THE BIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF MAGNETIC FIELDS: FIELD EFFECT ON BLOOD GLUCOSE IN LABORATORY MICE

There are disputed reports of the beneficial effects of magnetic fields on glucose homeostasis. Continuing from our previous work, we studied the effect of a constant magnetic field on blood glucose and weight gain in laboratory mice. 28 young, female bALB/c mice were randomly allocated into four groups A, B, C and D. Group A were placed in a constant magnetic field for 20 days, group B for 20 days in a placebo field, group C for 10 days in a constant magnetic field, after which the field was removed, and group D for 10 days in a placebo field, which was then removed the remaining 10 days of the study. The induction force of the magnetic field was 500 gauss, and was generated by two natural magnet bars. Placebo fields were created by two identical looking bars of granite. The mice were weighed daily and had their blood glucose measured at the end of the 20-day study. Weight gain was similar in the four groups. Blood glucose was significantly lower in group C mice than in groups B and D mice. No other significant difference in blood glucose between the groups was detected. Even though blood glucose remained unchanged whilst mice are inside a magnetic field, the blood glucose of mice 10 days after field removal is lower than in mice that had never been inside a magnetic field.