their blood pressure and heart rate at different times- and some were around their Somevedic only at night while "research" was taking place so various controls were not in place.  

The report admits "no statistic evaluation" and the "only things observed are potentional changes" yet then Somavedic took this "research" and made claims that it calls "KEY FINDINGS" on its website.

Our expert summarizes the document this way,  “Unfortunately, this only adds further mental 'fog' to the whole investigation since the preclinical outcome is not standardized and streamlined into becoming the basis for the experimental situation.

Observations IRL are important and crucial, and can help you a lot when you go into the laboratory for detailed investigations."

"To get hold of the actual reasoning here, one must sit down with the people behind all of this, and start from zero. There is no way to salvage a badly planned - and/or executed - study by introducing sophisticated analyses, fancy, long words in the text, and complicated explanations. That is only mental ‘snake-oil”  

A cynical observer might wonder if they were just packing their research and Science section with a lot of big Sciency words and impressive looking documents to make this section appear quite serious.

If you’re wondering what the other 3 page document in this section is, let’s review: 

Development of the therapeutical equipment in the frame of Evidenced Based Medicine approach 

Remember, this is included in the Science Section as Research!

Take a look at this front page,  If it looks like a contract, that’s because it is.

 
This kind of memo might be used to try and get funding, but it’s not research.  And if you read it and are thrown off or impressed by what Somavedic says about it’s product, it’s simply repeating what it “claimed” in the Pre-clinical paper that went along with it.  

What would be awesome is to see if there is or was any actual research done as a result of the “Pre Clinical” presentation. Keep in mind that our respected research consultant felt the pre-clincial wasn’t clear or well planned, so perhaps it did not result in an actual research study. And I must point out here, none of this so far, supports Somavedic’s overall advertising claim that the device mitigates the effects of EMF.   
 

Red Blood Cells Before And After Somavedic.

On Somavedic this is listed as Research Claim #1. Reducing the Effects Of Mobile Phone Radiation

This section claims:  Based on the results of both tests, the use of the Medic Amber can be recommended to reduce the effects of mobile phone radiation.

Connective Tissue Fibroblasts Or Neutrophils Exposed To Mobile Phone Radiation With Or Without Somavedic Protection

The study, "Compensation of Mobile Phone Radiation by the Medic Amber: In Vitro Investigations Using a Novel Test System", looked at what happened to the cell regeneration/wound healing of connective tissue fibroblasts or to the formation of superoxide anion radicals of neutrophils under mobile phone exposure, or not, with or without a Somavedic protective device. 

The claimed controls were not ideal, since the unexposed cells, in contrast to a real life situation, were “wrapped several times in foil” according to the authors. I would rather like to see a study where the control group of cells were in an environment with naturally low EMF and not wrapped in foil, hampering them to interact with the Earth's, the Sun's and the Universe's natural fields, including the geomagnetic fields and the microwave background from outer space.

In addition, Dr. Johansson would like to see this study replicated by an independent research group employing a transparent and controlled set-up. He also points out a discrepancy between what the paper claims and what is illustrated in the graph on page 5.

“As it stands, the histograms on page 5 point to the fact that there could be a limited cell phone-mediated negative effect on the basal cell metabolism as well as on the formation of ROS (reactive oxygen species), but that the effect is not affected at all by the Medic Amber device, as judged by the overlapping confidence intervals, however, it’s presented (in the report) as a “clearly protective effect". So, that’s a rather odd statement by the authors". "Furthermore", Johansson says, "if any at all, the protective effect is very, very small, again judged from the histograms."

This is the only peer review-published research on the Somavedic site. It’s in the Journal of Biomedical Science and Research, which even has an ISSN number. (That's the International Standard Serial Number for the Global Index for Continuing Resources, which is used to verify and rank journals and other things. The number of this particular journal is 2582-077X.) It’s based in India and it started in 2019. It hasn’t published much and it’s not ranked as far as I could see. And it is open access, which may mean you have to pay to get published, but that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily what they call a “fake” or “predatory journal”.

But, it certainly is NOT in the top 100 or top 1,000 scientific journals - however Nature - where both Olle Johansson and Dr. George Carlo have published research papers, is. In fact it’s Number ONE.

So the two people who are well published, well respected and have guided me on my EMF journey for well over a decade conclude that the Somavedic research doesn’t prove the claims that are being made. Far from it.

Somavedic makes bold claims based on studies that are at best, weak. 

This isn’t to say that the Somavedic or other types of harmonizers aren’t working on some subtle energy level, one that we can’t yet evaluate or measure. But even if they are working on a subtle energy level or even as a Placebo- we should be able to see improvement via double blind clinical trials.  But we don’t have those. yet they are marketing the product as though they do.

If you want to mitigate EMF, because you're concerned about the many excellent studies that connect exposure to scary health effects, I applaud you. 

Regardless of if you invest in a Somavedic or not, PLEASE continue to make efforts to eliminate the sources of EMF in your home and at the very least distance yourself form them. That includes keeping distance between you and your phone/laptop, turning off your WiFi when you're sleeping or wiring up your internet and checking your smart appliances for hidden EMF. You can learn more about EMF and the best science-backed protection in my EMF Guide.

I’d like to move forward the idea that the money we spend and the time and energy we spend blocking EMF or attempting to make it magically disappear, could be better spent by  supporting healthy ways to actually stop it.  

EMF Experts Agree: This Is The Best EMF Protection

As I mentioned above, no matter how many harmonizers or shields you have in your home, you will still need to focus on the root of the problem. That’s why the best EMF Protection is actually removing the source of EMF or keeping your distance from the source of EMF.

1. It all starts with awareness. Educate yourself on where EMF is coming from (phone, AirPods, wifi, smart appliances, etc) and better yet invest in your own EMF Meter so you can test in your own space.
2. Keep wireless devices away from your precious body. That means taking calls on speaker phone or using wireless headphones instead of putting the phone up to your head — Using or at the very least a thick pillow instead of putting your laptop on your lap — not sleeping with your phone next to your head — ditching your AirPods or other bluetooth headphones, etc
3. Turn off sources of EMF when you don’t need them. I recommend turning off your WiFi while you’re sleeping and keeping your phone on Airplane mode when you aren’t using it. Do you really need the bluetooth on your laptop/phone on all the time?
4. Wire up your internet if possible. This one takes a little more effort but makes a HUGE difference when it comes to decreasing EMF exposure in your home. You can easily create a system where every device you have can be plugged into an ethernet cord to be used with no EMF! Not to mention the internet is super speedy!
5. Make your bedroom an EMF-free sanctuary. The bedroom is the most important area of the home when it comes to creating a safe space for your body to rejuvenate in. That’s why it’s a great place to start giving a digital detox — Take out all the devices, have your phone charge in another room and wake up to an old school analog alarm clock!

Our EMF Guide has links to great science and great organizations like SafeEMR from Joel Moskowitz and the Environmental Health Trust that can help all of us work toward good and helpful decisions when it comes to making the world a safer, healthier place for everyone.

Our EMF Guide has links to great science and great organizations like Americans For Responsible Technology and the Environmental Health Trust that can help all of us work toward good and helpful decisions when it comes to making the world a safer, healthier place for everyone.  

As always, l hope this was helpful and enlightening.  Our goal is to bring you solutions to live healthier, safer and thrive in our digital world.

Note: This article was revised at the request of Somavedic’s attorneys.