If you are considering undergoing an at-home folk remedy to purge toxins from your body, you may wonder about the benefits and drawbacks of bentonite clay. Bentonite clay is a naturally occurring substance found in the United States in South Dakota and Montana. Although folk herbalists and natural health practitioners use bentonite clay to expel toxins and heavy metals from the body, you should speak with your doctor about how bentonite clay treatments can fit into your conventional medical treatment plan before you use the natural remedy to treat yourself of any ailment.
Identification
Bentonite clay is often derived from prehistoric volcanic ash that erupted into the sky and then fell down into water bodies around the world. Over time, these bodies of water evaporated and exposed beds of bentonite clay, rich in numerous minerals including magnesium, silica, iron, calcium and potassium. Although ancient Egyptians used bentonite clay to preserve mummies, it is widely used by folk healers around the world as an internal and external method of body purification, according to DiagnoseMe.com.
Theories/Speculation
Bentonite clay holds a negative electrical charge and effectively attracts positively-charged particles, reports ColonZone.org. When activated with water, bentonite clay holds a strong electromagnetic field that allows the clay to attract and grasp toxins, pesticides and other non-nutritive substances that have a positive charge. However, because your body cannot absorb the bentonite clay, notes ColonZone.org, when you take the clay internally, you expel it, and the toxins, through your feces.
Methodology
Folk herbalists mix bentonite clay with water and other liquids, such as apple cider vinegar and orange juice, to remove toxins and heavy metals in the gastrointestinal tract. Folk herbalists also make poultices of bentonite clay mixed with water, and place them on skin conditions, such as acne, to allow the clay to pull the toxins causing the skin disorders through the skin. Additionally, folk herbalists also add bentonite clay to bath water to pull toxins throughout the skin.
Considerations
The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) deems bentonite clay a GRAS (generally recognized as safe) substance. The FDA also notes that no adverse reactions to bentonite clay were demonstrated in laboratory animals in dietary levels as high as 12 percent. Make sure to identify the proper form of bentonite clay. Calcium bentonite clay is the type used by herbalists. Sodium bentonite is used as a sealant. It should not be ingested.
Warning
You should never use bentonite clay except under the direct supervision of a conventional medical doctor. Although bentonite clay can absorb toxins out of your body, it can also absorb minerals, states DiagnoseMe.com, which could prove detrimental to your health. You should also always take bentonite clay with a fiber supplement to prevent the clay from getting stuck in your intestines and causing bowel obstruction, reports ColonZone.org.
Member Comments
AboutClay July 18
Good article, but there are a couple of errors. Bentonite Clay does not remove vitamins and minerals. It only removes negatively charged ions (i.e. toxins, metals, etc.). And it doesn't get 'stuck' in your intestines. Sometimes, when a person is first using the clay internally, they will experience constipation because the clay is pulling out all the nasty fecal matter that has been stuck in their intestines. So, it can be a good idea to add psyllium husks when first using the clay internally. But it's NOT a good idea to use the psyllium long term, because it will remove the good gut flora from the intestines. The clay however, CAN and SHOULD be used everyday.
Cheryl - www.AboutClay.com