Influence of cell phone radiation on food intake proven

Scientists at the University of Lübeck uncover influence of cell phone radiation on brain metabolism and food intake

05-Apr-2022 - Germany

Cell phones have become an indispensable part of modern life. For children and adolescents in particular, the increased use of the popular communication and play device can be problematic on several levels. The radiation emitted by cell phones is absorbed to a large extent by the head and can thus have effects on metabolism and processing in the brain, among other things. Prof. Dr. Kerstin Oltmanns, head of the Department of Psychoneurobiology at the University of Lübeck, and her research team have investigated in a study whether there could be a direct connection between cell phone radiation and food intake.

It was already known from earlier studies that electromagnetic radiation leads to increased food intake in rats. Whether such a connection possibly also exists for cell phone radiation in humans was investigated by Prof. Kerstin Oltmanns together with graduate psychologist Ewelina Wardzinski, head of the study, as part of a DFG-funded observational study published in the scientific journal Nutrients.

Sophisticated experimental design

15 young men were called in a total of three times with an interval of two weeks. In the experiment, the subjects were then irradiated with two different cell phones as a radiation source or exposed to sham irradiation as a control. Subsequently, the subjects were allowed to help themselves to a buffet for a defined period of time. The spontaneous food intake, the energy metabolism of the brain using phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and various blood values before and after irradiation were measured.

Astonishing result

The research team came to surprisingly clear results: Radiation led to an increase in total calorie intake of 22 percent and 27 percent in almost all subjects by the respective test mobiles. The blood analyses showed that this was mainly caused by an increased carbohydrate intake. The MRS measurements revealed an increase in energy turnover in the brain under the influence of cell phone radiation.

New light on cell phone use

The research team concludes from these results that cell phone radiation is not only a potential factor for overeating in humans, but that it also affects brain energy homeostasis. These findings could open new avenues for obesity and other neurobiological research. In particular, with respect to children and adolescents, the impact of cell phone radiation on the brain and eating behavior demonstrated here will bring more focus to research in this area in the future.

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

Original publication

Wardzinski EK, Jauch-Chara K, Haars S, Melchert UH, Scholand-Engler HG, Oltmanns KM, (2022): Mobile Phone Radiation Deflects Brain Energy Homeostasis and Prompts Human Food Ingestion. Nutrients 14, 339

https://www.yumda.com/en/news/1175508/influence-of-cell-phone-radiation-on-food-intake-proven.html