Healthy Living Blog: A Neuroscientist Explains What EMFs Are Really Doing To Our Body with Dr. Henz and Philipp von Holtzendorff-Fehling
Have you ever walked into your home office, sat down at your desk, and felt a headache creep in within the hour, for no reason you could point to? Or noticed your brain fog is worse on days you are glued to your phone and better on days you are outside, away from screens?
I get asked constantly why I keep chasing down root causes instead of just handing you another supplement list. It is because so many of you tell me the same thing. You have done the blood work. You have cleaned up your diet. You are moving your body. And you still feel foggy, wired but tired, and not quite like yourself. As your own health detective, I do not think it is fair to stop looking just because the answer is not an obvious one.
That is exactly why I wanted to sit down with Dr. Henz and Philipp Von Holtzendorff-Fehling. Dr. Henz has a background in neuroscience and cognitive science, moved into sports psychology and performance research, and now studies how electromagnetic fields, or EMFs, show up in brain activity using high density EEG technology. Philipp spent years as a vice president at T-Mobile before leaving corporate life to co-found Quantum Upgrade, a technology company focused on helping the body cope with modern electromagnetic exposure. Two very different backgrounds, one shared obsession with a question most of us never think to ask. What is all this invisible technology doing to our bodies while we sleep, work, and scroll?
I want to be upfront with you before we dig in. This is a newer, less mainstream area of research, and not everything you will read below is settled science. Some of it comes from major health bodies and published studies. Some of it is internal data these two have collected in their own lab, which they generously shared with me but which has not gone through the same peer review process as a study published in a major medical journal. I think it is worth hearing anyway, because you deserve to make informed choices with the full picture, not a filtered one. So let us get into what they shared.
What EMFs Actually Are, and Why You Cannot Feel Them Coming
Here is the part that stopped me in my tracks. Dr. Henz explained that our bodies do not have built in sensors for electromagnetic fields the way we have nerve endings for heat or pain. That means you often do not notice exposure until symptoms already show up, whether that is a headache, exhaustion, or something that develops over months and years.
Dr. Henz has her own story here. Early in her career, working in an office full of monitors, computers, and a WiFi router, she developed headaches, dizziness, burnout symptoms, depression, and anxiety, along with fertility struggles that lasted a decade despite being told by doctors that she was healthy. When she eventually had her workspace measured, the fields around her desk were unusually strong. Once she left that environment, her symptoms resolved over a period of months.
I know how frustrating it is to be told you are fine when you do not feel fine. So many of you have shared that exact experience with me, sitting in a doctor’s office being told your labs look normal while your body is screaming otherwise. Dr. Henz’s story is a reminder that sometimes the missing piece is not in your bloodwork at all. It is in your environment.
The Research Landscape on EMF and Health
Philipp pointed to a 2021 European Parliament report that raised concerns about potential health effects associated with certain wireless signals, and he referenced internal research he and his team have compiled suggesting links between EMF exposure and issues ranging from cardiovascular strain to fertility challenges to mood and focus disruptions.
I want to be honest with you here. Mainstream health authorities, including the World Health Organization and the FDA, have reviewed a large body of research on radiofrequency EMF exposure at the levels most of us encounter and have generally not found conclusive evidence of harm at those levels, and blinded studies on people who report EMF sensitivity have had mixed and often inconclusive results. That does not mean the conversation is closed. Science evolves, and technology is rolling out faster than research can always keep pace with it. What it does mean is that this remains a genuinely debated area, and I think you deserve to know that rather than have it presented to you as settled fact.
What I found most interesting was less about proving a single cause and effect, and more about the broader theme. Our bodies evolved around natural rhythms and frequencies, and Dr. Henz and Philipp both made the case that spending time in nature, near the ocean, or simply away from dense clusters of devices tends to leave people feeling calmer and more regulated. That is not a controversial idea. It lines up with what we already know about circadian rhythm, nervous system regulation, and why a walk outside can shift your mood in fifteen minutes.
Inside the Lab: What Dr. Henz and Philipp Shared About Their EEG Research
This is where things got fascinating for me. Dr. Henz uses a high density EEG device, a tool with far more sensors than a standard EEG, to look at brain activity in real time, including deeper brain structures involved in hormone regulation. During a live demonstration on Philipp, she measured his brain activity during a phone call on a 5G enabled device.
Dr. Henz and Philipp shared internal lab data suggesting that within a few minutes of exposure, brain wave patterns shifted toward stress associated frequencies, and that Philipp reported symptoms like headache and fatigue during the same window. They also shared internal data suggesting that when Philipp’s Quantum Upgrade device, the technology his company has developed, was activated, his brain activity shifted toward frequencies associated with relaxation and recovery, and his reported symptoms eased.
I want to be clear that this was proprietary, unpublished internal testing rather than a peer reviewed clinical trial, and I have not independently verified these findings. Philipp did mention that his team has also run a randomized, blinded internal study exploring whether these effects could be replicated without participants knowing which condition they were in, and that they found a difference between the active and inactive conditions in their internal data. Again, this has not been published or independently reviewed, so I would treat it as a company’s account of its own research rather than an established scientific finding.
A Word on Testing Other EMF Protection Products
One thing Philipp shared that I think is genuinely useful, regardless of where you land on the bigger EMF debate, is that his team has tested dozens of products marketed as EMF protection, from stickers to pendants to plug in devices. According to Philipp, the majority of what they tested either did nothing measurable or, in a couple of cases, appeared to make symptoms worse in testing. This is a good reminder for all of us. Just because something is marketed as protective does not mean it has been tested, and it is always worth asking a company what evidence backs their specific product rather than assuming a category of product is automatically safe or effective.
What You Can Actually Do With This Information
You do not need to overhaul your entire home to take something useful from this conversation. Here is where I landed.
Spend intentional time away from devices, especially outside. This is good for your nervous system regardless of where you land on the EMF debate.
Give your bedroom a break from technology. Charging your phone in another room, or at least across the room instead of on your nightstand, is a low effort change plenty of sleep focused practitioners already recommend.
Stay curious, not fearful. If you are dealing with unexplained fatigue, brain fog, or mood shifts, your environment is one more variable worth considering alongside sleep, nutrition, hormones, and stress. It is not the only answer, and it may not be your answer, but ruling things out is part of being your own health detective.
Question products before you buy them. If something claims to protect you from EMF exposure, ask what testing backs it up, not just what the marketing copy says.
Why This Conversation Matters for Midlife Women
I know EMFs are not the first thing on your mind when you are dealing with hot flashes, weight that will not budge, or brain fog that makes you forget why you walked into a room. But so much of what we talk about on this podcast comes back to the same idea. Your symptoms are real, your frustration is valid, and there is often more going on beneath the surface than a single lab test can capture. Dr. Henz and Philipp’s perspective will not be the missing piece for everyone, and it is not a substitute for working with your doctor on hormone health, thyroid function, or any diagnosed condition. But if you have already addressed the basics and something still feels off, it is one more thread worth pulling.
That is what being a health detective is all about. Not chasing every trend, but staying open to information, asking good questions, and making decisions that feel right for your body and your life.
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The contents of the Midlife Conversations podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider. Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links mentioned on this podcast.
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