Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Diatomaceous Earth (Fossil Shell Flour) Health Benefits

I was going through my "drafts" folder in my email application, and found this, which is something I took off of various websites over the years. Unfortunately I don't know which websites they were (so if it is yours, please email me and I will give you the proper citing and link to your site).

Diatomaceous Earth


Food grade diatomaceous earth has excellent health benefits for humans. Taken daily, it helps eliminate worms and parasites from the body and keeps the bowels clean. Food grade DE is also known to sweep some bacteria out of the system. Most people who consume food grade DE take it on a daily basis, ourselves, employees, and children included. DE contains 15 naturally occurring minerals that are excellent for the body. These minerals promote healthier, shinier hair, skin and nails.
NOTE: ALL references to diatomaceous earth on this page refer ONLY to FOOD GRADE diatomaceous earth, unless otherwise advised. NEVER use pool filter grade or diatomaceous earth internally or in your home or on your animals, unless it is FOOD GRADE!

First, in an effort to save time and repetition realize there is a bunch of essential food grade diatomaceous earth information on our other web pages in the link box above. This webpage will NOT duplicate the information found in the webpages above, so please read the information on those webpages for more information about the health and natural insecticidal benefits and the many uses of food grade diatomaceous earth.

Food grade diatomaceous earth is a natural powder that works in a purely physical/mechanical manner, not ‘chemical’ and thus has no chemical toxicity. Best yet, parasites don’t build up a tolerance/immunity to its chemical reaction, so rotation of wormers or chemical insecticides is unnecessary AND food grade DE has NO odor.

How do I take food grade diatomaceous earth?

People are always asking me, how to take diatomaceous earth. There is NO one perfect way to take DE. I KNOW you are already disappointed with this fact, as you were hoping there was ONLY ONE "Perfect" way to take it. (Sorry 'bout that) Everyone's' preferences are different. Some people take 1 heaping tsp. in a glass of water prior to each meal, 3x/day and swear by DE's wonderful health benefits. Others take a heaping tablespoon just before bedtime, figuring it's best to take it away from food because of its detox benefits. Others take it in the morning in their juice. Still others put it in their protein drink, smoothies, morning coffee, etc. Whether you take DE once/day or 3x/day, everyone reports effectiveness and better health.

"I" take 2 tbsps. of DE daily with a very small amount of water, just enough to make it fluid (like water). I'm not interested in tasting the DE in a full 8 ounce glass of water. I stir it up well and immediately consume before the DE has a chance to settle at the bottom of the glass. I don't care for the taste of DE in my orange juice, but others like DE in their juice.

DE doesn't taste bad, nor nearly as horrible as many herbs taste. It tastes like dirt to me (now you're wondering if I run around eating dirt...). Okay, so I do, especially that wonderful rich smelling soil! :o)
Numerous people advise that their Iridologist or Natural Care Physicians muscle test them with DE and find that their bodies test VERY strong for it which means they need the DE. Then of course, they ask them what it is and then these natural care professionals contact me for more information about food grade diatomaceous earth.

Many women advise their hair has never been so soft as it is now since taking DE. Others advise of cleaner complexions, when previously they had acne trouble. Still others notice an increase in energy levels and others advise it keeps their bowels clean.

Many of our diatomaceous earth customers, including myself, had fed diatomaceous earth to their animal companions daily for years. And then one day, we all figured, gee, we're giving this to our furry and feathered family members to help keep them healthy and parasite/worm free, maybe we should take it ourselves and reap the same benefits...not sure why it took so long for the "light bulb" to go on, but at least it finally did.

Some people do notice funny, strange, or gross things in their bowel movements. Some choose to look and others don't want to know. Obviously, this is a personal choice for each of us to make, but the bottom line is it is effective in increasing our health status, as removal of internal parasites and worms will allow us to more properly absorb the nutrients from our food, as the worms/parasites will not be eating our food or sucking our blood.

CAUTIONS:
· DE manufacturers who work in diatomaceous earth mines 5 days/week advise inhaling it is not a problem (though of course, don't be snuffing it) and we have not had problems when inhaling DE in small amounts. IF you have asthma or some other lung ailment, either wear a mask or be very careful when using food grade diatomaceous earth.
· Do NOT get diatomaceous earth in the eyes. DE is drying to the eyes, so do NOT put it out when you or your pets are down wind of it. DE is drying to your skin, hands, and feet, just as it can be to your pets.
· Do NOT use heavily in carpet. Some advise too much DE causes vacuum problems.
· NEVER use pool filter grade DE around animals. It can poison or kill them.
· Some people experience a healing crisis (detox reaction) when beginning DE consumption. If this occurs, reduce the dose, till your body is cleansed, and then increase to the RDA.
· Remember, DE will kill beneficial insects as well, so use accordingly.

FOOD GRADE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH BENEFITS SUMMARY:
· Natural dewormer – eliminates many parasites without chemicals
· Safe, non-toxic, parasites don’t build immunity as they do with traditional wormers
· 15 trace minerals – great for animals, humans, plants, and soil
· No feed withdrawal for milk or feed animals
· Decreased mastitis
· Reduced scours
· Decreased mortality
· Better feed conversion
· Helps detox heavy metals, E.coli, bacteria, viruses, etc.
· Promotes shinier coats
· Digestive aid
· Colon cleanser
· Better production
· Better overall health
· Eliminates pests in stored grains
· Reduces flies, fleas, ticks, etc.
· Reduces manure odor
· Drying agent
· Reduces moisture and pests in barns, coops, kennel, litter boxes, compost piles, & other moist areas
· Antifungal properties – good for garden fungal growth
· Reduces overall animal stress
· Cost effective
· DE health benefits mean reduction in vet bills and disease-ease



YARD, GARDEN, & LANDSCAPE APPLICATIONS:
DE’s minerals are great for the yard and gardens.

Apply DE to ant hills. Small ants may require a few applications to completely eliminate them, as they burrow new hills elsewhere, after we cover their initial hill with DE, but if we keep at it, eventually they disappear. Big ants are eliminated within two applications of a reasonable amount of DE applied to their ant hill. Ants in trash cans can be controlled by either painting DE around the bottom of the trash can or sprinkling it dry around it. They’ll go elsewhere, as they do not like walking over DE. Of course, you will need to find their home to completely eliminate them, but it will keep them away from areas you put DE. Sprinkled around the house foundation keeps new crawling insects from coming inside. 

We mix food grade diatomaceous earth with water to paint our fruit tree trunks with it, like a white wash. The DE keeps ants OFF our fruit trees. 1 cup applied to ½ gallon of water works well. Be sure to stir frequently as the DE settles to the bottom. Good as a white wash for wood fencing too. 

1 to 2 cups per gallon of water can be used to apply diatomaceous earth in a backpack or hose end sprayer for problem infestations of mites, aphids, fungus problems, etc. Food grade diatomaceous earth will turn whatever you paint or spray with it white – so it may look like a “white” winter at your place. 

Food grade diatomaceous earth will not destroy earthworms, if applied to the top of the soil in worm farms and the worms are allowed to work it into the soil on their own. It is actually beneficial to the worms and compost just make sure to allow the worms to do the work and not bury them in the DE.

OUTDOOR BUGS AFFECTED BY DIATOMACEOUS EARTH: Ants, fire ants, caterpillars, cut worms, army worms, fleas, ticks, cockroaches, snails, spiders, termites, scorpions, silver fish, lice, mites, flies, centipedes, earwigs, slugs, aphids, Japanese beetles (grub stage), bed bugs, fruit flies, corn earworm, cucumber beetles, corn borer, sting bugs, squash vine borers, thrips, loopers, etc., etc.
Pests that lay eggs may require a second application to catch the hatching eggs.

MINERALIZATION: Natural food grade diatomaceous earth contains 15 trace minerals: calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, copper, zinc iron, phosphorous, selenium, etc. People note shinier coats, better overall health, better production, etc. in their animals who are fed food grade diatomaceous earth regularly.

FLY CONTROL: Used daily, DE helps eliminate our fly population here used in conjunction with beneficial/parasitic nematodes in wet or moist garden areas. Sprinkle DE on livestock when flies are present. Dust barns, coops, after mucking and throw on top of manure/compost piles. We feed it daily to all dogs, cats, fowl, and livestock, so it comes out in the manure of each animal as well and prevents flies from growing in the manures.
Farmers hang burlap bags full of diatomaceous earth for the cattle to rub against and keep themselves dusted, which eliminates flies and other pests that land on them.
Diatomaceous earth can be put in a backpack sprayer mixed with water to spray your barn or coop buildings. Reapply DE when rain or water washes or wind blows it away.

GRAIN STORAGE & PROTECTION: Codex food grade diatomaceous earth is a healthy non-toxic alternative to chemical contamination of stored grain. When the grain is to be used, food grade diatomaceous earth can be easily removed, but need not be. Since it is “food grade”, makes no difference in taste or cooking quality, and adds 15 trace minerals. Suggested grain storage use: 1 cup of DE will protect 50 #’s of grain -- 5 cups of food grade diatomaceous earth will protect 300 #’s of grain -- 7 lbs. of DE will protect 1500 #’s of grain or seeds. One source advises only 1 to 2 #’s of DE per ton of grain.
A study done by ACRES, USA, Inc. advised that after 12 months of storage, the food grade diatomaceous earth treated material had 15 insects, compared to 4884 for malathion and 16,994 for untreated grain.

MORE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH BENEFITS: Food grade diatomaceous earth has been reported in scientific literature to absorb methyl mercury, e-coli, endotoxins, viruses (including poliovirus), organophosphate pesticide residues, drug resides, and protein, perhaps even the proteinaceous toxins produced by some intestinal infections. Food grade diatomaceous earth detoxes.
There are some features about food grade diatomaceous earth that correspond with its ability as both a digestive aid and a colon cleanser. The honeycomb skeletal form of diatomaceous earth is found, under microscopic evaluation to reveal a tendency to become filled and clogged with hard debris such as intestinal scale. Food grade diatomaceous earth has not been found to cause any insult to the mucousa or barrier wall. 

Diatomaceous earth has a negative charge and bacteria has a positive charge, wherein it is believed by some that food grade diatomaceous earth sweeps bacteria out of the body by trapping it in it’s honeycomb shaped skeletal form. 

There is no withdrawal period when given to milking or feed animals. No toxins. Decreased mortality, increased milk production, decreased mastitis, better feed conversion.