When I met my youngest brother the other day, something very eye-catching on his neck and both his hands caught my attention. Knowing that my baby brother is not a vain pot (but a fitness freak with six packs alright), I knew that there must be a reason why he wore those sporty like necklace and bracelet.

I then asked him why he needed to wear those body accessories and what I found out was interesting.

What he was wearing is called Phiten necklace and Phiten bracelet.   They are supposedly worn to ease body aches as well as to promote good health.

Phiten necklaces are titanium accessories made by PHI-TEN Co., a Japanese technology company focused on products to promote good health. PHI-TEN claims these necklaces ease neck and shoulder pain, increase blood circulation, and relax your muscles. The key is allegedly the titanium in the necklaces, to which they attribute the power to realign the bioelectric current in your body. The purported health benefits aren’t limited to the neck and shoulders; you can wear these strands around your wrist or ankle to enhance athletic ability and reduce fatigue.

Phiten necklaces have recently been made popular by the sponsorship of the MLB. Many well-known and admired baseball players have been sporting Phiten necklaces at games, from Joba Chamberlain of the New York Yankees to Josh Beckett of the Boston Red Sox. Their popularity is not limited to baseball though: pro golfer Sergio García and marathonist Paula Radcliffe sport the necklaces, as does softball Olympic gold medalist Jennie Finch.

How do Phiten necklaces work?

Phiten necklaces are made of titanium because this is a metal that conducts electricity well. The idea is that stiff muscles and fatigue may be caused by disruptions in the flow of your body’s bioelectric current. Bioelectric current just refers to the small amount of electricity running through your body (for example, nerves transmitting sensations or neurons firing synapses to process thoughts). As the claim goes, placing these pieces of titanium on the body will stabilize your current, thus helping your body run better.

After  reading how good Phiten can supposedly bring about to our body, I am now very tempted to wear them on my wrists too, to improve endurance when I run in the morning as well as to ease the stiff neck, shoulders and backache that I get.  Plus I like the sporty like design of the bracelets too. The next time I meet my brother, I will ask him to get me 2 Phiten bracelets!