Detoxification processes are popular and come in a variety of forms. From detoxifying diets, clay ingestions and even detoxifying foot pads, users can choose from a variety of products to help eliminate toxins from their body. Bentonite clay is another product used to cleanse the body of toxins, but as Medical News Today reports, there is very little evidence to prove that detoxification treatments are good for you, outside of drug addiction and poisoning treatments.
Detoxification
Detoxifying your body involves procedures to rid the body of harmful toxins. There are different ways to detoxify your body including detoxifying diets and colon cleansers. Katherine Zeratsky, a nutritionist at the Mayo Clinic, warns that some methods for detoxifying your body can be harmful to your health.
Your liver and kidneys detoxify your body on a regular basis. In its public campaign, the Voice of Young Science, a group of over 300 UK scientists and engineers, reports that your liver and kidneys will detoxify your body and that you do not need to invest in other products to do the same job.
Bentonite Clay
Bentonite clay can be found throughout the world, but its largest deposits are in the Great Plains of North America. Healing Daily.com, an online informational source, indicates that Bentonite is the commercial name for montmorillonite, the active ingredients in medical clays. Montmorillonite was first identified in Montmorillon, France.
Uses
Clay has the ability to adhere to toxins and help the body cleanse itself from them. When wet, the clay expands and forms small pockets, which traps the toxins. Used internally, clay is believed to bind to toxins and remove them as it passes through your body. Clay has been used in traditional medicine and is currently used today in pharmaceutical products as filler. It is also used in lotions and anti-irritant creams for eczema. Topical applications of bentonite clay include clay facial masks, sun burns paint and facial creams.
Warnings
Bentonite clay for medicinal purposes has not been fully studied, nor has use of bentonite clay for detoxification purposes. As with any detoxification process, there is the risk of becoming dehydrated and developing illnesses due to the detoxification. Consult your doctor before undergoing any detoxification treatment.
Side Effects
The Department of Environmental Toxicology and the Institute of Environmental and Human Health have studied montmorillonite clay to assess short-term safety. It has been demonstrated that the clay is relatively safe for humans, but can still subject users to a few side effects. Side effects noticed for test subjects were abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea and flatulence.
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