12/02/2011: Ben from Sacramento, Ca: "I sell DE for a living and can tell you that in it's dry form it is EXTREMELY hazardous long term as it is chemically inert and you can not eliminate it from your body if you inhale it. It is perfectly safe when wet and can not poison you in any way unless you (or your pet) swallow massive amounts which will bind together in the presence of muriatic acid, also known as stomach acid and create a very strong "mud.""

03/08/2013: Drema from Charleston, Wv Usa replies: "If a person is allergic to shellfish could this be a problem too?"

05/14/2013: Q from Houston, Tx replies: "No, having a shellfish allergy won't be a problem with DE. I've taken it many times and I'm extremely allergic to shellfish."

EC: People on the site report taking Food Grade or Medical Grade Diatomaceous Earth, which is different from the kind found in nurseries and pool supply stores.

Re: safety hazards, please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_earth#Safety_considerations

05/06/2012: Lorie from Richmond, Va replies: "Yes the stuff for pools is hazardous. But the Food Grade DE is 100% safe! It is put in grain to keep bugs out. It is fed to livestock and it is 100% safe flea powder for pets."

[YEA]  08/16/2011: Natcat86 from Gaithersburg, Maryland, Usa: "I had really bad acne all over my face and neck with the random appearance on my chest, back, or shoulders constantly for 14 years (starting at puberty), and as time went on it only got worse (so it wasn't caused by changes in hormones as I was led to believe). I stumbled upon some information on Diatomaceous Earth (DE) and became intrigued because of its many proported benefits (I recommend looking it up). It is relatively unknown, and only sold for pest control and consumption by animals, (but you can buy food grade DE online) but since it is used to mechanically kill bugs in grain silos and just about every person who has ever eaten grain which was stored in a silo has eaten DE, I figured it would be safe and I would try it. DE is the fossilized shells of a type of algae called Diatoms. Their shells are extremely hard and very sharp (but yet not dangerous to your cells) and they mechanically scrub the walls of your intestines, scraping away any build-up. Some DE passes through the intestinal walls and into the bloodstream and while it is there it scrapes plaque buildup away from the walls of veins and arteries. It basicly acts like a plumber in your body.

I found that most cases of acne are caused by toxins entering the blood stream through the digestive system (some degree of leaky gut), not by a problem with the skin itself. It is your body attempting to expel the toxins from your blood. When you expel the toxins which originate in your digestive tract through the digestive system, they don't have the opportunity to make it into your blood stream and thus cause acne by pushing through your skin. So... I began adding 1tsp DE to water every day for a week, then increased it to 1tbsp gradually after that and drank it daily for 2 months. I noticed a difference my skin within a day. By the time 2 months was up I no longer had acne. I had to stop consuming it for a little while after that because I slightly threw my body off balance (my skin became a little dry). After a month off, I started consuming it again in moderation and have been ever since. I have been able to consistently keep the acne away as long as I continue to consume it at least a couple of times a week. I highly reccomend it because it is very effective and it gets to the root of the problem instead of just treating the symptoms. I now have had only a few pimples (instead of many hundreds) within the last 9 months, and I know that in time I will get them to go away completely."

[YEA]  08/04/2011: Jenny from Winchester, England: "For bad breath, I take a level desertspoon of diatamaceous earth once per day in a drink, works a treat"

[YEA]  02/11/2013: Rad_city from Brea, Ca: "I have never written on a forum or posted about my health but feel compelled to do so about Diatomaceous Earth (D.E.) because I feel it will help a lot of people. (in particular, people with distended bellies, fungal overgrowth, clogged sinuses, mild allergies, food allergies, bad digestion, bad skin, low energy)

* BACKGROUND *
I have suffered from asthma all my life. Since a little child. And i've had a slightly distended belly (I am tall, thin, and not an ounce of fat on me! ) since I was a child. I had strep throat a lot as a kid and would take antibiotics (I now think I probably was allergic to some food, or had parasites, and antibiotics just slowly eroded my gut)

I smoked and drank casually in my 20s, and by my 27th birthday I had sinus infections a couple times a year, but then, things got worse. Tonsils were getting infected, horrible sore throats, fungus on nails, and gradual weight loss. I took more broad-spectrum antibitoics and got a yeast infection. Had to stop.

I developed a weird rash on both legs (on the shins) of tiny red dots. Tried using topical anti-fungal cream. Then turned to tea tree oil, fasted (which encouraged some die-off symptoms), pro-biotics, and then found colloidal silver (which also helped to kill off something in my body, but not totally).

I was coughing up white balls of phglem, bad digestion & constipation/diarrhea. Also have had horrible and chronic localized lower back pain on the right side, to the point where I haven't been able to walk, or bend over. I tried acupuncture, chiropractors, and tons of herbal supplements. I have tried mixing DMSO in a nebulizer and inhaling that, I've taked food-grade H2O2 in water (and inhaled). (If you choose to try these treatments please do a significant amount of research. They are safe but, like most effective treatments, can be harmful if you're not mindful)

I believe all of the above treatments are components of a well-rounded wholistic health system. I have learned so much in trying all of them, and now have an arsenal of alternative health options for the future. Many of them I learned about on THIS SITE! BUT, if you are suffering from a candidia overgrowth and/or parasites, then I believe D.E. is the first offense to clear you out so other things can help to make you healthy.

* TAKING D.E. *
I began taking two giant spoonfuls of D.E. In water twice a day. Within hours I felt a headache. Within days I had full blown flu symptons. Achey body. Feverish. Sinuses in absolute pain. SOMETHING WAS/IS DYING OFF. What's really interesting is that I went through many of the symptoms of my past battles in reverse. I felt my tonsils get inflamed, and sore, for a couple days, then that subsided as the back of my throat was sore, then it moved down into my vocal chords (which as been a source of pain in the past as well), then into my lungs (where I've had horrible bouts of gurgly, phlegm filled coughing-having to use an inhaler many times a night).

I woke up on the 4th day with my tounge COVERED in white. It scraped right off with a toothbrush. I applied the D.E. as a paste to my face, shoulders, legs, and let it dry to white. And it has cleared my legs of the red-dot rash. It is making my pores on my face smaller. It seems to be very powerful in drawing toxins out of the skin. I'm on day 9 and still feel a bit loopy. My distended belly is going down. My gums, which once had dark rings where they met my teeth, now are healing. I've had back pains, then nothing (possible I had some overgrowth in my joints, or taking up residence in my lower back?), i'm having a strange pain in my knee that I think will go away.

I plan on taking D.E. for a year. I think I have a long way to go to help my body find balance. But D.E. seems like an incredible gift. I have been expelling phlegm out of sinuses and lungs for past 3 days. Thick gunk. It is incredible.

* DON'T GIVE UP *

So, I will say to you who are searching for good health: Don't give up! Trust your intuition. Keep moving and experimenting. You can't hurt yourself by trying alternative health methods any more than a Dr. Can hurt you by prescribing harsh synthetic drugs that you might be harming you. Most people don't need antibiotics. They are good for extreme conditions. But most symptoms are caused by bad diet (i am now mostly vegan - has also helped clear my lungs, skin, etc. Highly recommended!) and lifestyle. I do believe that we live in a toxic world, full of pollution, but I believe nothing is more harmful to our bodies than the american diet and lifestyle (processed sugar, processed grains, alcohol, caffeine, etc).

I don't believe people are supposed to have mild allergies, stuffy sinuses, low energy, bad skin, etc. These are all signs from your body that something is wrong internally. You have to treat the internal for the external to be healthy!

If anyone has questions please feel free to email or reply. I love reading testimonials from real people because I feel like you can determine what might be effective for you by reading other people's voices. Every body is different, and what might work for some (like D.E.) might not work for you. But DON'T GIVE UP! Keep going! It is a journey. You can find good health. Keep stripping away the layers of your habbits and patterns and examine every part of your life.

Be Well! Paul"

02/11/2013: Ed2010 from Oakville, Canada replies: "Good hear a battling story. So how are you now? Are you cured or still in the self treatment? Is there a considerable improvement that you feel after a month, if so then people can try.

Good Health"

02/03/2012: Veronica from St Louis, Missouri, Usa: "Hi, thank you for your diatomaceous earth information. I wondered if after the post you noticed further health benefits. I am thinking of starting DE as you have and am a bit frightened of it.

Thank you,

Veronica"

07/28/2012: Vreed27 from Seattle, Wa replies: "Yes you need to take in more water as DE can act like a diuretic."