Cell Phones May Protect Brain From Alzheimer’s Disease, Study Finds

Microwave radiation from mobile phones may actually protect against or reverse the effects of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a new study. Researchers at the University of South Florida exposed 96 mice, many of which were genetically engineered to develop Alzheimer’s-like symptoms, to electromagnetic waves from U.S. mobile phones. After exposure to 918-megaHerz of frequency for up to two hours per day over 7 to 9 months — the equivalent of several decades for humans — researchers found the memory of the mice exposed to the radiation was better than those that had not been exposed. Among older mice with Alzheimer’s, deposits of beta-amyloid — the protein fragment that accumulates in the brain of Alzheimer’s patients — were erased, and memory impairment disappeared. And young mice with no signs of memory impairment were protected against the disease after months of exposure. Gary Arendash, a research professor and lead author of the study, said he initially expected the electromagnetic waves to have a harmful effect on the mice. Some human studies have suggested that prolonged use of cell phones could cause brain tumors.