Diatomaceous Earth
Health Benefits

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Health Benefits of Diatomaceous Earth (DE)

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
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DE Tips
Posted by Anon (Salem, Or) on 06/06/2018
 ★★★★★

DE will settle if not consumed immediately. Some people and pets will not take it down immediately, so mixing it well with food, to me, is a good solution. After all, one brand of bottled water has Silica in it, as do bananas, and I haven't seen any warnings about these products. However, do not overdo the water as the body can't tolerate more than 800 mls at one time. Moderation. If you eat bananas regularly without a problem, you're introducing your system to Silica. Adding some water now and then helps, too. Start slowly with DE. Some people go full out and survive, but it's not recommended. And some people never go beyond 1 tablespoon and get results too.

DE Tips
Posted by Ashley (Florida, US) on 04/21/2015
 ★★★★★

I've just started taking DE and I read up extensively on how much to take and what to take with it.

First and foremost. Water. Lots of water. That is probably more of a given. The other two things I take with my DE are a multivitamin and a pro-biotic. Since DE is removing things from your gut, you want to regulate it with a pro-biotic. I've also heard to take Omega 3 with it, but I haven't purchased any to start with it.

Hope that helps some.

DE Tips
Posted by Myway (Wilmington, De) on 12/20/2014
 ★★★★★

I have been using food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) for quite some time for both myself (supplementation and bug killer) and cats (fleas) but wanted to give everyone a tip on it's use that may make application easier and inexpensive. Purchase a plastic mustard or ketchup bottle from the dollar store (here in US). These bottles are either yellow or red...anyway, they have the small hole at the top. Fill the bottle about 1/4th way with DE.

For Flea Prevention: start at the head of the cat or dog and go to the tail with a line of the DE from the bottle. Rub it in. Do this once a week during flea season. Once a month during off season. DE is not a cure-all in my opinion, it is part of the prevention. Again, you don't want you or your pet breathing this stuff in so, the environment for application should be very calm. Wrestling a cat and trying to apply this stuff would kick up the dust. It is non-toxic but you don't want it in you or your pets lungs. If your cat is a mixed martial arts specialist, try something else. I also use an old rouge brush - dab it on the back of the neck of one cat who comes by occasionally.

For Ants: Try to locate the entry point of your ant infestation and squirt a small amount of DE in the corners of the house where they are coming in. The ants or bugs will die with contact of this stuff. I had ants coming into certain parts of the house...I watched them and figured out where they were coming from. Problem solved. No need for pesticides. Remember, if you apply DE to the outside of the outside, it will have to be reapplied if there is moisture (rain) or very high humidity. It will wash away.

By the way, I am asthmatic - DE has not bothered me at all when used in this manner. If I had carpets, a respiratory compromised person or small children, I personally would not put it on the floors. This is just my opinion.

Good Luck!

DE Tips
Posted by Autumn (Louisville, Ky) on 06/13/2014
 ★★★★★

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE) should be started slowly at about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon daily and work your way up to 1-2 tablespoons daily. Sometimes when you start out with the higher amounts too quick, it will cause a lot of 'die off' for any parasites you may have in your body which makes you feel sick with flu like symptoms. So most people start off with less and work up to the full dose daily. It's better to start slow, so that you know how your body will react to the 'die off'. I am on my 9th day and am just now up to 1 Tbs daily now. I hope this helps some one.

DE Tips
Posted by Clara (Youngstown, Ohio) on 04/30/2014
 ★★★★★

DE works excellently. However, needs to be started slowly!

DE Tips
Posted by Anonymosaurus Rex (USA) on 08/28/2012
 ★★★★★

Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is one of the richest sources of silica around, at ~80%. In comparison, Horsetail has ~4% (often touted as the highest source), and bamboo stalk has ~28%.

Silica is important for bones, hair, teeth, nails, ligaments and especially the skin. Silica is best absorbed with acid (stomach acid works quite nicely) as silicon dioxide must first convert to orthosilicic acid before it can be utilised by the body. Silica will convert to orthosilicic acid when in contact with water.

If you are making your own toothpaste, face cream, toner, nail treatment or moisturiser you should consider adding a small amount of DE as it will be very beneficial and is absorbed by your skin.

To supplement your daily intake of silica, here is a method on adding DE to water that I got from - http://www.mountainmistbotanicals.com/info/Silica_Diatomaceous Earth vs Horsetail Grass.htm (I am not afilliated with this site whatsoever, but this article is a really, really good read. If you are interested in Silica, DE or Horsetail I strongly recommend it.)

"...add a spoon full of food grade DE to a gallon of water and allow the DE to settle to the bottom. This may take a few days initially. Pour the water you intend to drink from the top of the container, but be careful not to disturb the DE on the bottom of the container. Refill the container with water and allow it to settle out again. Keep repeating this process. A spoon full of DE should last several years if it is not poured off in the water."

This method of adding DE will work especially well if you have a water urn/dispenser that has a spigot (tap) slight above the bottom - you can put a touch of DE in the bottom and it should supplement your water without any problems.

Warnings:
- Diatomaceous Earth must be food grade if you are considering using it for yourself, as many other posts have mentioned.

- DE contains ~2-4% aluminium oxide, so if you are avoiding all aluminium then do not consume this as a supplement. It should be known that orthosilicic acid reduced aluminium uptake in digestion as well as increasing the excretion of aluminium through urine. The DE water method above uses a very small amount of silica over a long period that it will minimize your ingestion of aluminium.

- Vegans/vegetarians generally should find DE acceptable, as it consists of phytoplankton (algae) but it is important to be aware of this just in case.

DE Tips
Posted by Kari (Stephenville, Tx Usa) on 08/16/2010
 ★★★★★

Diatomaceous Earth is completely safe to use, as long as it's human/food grade and NOT pool grade. Most garden stores sell it as well as a plethora of websites. My only suggestion is to not put it on your carpet. Some people have a lot of luck with this, it mostly just made my vacuum cleaner sound [permanently terrible. It still runs fine, there's just a terrible noise when it's running and I can't seem to figure out the real cause (I've taken it apart down to the motor). Also, it's not healthy to breathe in ANY dusts, so wear a mask and remove your pets until the dust settles. Otherwise it's okay for you AND your pets to consume, it's okay to put some on your pets coat (although use caution, it can dry them out). It is a natural dewormer and will rid your animals of every worm EXCEPT for heart-worms. You need about 1 tsp for cats and small dogs, 2 tsp for bigger dogs... 1 tbsp for humans. It really has a lot of benefits. I strongly urge you to research it. I've found the best remedy for fleas is this... Make sure you've found a successful treatment for your animals. I had to switch spot-on treatments because the one I had been using for years was no longer effective. Then you need to treat the infected areas.. Best method for me? Frequent vacuuming. 3-4 times a week, every day if you can manage it. Make sure you throw the bag out or empty the canister outside. I also recommend NOT bathing your animals in chemicals... If you feel it's necessary to bathe them, try to use something like the original Dawn soap, and make sure the first place you get wet and put soap is around the neck... Fleas will always try to travel up to escape... You should never put soap or lots of water on your pets face, so treat the neck FIRST and get it good and lathered. If you wouldn't use it yourself, you probably shouldn't use it on your animals.



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