Have you heard of Diatomaceous Earth?
Diatomaceous simply means full of diatoms, with the single-celled honeycomb structure of these algae organisms containing a number of trace minerals that are essential for human health. Simply put, these diatoms work their wonders by gently exfoliating the gut and infusing trace minerals into the body as they go.
I first stumbled across this amazing supplement back when I began my trek to heal my thyroid autoimmune disease Hashimotos. I was seeking a good "gut cleanser" to assist in my gut reset and kept coming across this.
It's always important to remember when taking Diatomaceous earth to get Food Grade and to start slow. It is a "binder" so over doing consumption can result in constipation or blockages. I find it best to start with a teaspoon dose mixed with water in the evening and slowly move up.
Many of the benefits of diatomaceous earth are related to the silica content, which accounts for roughly 80-90% of its overall composition. Silica has been found to regulate the balance between magnesium and calcium in the body, with this balance essential for maintaining healthy hormones. Silica affects all of your hormones, including your thyroid, with the selenium in diatomaceous earth also assisting with thyroid hormone metabolism.
When you are young, your tissues absorb and maintain high levels of silica and this enables your body to be resilient, energetic, and flexible. However, as we age our levels gradually decrease until they become very low. Approximately 80% of all of your body’s silica is used up by the time we become adults. So the point is it is important to supplement.
Here's a few areas in which diatomaceous earth can benefit us all:
1) Gut Health
The digestive benefits of diatomaceous earth help to cleanse and detoxify the human body of bad bacteria, helping you to eliminate uncomfortable bloating, excessive wind, and unwanted gas. By helping to improve healthy digestion through the removal of parasites, toxins, and other impurities, diatomaceous earth can help to ensure a functional and unburdened digestive system. Diatomaceous earth has been found to eliminate certain stored product pests such as meal worms and mites, and may play a similar role within the human digestive system. The silica in diatomaceous earth can be taken to reduce the accumulation of waste and improve gut health, with silicon dioxide found to improve gastrointestinal disorders
Due to it's silica content, it can be beneficial in soaking up and sweeping away a range of heavy metals and other toxins, as well as helping to eliminate intestinal worms, intestinal parasites, and other dangerous micro-organisms.
Food grade diatomaceous earth helps to improve your digestive system, making it easier to absorb essential minerals and nutrients. If you can establish an unburdened digestive system by removing the bad stuff from your digestive tract, nutrients will be more easily absorbed and the overall health of your body will improve as a result.
Silicon is a major and naturally occurring trace element in the human body, with the vast majority of this material derived from our diet. The presence of silica in most human cells and primitive organisms suggests that it may have an essential biological role in us as humans. The bio-availability of silica has been found to improve nutrient absorption and modify nutrient efficiency and content.
2) Natural Immune System Booster & Body Cleanser
The health benefits of diatomaceous earth influence the entire body, with improved gut health and lower levels of inflammation helping to protect the immune system. This material is incredibly old and originates from deep within the earth’s rich crust, with the diatoms in diatomaceous earth providing humans with access to some of the most alkalising minerals available. The silica in diatomaceous earth helps to boost the production of the antibodies and antigens that the immune system needs to fight infections. What this means is simple – faster and more efficient healing from colds, flu, infection, and illness. The accumulation of aluminium in the body is a particularly big concern that often results in aluminium toxicity, something which can lead to numerous diseases. The silica found in diatomaceous earth possesses heavy metal detox properties that reduce the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease and other conditions that can result from long-term aluminium poisoning .
3) Promotes Skin Elasticity
Silica and many of the other minerals found in diatomaceous earth are known to have an effect on skin elasticity and other factors known to affect beauty and subjective ageing. While the silica found in high-grade diatomaceous earth is retained by the body in all tissues, the highest levels of silica have been found in bone and other connective tissues related to physical appearance, including skin, nails, and hair. Collagen is the main structural protein found in skin and other connective tissues, with this protein also regularly used in cosmetic surgical treatments. The silica found in diatomaceous earth is important for the production and maintenance of collagen, which is also helpful in healing the lining of the gut, maintaining healthy skin, and improving hair strength among other benefits. According to research , silica induces a significant increase in collagen levels of between 13% and 19% compared to a control group.
4) Helps to Establish Healthy Muscles and Performance Routine
The magnesium content in diatomaceous earth helps your body to produce energy from food and improve exercise performance. Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a critical role in how the human body functions on a daily basis, including energy metabolism and the maintenance of normal muscle function. Diatomaceous earth includes a number of powerful minerals, including phosphorus and calcium which have the ability to reduce physical health problems such as muscle weakness, numbness, and fatigue. The phosphorus in diatomaceous earth can also have a positive effect on libido levels and impotence, making it a great sexual tonic when combined with a healthy diet and exercise. Phosphate is an excitatory or high-energy mineral because it is used to fuel our bodies and produce ATP (adenosine triphosphate).
5) Natural Pest Control
Diatomaceous earth (DE) kills bugs by absorbing the oily, protective layer that covers their exoskeletons. Without this protective coating, most bugs will dehydrate and die within a few hours.
While it's more common to use Diatomaceous Earth as flea prevention directly ON cats or dogs, many people have added small amounts of DE to their pet's diet. There a numerous benefits a pet can receive from a consistent dosage of DE. Pet owners who have given their pets DE have found their pet has an improved coat, appetite,metabolism, and digestion. DE is largely made up of amorphous silica, but it also contains calcium, magnesium, titanium dioxide, gallium, sodium, and other trace minerals. Keep in mind that there are different grades of diatomaceous earth, so make sure you purchase food grade diatomaceous earth for your pet.
The list goes on and on about the many benefits of consuming/using Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth:
*Anti-Inflammatory
*Skin Exfoliant
*May Help Lower Cholesterol
*Helps Regulate Healthy Sleep Patterns
*Essential in Collagen Production
*Natural Flea Repellent for Pets
I've posted a link HERE to the brand I use- you always want to make sure the diatomaceous earth you are purchasing is 100% FOOD GRADE
As your body begins to detox from the DE, you may experience what is commonly known as "die-off," which sometimes gives people mild flu-like symptoms for a couple of days. This is a side effect of toxins leaving your body, not a side effect of DE itself. You can counteract these symptoms by increasing your fluid consumption, as well as reducing your DE dose for a couple of days.
Everyone in my family drinks this weekly! You simply mix it with water and thats it! Start off with a teaspoon dosage and be sure to consume lots of water. Also since diatomaceous earth is a natural detoxifier be sure not to consume any medications/supplements within 3 hours of consumption.
