Food-grade diatomaceous earth - Page 3

[Taedareth]

Good idea - maybe we should all mention what dosage we're taking.

One of the Ebay sellers I talked to said that 1 tsp wouldn't give any noticeable results. She recommended 2 Tbsp. So I put 1 Tbsp in a smoothie yesterday and drank half of it in the afternoon, half in the evening. (1.5 tsp per drink).

This morning I put 1 Tbsp in another smoothie. I drank about 2/3 of it (2 tsp, in other words) and my 2.5yo son drank the rest (so he got about 1 tsp, which is apparently the recommended dosage for a child.)

So basically, my plan is to take about 2 Tbsp per day. Haven't noticed any results yet, though.

[Leilalu]

hmm, I will start with a tblsp then...

[Pookietooth]

I used to use DE on my cat for fleas (it didn't work all that well), until someone told me that it caused lung cancer when inhaled. Is that not true?

[Taedareth]

Hmm. Cancer happens when cells begin to mutate, correct? I don't see how clay powder could cause that. I haven't read anything to that effect online, so I couldn't say for certain. However, I have read recommendations to dust it on house pets for fleas, so either the information online is dangerously wrong, or DE is a benign substance.

[mbravebird]

Originally Posted by Pookietooth

I used to use DE on my cat for fleas (it didn't work all that well), until someone told me that it caused lung cancer when inhaled. Is that not true?

That's the crystalline silica in commercial DE, used for pools and such. It's been found to cause cancer and silicosis when inhaled.

Food-grade DE is amorphous silica, and has not been found to cause those things when inhaled. It has been known to cause a temporary inflammatory response when inhaled, but it goes away.

I wouldn't suggest inhaling it (like with any particulate matter), but it's been listed in the "no known harm" category, even when inhaled.

[Taedareth]

Ah! Thanks for clarifying. I was really wondering about that.

[desertpenguin]

i have been following this thread and sent some of the links to my dad. he ordered some diatomaceous earth and has been taking it for 3 days now i believe, 1 tbsp in the morning and 1 tbsp at night. he has/had fluid and arthritis around his knee that had been causing him a good deal of pain. he said that the first night after taking it his knee hurt pretty bad and he was up quite often to use the toilet but the next morning his knee and other arthritic joints had improved greatly. he plans to continue using it, but cutting down to 1 tbsp a day. he hasn't checked for evidence of parasites because he prefers to not know. he is impressed because he receives so many advertisements for 'panacea' products that are expensive and he likes the affordability of the d. earth. he's gunna send us some and i will report back again once we start taking it.

[Taedareth]

DH has been taking 2 heaping TBSP per day for a couple weeks now. Our TF diet alone used to keep him really regular (once per 24 hours) but he says the DE now makes him even more so (once every 12 hours like clockwork). He thinks the dry, cracked skin on the soles of his feet is showing improvement, but no other noticeable results. He has a lot of health problems (hypothyroid, Celiac, pre-diabetic, achy joints, possible adrenal fatigue, etc.) and we were hoping DE would do something to help him. So far, nothing miraculous.

Public service announcement - don't take DE if you're sick with the flu and having digestive issues. I was super sick for one day (maybe a toxic thing rather than sickness, but had flu-like symptoms). That's the day when I started taking DE because it arrived in the mail that afternoon. Anyway, I had diarrhea and achy skin, etc. The next day my symptoms were almost gone, and the 3rd day completely so. But every time I took DE, even just a level tsp, I got uncomfortable colic-like bubbles in my intestines within 1-2 hours of taking it. I'm sure it was related to DE because when I didn't take DE, I didn't have this symptom. So after a few days I quit with the DE, waited a few days and started taking it again. This time, no digestive problems. I'm now up to 2 heaping TBSP per day with no issues.

Oh but it hasn't made me more regular. I used to be like DH with the 1x per day thing, but now it's random - some days once, some days not at all, some days twice. Weird.

The only benefit that *might* be attributable to DE is that the aches in my knees have shown improvement in the last week.

[mbravebird]

I've been trying to figure out how to update without giving TMI for my and everyone's comfort level. I'm not sure if everyone wants to know the details of my digestive, erm, process. So, my interest in DE was the detox aspect, the parasite aspect, and just general colon cleansing/improved nutrient absorption.

The most obvious results have been with parasite and digestion aspect. I took the DE after about 4 or 5 days on an herbal parasite cleanse. The herbal route did not seem to be going well. Based on other awful symptoms I had last month, combined with some ongoing parasite-type symptoms, I had deduced that there was a partial blockage in my intestines related to parasites. I don't know if they were able to take up residence because of a ballooned part of the intestines, or whether they caused the ballooned part, but either way it seemed ballooning and blockage was what was happening. The parasitic herbs just seemed to put more stress on the intestines, which is what had been my worry about taking them with the blockage symptoms. I just seemed to be having more digestive distress and more tenderness. When I added the DE, things turned around pretty quickly. All of a sudden I was no longer having tenderness and digestive distress, and I was having more frequent, regular, and effective movements than normal. By day 9 or 10, I was able to pass the "problem area", which looked very different than everything else, and included obvious evidence of parasites. My symptoms drastically, drastically improved after that day. The symptoms are still slightly there, but they continue to improve.

The detox and general colon cleansing/nutrient absorption aspects are harder to document and point to, as I wasn't having strong toxicity symptoms or nutrient difficulty to begin with. I am however, today and yesterday, getting some headache symptoms after I drink my kefir, which might mean some sort of toxicity removal, right? I wonder why it just started happening all of a sudden.

That's my update! Glad to read everyone else's updates, too. The achy joint stories remind me that I actually had some weird achy joints for one day last week, too. Again, perhaps a toxicity symptom? It's gone now. I'm doing between 1-2 TBS a day, either first thing in the morning or last thing at night.

[Leilalu]

Originally Posted by Taedareth

Hmm. Cancer happens when cells begin to mutate, correct? I don't see how clay powder could cause that. I haven't read anything to that effect online, so I couldn't say for certain. However, I have read recommendations to dust it on house pets for fleas, so either the information online is dangerously wrong, or DE is a benign substance.

What I have heard, from being a potter, is that clay powder can be inhaled and sits in the lungs. If you are around anything that becomes particulate matter for any length of time caution is a good idea. How cancer plays a part in that - I do not know:



edited to add: I took 1 TBLSP and for 2 days later I had irritable bowels, so I think starting out with small doses is good. My nursling showed signs of being "cleaned out" as well

[Taedareth]

Mbravebird - THANK YOU for the detailed update. Gives me hope that DE really works. Do you mind telling us the approximate size of the parasites you saw? Because I'm hoping to get rid of some roundworms but I wonder if they're too big to be effected by DE. The one I saw 3 years ago was the size of a large earthworm.

I also am taking 1 heaping Tbsp in the morning on an empty stomach and 1 heaping Tbsp right before bed on an empty stomach.

[mbravebird]

Taedareth, the small ones were obvious and the large stuff was questionable, and I didn't investigate further. Maybe I'll pm you...

[mombh]

I just found this thread and am subbing!! someone posted some links to DE on another thread and i am so happy to find more info here.
I havn't tried it yet and I think I will put it off for myself since I am pregnant, but I would like to try for my younger kids especially ds 5 1/2.
He has food allegies, celiac, and has been chronically constipated for ages, until recently since taking enzymes he has improved quite a lot , like going every 3rd day and no more holding in and crying and no more pain and they even look normal too, sory if tmi.
I have often thought about parasites, pinworms but have never been able to see anything on him even though I look occasionally at night.
I would love to hear from any of you who have given to kids with food allergies, and if your kids experience better "digestive habits" etc;
do they have to have confirmed parasites to take this or can you take it anyway??

[haitimom]

Hello Ladies,
I didn't read all the posts,I will later,but I wanted to share my experiences with you. We use DE all the time. It works great for all gut/bowel issues. IMO While living in Haiti we were constantly exposed to everything really. My little guy, at that time, got a bad case of giardia(sp.?) horrible stuff I must say. DE in a little yogurt a few times a day for a few days and it's gone. We use yogurt because it mixes in well and is taseless with a really full flavored yogurt. Just a little gritty,but doable. Tryed mixed in a liquid didn't fly. I also used it for bugs(roaches really,big suckkers to) It works great. I sprinkle on the floor at night and they come out and then take it back home. Where it gets on everybody and they die! Anyway I think it is great stuff. Works great, is non-toxic and safe for kids. Just my experience.

[haitimom]

I read the other posts and wanted to add this. For breathing it in I believe it has the same effect as coal dust for the miner, = black lung. Also cotton lung for the mill worker. Breathing in the fine particles coat the lung and the body can't expectorate it.

[Taedareth]

Gilla - DE is a nutritional supplement that is safe for people of all ages, and also for animals (good for your garden, too). As a side benefit, it also kills intestinal parasites because its microscopic sharp edges slice them up. Unlike herbal parasite cleanses, DE is not poisonous. It's totally harmless to any organism larger than an earthworm, except insects. Apparently it kills big, ugly cockroaches I've read that you can't overdose on DE because it's just clay powder after all - anything beyond your body's nutritional needs for that day just goes through you. The silica in the powder is great for building strong hair and nails That's what I've read, anyway. I'm hoping to have a personal testimonial soon

mbravebird - PM me anytime! We can have our discussion about parasites without disturbing everyone else

[Taedareth]

So I've been taking 2 heaping Tbsp of DE daily (most days) for about a month now. No noticeable results, except for the regularity. I do wonder if it's made my nails thicker/stronger but I probably haven't been taking it long enough for new nail to grow from the cuticle all the way to the tips of my fingers, so it's hard to know.

I'm now increasing to 3 Tbsp and in a week or so, possibly 4 Tbsp. From what I've read, there's no harm in taking lots of DE, since anything above and beyond your body's silica requirements for that day just pass through your system. I read somewhere that some people take 3-4 Tbsp for a time, for cleansing purposes. So I figure, might as well try it. If there are any parasites hanging around, I guess putting all this grit through my system will fix their wagons

[BeagleMommy]

Any updates from anyone taking DE?
I just spent $40 to de-worm my dogs and I have food grade DE to help with ticks in the yard. I'm glad I found this thread. Just wish I had found it before I bought the chemical de-wormer.

[Taedareth]

Well, for the last 10 days I've been trying to take 3 Tbsp per day but sometimes I forget and only take 1-2 Tbsp. I haven't noticed any difference. Nothing wormy-looking, and just the usual one BM per day (sorry for TMI). Haven't noticed any other benefits, but I'm in pretty good health to begin with, so...

DE makes a GREAT facial exfoliator! And it's nice for brushing teeth!

[Pookietooth]

Firefaery, do you take MSM and DE, or only MSM? Are you saying that DE is caustic and reduces breastmilk supply, or are you talking about oregano oil?