Diatomaceous Earth

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  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    Too lazy to read zombie thread, but did anyone ever explain what Diatomaceous Earth is actually made of, because I'd be happy to geek out for a little while. :laugh:
  • CarolinkaCjj
    CarolinkaCjj Posts: 622 Member
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    Hate to feed a zombie thread but cannot help myself. I am pretty sure that the original meaning of "food grade diatomaceous earth" is that it is safe to filter food (beer in particular), not that it is safe eat. It is the fossilized remains of diatoms (beautiful little algae). Google the images - they are almost like snowflakes under the microscope. As I recall, they have a cool way of dividing too - they have to form a new glass shell so they basically spit in half like a petri dish and build a new wall.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Too lazy to read zombie thread, but did anyone ever explain what Diatomaceous Earth is actually made of, because I'd be happy to geek out for a little while. :laugh:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_Earth

    sand, basically.... sedementary rock formed from the fossilised remains of hard shelled algae. It does contain some minerals, although I'm not sure whether the body can actually absorb the minerals in this form. Look at the wikipedia page to see all the things it's used for. Food grade diatomaceous earth is used as an anti caking agent, mostly in animal feed. It's bizarre, because normally people rant on about how food additives are "toxinz" and they'd look at the wikipedia page for all the other uses of it and go OMG they're putting ingredients from cat litter, insecticides and explosives in our food!!
  • mike_ny
    mike_ny Posts: 351 Member
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    Great stuff. Don't inhale it, though. It can be hazardous airborne, so if you use it to dust for bugs, wear a respirator until it falls out of the air. You have to use a duster to make it airborne. Scooping a spoonful of it out of a container is perfectly safe.

    For internal use, make sure you're using a food grade product. Food grade has been tested for content and is sterile. Diatomaceous earth is add to flour, cake mixes, and lots of products as an anti caking agent. It's routinely given to horses and dogs in their food to battle parasites, but mainly for the smooth shiny coat it gives them. One side effect of taking it regularly is your hair and nails will grow like crazy.

    I add it to shakes, smoothies, and even stir it into yogurt. It has no noticeable flavor and is so small you can't even detect any texture. You'll only notice a slight chalkiness, but only if you use a lot of it. I take about a TBSP of it, which is a lot for an 8 oz. drink, but by using some orange or cranberry juice in the mix, that overpowers any of the chalky flavor.

    Some people swear it prevents colds, is good for your skin, and helps with lots of ailments. All I know is that it will help clean out any intestinal parasites you might have picked up and your nails and hair do well with it. The bottom line is that other than inhaling it, it's totally harmless and might do you some good. Try it for a couple weeks and chances are good you'll notice some positive results.
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    Too lazy to read zombie thread, but did anyone ever explain what Diatomaceous Earth is actually made of, because I'd be happy to geek out for a little while. :laugh:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diatomaceous_Earth

    sand, basically.... sedementary rock formed from the fossilised remains of hard shelled algae. It does contain some minerals, although I'm not sure whether the body can actually absorb the minerals in this form. Look at the wikipedia page to see all the things it's used for. Food grade diatomaceous earth is used as an anti caking agent, mostly in animal feed. It's bizarre, because normally people rant on about how food additives are "toxinz" and they'd look at the wikipedia page for all the other uses of it and go OMG they're putting ingredients from cat litter, insecticides and explosives in our food!!

    LOL, I know what they are, I was about to go in to lecture mode! :happy: Technically the term diatom is a common name, they are actually plant like protists of the phylum Heterokontophyta (I use that term A LOT to scare the crap out of my students at the start of the year). And yes, DE is the left over remains of their tests or shells which are composed primarily of silica, giving them a colorful prismatic appearance under the microscope. Diatoms occur naturally in almost all bodies of water and you are already consuming diatoms when you drink a glass of water, so I'm not 100% clear why you would want to drink more.... Also, it's these little buggers that are responsible for covering the walls of my aquarium in nasty brown sludge whenever I get too lazy and don't scrub it for a while, the fish don't care, but the students start to complain....

    There, now I feel better! :laugh:
  • Bukawww
    Bukawww Posts: 159 Member
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    Its ingestible. You wear a mask because it is fine particles and can do damage to.your lungs when inhaled. Unless you are breathing in your smoothie....do I really have to finish that sentence lol.

    Its wildly beneficial especially if you suspect parasites. Drink up!
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Its ingestible. You wear a mask because it is fine particles and can do damage to.your lungs when inhaled. Unless you are breathing in your smoothie....do I really have to finish that sentence lol.

    Its wildly beneficial especially if you suspect parasites. Drink up!

    if someone has parasites, shouldn't they just go see a doctor? I mean intestinal parasites are due to poor hygiene issues that don't really apply in modern society. So what parasites do people have that this might help with?

    also, if it's indigestible, what's the point of eating it?

    and how did people survive without it all this time?
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Some people swear it prevents colds, is good for your skin, and helps with lots of ailments. All I know is that it will help clean out any intestinal parasites you might have picked up and your nails and hair do well with it. The bottom line is that other than inhaling it, it's totally harmless and might do you some good. Try it for a couple weeks and chances are good you'll notice some positive results.

    What intestinal parasites are people in western societies getting that it helps with?

    Also, what peer reviewed studies exist that show that the "positive results" are really from this and not a placebo affect?
  • Bukawww
    Bukawww Posts: 159 Member
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    Its ingestible. You wear a mask because it is fine particles and can do damage to.your lungs when inhaled. Unless you are breathing in your smoothie....do I really have to finish that sentence lol.

    Its wildly beneficial especially if you suspect parasites. Drink up!

    if someone has parasites, shouldn't they just go see a doctor? I mean intestinal parasites are due to poor hygiene issues that don't really apply in modern society. So what parasites do people have that this might help with?

    also, if it's indigestible, what's the point of eating it?

    and how did people survive without it all this time?


    Haven't you ever watched 'The Monsters Inside Me' lol? People get parasites...even in our great developed land. Hikers, campers, farmers...anyone working closely with wild dirt and water is susceptible to parasites. Sure, go see a doctor...but hey, maybe you can avoid the doctor. If I can, I will.

    I don't know if you misread my 'INgestible' or if you are referring to it being idigestible? Either way, clays absorb toxins - they go in, absorb some toxins, and come out. Yay.

    Surviving and thriving are different schools of thought. Some people are always on the hunt to thrive - others are fine to survive. Neither is wrong to try or not try. Bentonite clay is another popular clay being chugged down these days. Our modern society with our modernized food sources are possibly not allowing us to thrive so why not try....searching for the 'fountain of youth' or top notch health is no new thing.
  • BrainyBurro
    BrainyBurro Posts: 6,129 Member
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    LOL.

    some genius has figured out how to convince gullible people that eating dirt will cure all of their ailments, while this same genius simultaneously sells them that dirt for a huge profit.

    PT Barnum was right...
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    LOL.

    some genius has figured out how to convince gullible people that eating dirt will cure all of their ailments, while this same genius simultaneously sells them that dirt for a huge profit.

    PT Barnum was right...

    Not even dirt really, particulate glass, more like eating your attic insulation. *I am basing that on my dad telling me it was the particulate glass in the insulation that caused itching if you got it on your skin, I know less then nothing about insulation materials but since we're all talking out our butts anyways...*
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    I know that this is an old thread but



    Holy carp, it's scary to see the stuff people believe for weight loss!
  • QueenBishOTUniverse
    QueenBishOTUniverse Posts: 14,121 Member
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    I know that this is an old thread but



    Holy carp, it's scary to see the stuff people believe for weight loss!

    Yea, I just got sucked in because I love diatoms, they're puuurty.
  • Alluminati
    Alluminati Posts: 6,208 Member
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    I know that this is an old thread but



    Holy carp, it's scary to see the stuff people believe for weight loss!

    Yea, I just got sucked in because I love diatoms, they're puuurty.

    Yes! Isn't that why it's recommended to kill pests like bugs? It gets in between their exoskeletons or something. *shudder*
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
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    Its ingestible. You wear a mask because it is fine particles and can do damage to.your lungs when inhaled. Unless you are breathing in your smoothie....do I really have to finish that sentence lol.

    Its wildly beneficial especially if you suspect parasites. Drink up!

    if someone has parasites, shouldn't they just go see a doctor? I mean intestinal parasites are due to poor hygiene issues that don't really apply in modern society. So what parasites do people have that this might help with?

    also, if it's indigestible, what's the point of eating it?

    and how did people survive without it all this time?


    Haven't you ever watched 'The Monsters Inside Me' lol? People get parasites...even in our great developed land. Hikers, campers, farmers...anyone working closely with wild dirt and water is susceptible to parasites. Sure, go see a doctor...but hey, maybe you can avoid the doctor. If I can, I will.

    I don't know if you misread my 'INgestible' or if you are referring to it being idigestible? Either way, clays absorb toxins - they go in, absorb some toxins, and come out. Yay.

    Surviving and thriving are different schools of thought. Some people are always on the hunt to thrive - others are fine to survive. Neither is wrong to try or not try. Bentonite clay is another popular clay being chugged down these days. Our modern society with our modernized food sources are possibly not allowing us to thrive so why not try....searching for the 'fountain of youth' or top notch health is no new thing.

    I totally get you about the difference between surviving and thriving, but I am thriving just fine without eating any kind of dirt. This isn't an essential vitamin or mineral, it's something that's being sold by people who are scaremongering about intestinal parasites to people who are at a very low risk of intestinal parasites.

    I don't have intestinal parasites and I'm not at risk of them either so there's absolutely no point taking preventative measures against them other than good kitchen hygiene.

    Also, when you back up your arguments by telling people to watch documentaries, that's usually a sign that your argument is weak. If you can show me peer reviewed scientific journal articles about the benefits of this stuff, then I'll listen.
  • neandermagnon
    neandermagnon Posts: 7,436 Member
    Options
    LOL.

    some genius has figured out how to convince gullible people that eating dirt will cure all of their ailments, while this same genius simultaneously sells them that dirt for a huge profit.

    PT Barnum was right...

    ^^^^ this!!
  • tigersword
    tigersword Posts: 8,059 Member
    Options
    Its ingestible. You wear a mask because it is fine particles and can do damage to.your lungs when inhaled. Unless you are breathing in your smoothie....do I really have to finish that sentence lol.

    Its wildly beneficial especially if you suspect parasites. Drink up!

    if someone has parasites, shouldn't they just go see a doctor? I mean intestinal parasites are due to poor hygiene issues that don't really apply in modern society. So what parasites do people have that this might help with?

    also, if it's indigestible, what's the point of eating it?

    and how did people survive without it all this time?


    Haven't you ever watched 'The Monsters Inside Me' lol? People get parasites...even in our great developed land. Hikers, campers, farmers...anyone working closely with wild dirt and water is susceptible to parasites. Sure, go see a doctor...but hey, maybe you can avoid the doctor. If I can, I will.

    I don't know if you misread my 'INgestible' or if you are referring to it being idigestible? Either way, clays absorb toxins - they go in, absorb some toxins, and come out. Yay.

    Surviving and thriving are different schools of thought. Some people are always on the hunt to thrive - others are fine to survive. Neither is wrong to try or not try. Bentonite clay is another popular clay being chugged down these days. Our modern society with our modernized food sources are possibly not allowing us to thrive so why not try....searching for the 'fountain of youth' or top notch health is no new thing.

    I totally get you about the difference between surviving and thriving, but I am thriving just fine without eating any kind of dirt. This isn't an essential vitamin or mineral, it's something that's being sold by people who are scaremongering about intestinal parasites to people who are at a very low risk of intestinal parasites.

    I don't have intestinal parasites and I'm not at risk of them either so there's absolutely no point taking preventative measures against them other than good kitchen hygiene.

    Also, when you back up your arguments by telling people to watch documentaries, that's usually a sign that your argument is weak. If you can show me peer reviewed scientific journal articles about the benefits of this stuff, then I'll listen.
    I'm actually curious how this clay "absorbs toxins." Do these random and (as always) nameless toxins just happen to hang out in the digestive tract? Otherwise, how does the clay get to them to absorb them? I mean, the body generally processes and eliminates toxins through urine, sweat, and exhalation, right? If clay found its way into any of those processes, I'd think you have more pressing health concerns than "nameless toxins."
  • RunDoozer
    RunDoozer Posts: 1,699 Member
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    I don't know anything about it but I DO recall gathering either 4 of 8 of these in Zul'Drak.

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