BENTONITE and DETOX

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EVERYDAY TOXINS

Everyday our bodies are exposed to a variety of toxic materials.
Naturally occurring Environmental Hazards such as Radon Gas, Mercury, Arsenic, Lead and Pyrite.
Some toxins are caused by people, or they are self inflicted.
Cigarette Smoke, Industrial Pollution, Exhaust from Motor Vehicles, Aluminum, in different forms, in our food and cosmetics…….. the list is endless.
Yes…..even some of our food contains some ingredients we were never meant to consume.
Everyday our bodies are collecting these toxins. Some of them pass harmlessly through our system, but some of them are absorbed, and stored in our tissues and bloodstream, where they continue to build up in concentration.
These impurities can lead to fatigue, sickness, loss of energy, and can affect concentration. Over the years they can build to dangerous levels.
People in certain industries face an even higher risk.
Zinc, Lead, Aluminum, and Benzene are used extensively in industry.

Solutions

Chelation therapy is a medical procedure which consists of the administration of certain agents to remove heavy metals from the body. It can be administered either Intravenously, Orally, or Intramuscularly, depending on the toxin and agent used.
Chelation can be very costly, uncomfortable, and invasive.
Although Chelation Therapy using agents and methods approved by the F.D.A. are safe, there have been deaths attributed to this therapy being used for unapproved methods this past decade. Chelation Therapy is also targeted to one or a few specific metals, and doesn’t remove a broad spectrum of toxins.

A NATURAL ALTERNATIVE

There is another alternative. You can remove toxins at home. Gently, Safely, and Naturally.
With Bentonite Clay a/k/a Montmorillonite Clay.
Primitive tribes all over the world have used types of clay for conditions of toxicity. The use of Volcanic Ash Clay internally goes back to the Indians of the high Andes Mountains, tribes in Central Africa and the aborigines of Australia.
Bentonite was known by Native Americans as "Ee-Wah-Kee" meaning “The Mud That Heals” and has been used by ancient cultures since before recorded history. The Egyptians, The Amargosians, The Aztecs and many other cultures all recognized the benefit of clays.

BENTONITE

Bentonite Clay is benign as a dry powder, but when it is hydrated it becomes electrically charged. It takes on a negative charge at its molecular level. Almost all toxins in your body have a positive charge. This effectively turns the bentonite into a powerful magnet for toxins and impurities. But that’s only the first part of what makes this wonderful clay so special.
A gram of bentonite can contain up to 750 sq. meters of surface area!
Under a microscope bentonite looks like little flat plates, sort of like business cards, all stacked and aligned. These are crystalline lattice plates. It’s unique structure allows it to absorb many times it weight. As toxins are absorbed, the plates spread and swell, the toxins are tightly bound by the clay and remain there.
Bentonite also contains trace minerals that are vital to health.

IS IT SAFE?

It is on the F.D.A.’s GRAS* list and is one of the few non agricultural products the U.S.D.A. allows to be included in foods labeled organic.
For this reason bentonite is the main ingredient of many colon cleansing products.
Hydrated bentonite can be taken internally, where it cleanses the bloodstream through interaction in the bowels. Externally it may be used as a poultice, face or body mask, in detox pads, or in the bath.
Bentonite can remove some pathogenic viruses, pesticides, herbicides, and metal accumulations such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and aluminum.

Bentonite does contain aluminum… but it is part of the structure of the clay, and is not absorbed by the body. Clay by it’s very nature is a silica/alumina compound. If the aluminum oxide is removed or processed, it affects the way the clay interacts with the body. While I believe that you cannot take a detrimental detox bath with almost any sodium or calcium bentonite, I do believe that processed clays are not as effective as all natural clays.

DETOX PRODUCTS

There are various Bentonite Detox products on the market. I see many with special ingredients to target specific toxins, and others with added minerals or salts.
If you look closely at the product label you will see that the product is almost all bentonite. The additives and the different types of baths aren’t necessary, it’s the bentonite that does the work. Once again, I feel that by adding things like salts, or essence oils to the clay, you are changing it’s nature, and it’s ability to interact with your body. Organic additives will eventually decay. If you must add something, add it right before use. You should also use a light oil to replace the oils that bentonite removes from the body. Grapeseed oil is one example. The skin readily absorbs it and it isn't greasy to the touch. If taken internally, it is important one keeps hydrated by drinking plenty of water.

TYPES OF BENTONITE

There are dozens of types of bentonites and some specialty clays that are exclusive to the area where they are mined.
For practical purposes here, it boils down to two types.
Calcium Bentonite, and Sodium Bentonite.
The most obvious difference is that sodium bentonite swells to many times it’s original size, and calcium bentonite doesn’t. Sodium bentonite is generally a greenish gray, and calcium bentonite is cream to tan colored.
Most domestic Calcium bentonite is mined in the southern United States, and is commonly known as Southern Bentonite, and sometimes Fuller’s Earth. Sodium Bentonite is domestically mined in the Western U.S. and is a Volcanic Ash type of clay. This type of clay is very pure. It has remained deep within the earth untouched by pollution and environmental contaminants.
Both types of clay have the crystal lattice pattern and both absorb toxins.
The Difference is the ion that is dominant in the clay.

OPINION

I personally prefer calcium bentonite for poultices, masks, and most other external applications. I prefer the Sodium type in baths, and for internal use because of the purity. Some individuals have complained of constipation, but I have found that is is due to the fact that the clay was not properly hydrated, or eaten dry. Clay should always be well hydrated before being used. This is what activates the ionic reaction. The execption is that you can powder your wet face or body, and effectivly hydrate the clay on your skin. I recommend distilled water for hydrating clay exclusivlely when taking internally. For external use you can use just about any water based liquid, such as milk, fruit juice, coconut milk or other common facial mask additives, but I feel that distilled water offers the the body the best opportunity to interact with the clay, as well as the fact that the bentonite will most likely bind many of the additives anyway.

Feel free to ask me any clay related questions. keavy@keavyscorner.com
I encourage everyone to educate yourselves about bentonite and other healing clays. There are some wonderful unbiased articles on the web.



This information has not been evaluated by the Food and drug Administration. This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
This information shall not be interpreted as specific prescription or usage advice and is published as a general guideline only. If you have a medical condition you should see a physician. Keavyscorner.com offers this article as an educational guideline only.
*The F.D.A. regonizes Bentonite as GRAS (generally recognized as safe.)
Clay reacts differently with individuals, actual results may vary.