Diatomaceous earth - anyone have bad side effects? page 5

[Omni]

I think the theory is:
If you are diagnosed (??) with a toxic overload, heavy metals or other substances, using DE will help take these away and stop them being re absorbed in the intestines, but it does not discriminate with the nutrients it takes away, so you have to go nutrient rich to compensate.
Personally with the stuff I have read the whole detox area is dubious at best and sometimes quite dangerous where bad sypmptyoms during detox are seen as confirmation of toxicity.
My theory is if you load up with the good stuff, your body will remove the bad stuff progressively and you won't notice any negative side effects, only positive ones as you get healthier.
I think our bodies can do it much better than we give them credit for.

[Daemonized]

I have DE in the bottom of the water container that I drink from in my fridge and I put a large scoop of it in the protein shakes that I have a couple times per week. I've been doing this for about two years now and haven't noticed any bad side effects.

[jojohaligo]

The claim was not that it was rock, the claim is that it was sand, which is different. As I pointed out a quartz crystal is silica, but this does not make it sand.

There are different forms of fiber. And with the silica containing soluble fibers not all of these fibers are considered "hard" fibers like wheat fiber. Fibers are essential to our health, but like anything they can be over done.

DE is not toxic though and the silica from DE is poorly absorbed. Personally I add it to my water and let it settle out first. Then I drink the water above the sediment and keep adding more water and letting it settle out. This way the water dissolves a little of the silica each time forming orthosilicic acid, which is the soluble form that our body uses of the silica. This gives my tissues the silica they need. I don't consume large amounts of DE powder because intestinal parasites are not much of an issue where I live. But DE does have a long history of being fed to farm animals for example to deworm them.

As for silica in general it is a component of plants and the connective tissues of animals we consume. So you have been ingesting it whether or not you knew it. And again, without it you would not exist. Silica is essential to the body.



Nobody ever claimed it was not. One of the main reasons people consume DE is for its high silica content, which again is essential to the body. But this does not make it sand. Just like cellulose is not fructose even though they are both sugar molecules.



Yes it is. Is a silica gel sand just because it is rich in silica? Is an agatized chunk of petrified wood sand just because it is mostly silica?

Look at sand under the microscope then look at DE under the microscope. They clearly are not the same thing.

Thanks for the response. I understand what you are getting at with the differences between silica, sand etc. However, I still am not convinced that eating food grade DE is good, or optimal for me.

[jojohaligo]

I've been drinking DE off and on for over 6 months in my morning water (lemon, gray sea salt, water). My nails grow nicely. It's made up of ancient diatoms which are mainly silica. I also use it in the shower as a body scrub. I recommend it. EAT DIRT.

Here is another question/comment. Based on the discussion of sand and silica/DE not being the same thing, I would also then argue that dirt and DE are not the same thing. Most of what we call dirt (the stuff we grow our food in) is decomposed biomass, is it not? Accidentally eating dirt is still different than purposely eating fossilized remains of diatoms.

I am okay with getting silica in my diet through regular food, just like I get copper and other minerals, but I don't grind up pennies into my smoothies.

[Ferti]

Here is another question/comment. Based on the discussion of sand and silica/DE not being the same thing, I would also then argue that dirt and DE are not the same thing. Most of what we call dirt (the stuff we grow our food in) is decomposed biomass, is it not? Accidentally eating dirt is still different than purposely eating fossilized remains of diatoms.

I am okay with getting silica in my diet through regular food, just like I get copper and other minerals, but I don't grind up pennies into my smoothies.

The eat dirt thing was not actually "technical" . I don't grind up the diatoms. Supposedly DE has other benefits along with the silica. I like DE, it doesn't give me hemorrhoids (my 28 day attempt at veganism did give me hemorrhoids). It also gives me "ghost" poo (barely the need to wipe after a BM).

Oh and the way I got rid of my hemorrhoids was to use Lugol's 5% iodine topically on them.

[Coll]

We have used DE on and off for years on ourselves (only the food grade) and it is used extensively with livestock feed (not necessarily proof that it is ok!) We use it mixed in with our chicken feed and have never had to deal with parasites in our flock. It also helps their eggshells stay harder and it is good for the soil where the poop lands. The flies lay their eggs in the chicken poop and then when the young hatch they die instead of boosting the fly population. I think a lot more of us have parasites than we realise. We have never had side effects from the DE and people have been using it for many years without issues that I know of. We also don't take as much as the OP is taking ... I usually put a teaspoon in a glass of liquid and that seems to be plenty for us. Which reminds me we are due for our next DE course. I am planning on using it for a longer period of time to see if that helps with my nails which are very thin and weak. I also have some toxicity issues and would love to see if this is helpful. Best to start slow though and build up with anything you have not taken before! Probiotics are always a good idea I recommend home made kefir or yoghurt if you tolerate dairy...

[twa2w]

I find the discussion about DE being sand or dirt amusing.
Up to 60% of the human body is water, the brain is composed of 70% water, and the lungs are nearly 90% water.
Does this mean you are water? or your lungs are? ( your blood is likley closer to 98% water yet no one would say it was water.
Same goes for some fruits etc
too funny.

[JamesS]

Wouldn't bone broth which also contains the remnants of sinew, cartilage etc. provide plenty of silica and a raft of other nutrients as well?
I normally prepare mine over 3-4 days with resting between heating, this way all the cartilage disolves and thickens it nicely.

The main application of DE I thought was for detox & parasites etc.

Bone broth will provide silica, but bone also concentrates some metals I am not interested in such as lead. Even "organic" beef bones can still contain these metals. Personally I prefer to stick to the DE.

As for applications its oldest use internally is for parasites in both humans and farm animals. I am not sold on its use for "detox" It is not like zeolites in structure to allow it to remove toxins unless by toxins people are referring to parasites and yeast.

DE is also used in supplements for a silica source and as a flow agent in supplements and pharmaceutical drugs.

[bloodorchid]

I find the discussion about DE being sand or dirt amusing.
Up to 60% of the human body is water, the brain is composed of 70% water, and the lungs are nearly 90% water.
Does this mean you are water? or your lungs are? ( your blood is likley closer to 98% water yet no one would say it was water.
Same goes for some fruits etc
too funny.

was it like this?

Jim Carey - How Wealthy People Laugh - YouTube

[JamesS]

if it's purified to food grade, how would it be beneficial? if it requires supps and probiotics, isn't it cleaning out more than necessary?

isn't bone broth a less abrasive way to achieve the same result in nutrient/mineral absorption? with zero possibility of a bloody anus?

The DE is beneficial due to its high levels of silica. When mixed with water and especially in the presence of stomach acid a small portion of the silica in the DE converts in to orthosilicic acid (OA), which is used by the body to form various structural proteins and to allow mineralization of the bones. OA also has various other benefits to the body including helping to reduce heart disease by reducing arterial inflammation.

DE will not cause a bloody anus.