Anyone taking Diatomaceous Earth?

It would be IF they proved it could do all the things they claim it will do , and it WOULD increase the value.

LOL

Facts fit both of those.
Fantasies don't

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I guess I have different definitions of "neighborly" and "friendly." And "facts." Glad my neighbors are wonderful, kind, knowledgeable people.

I hope you find what you need Mr Thomas!

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Do not meddle in the affairs of Dragons, for you are crunchy and good with ketchup........

Thank you. And I want to say again that I appreciate how you shared your experience in a neighborly and friendly way.

Wow. Astonishing that this discussion has been going on this long.

Arsenic (As) 4.6
Cadmium (Cd) <0.5
Cobalt (Co) 5.8
Chromium (Cr) 7.1
Lead (Pb) 7.4
Mercury (Hg) <0.2

The above are some of the heavy metals that Pancho posted for you earlier re: heavy metals found in DE - all are very harmful and none of them are beneficial even in small doses. They all bioaccumulate in the body and brain over time and you don't need much of it to do harm.

http://www.lenntech.com/processes/he...avy-metals.htm

Heavy Metal Toxicity:
http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/814960-overview

http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-156.shtml

.

There's another broad statement that isn't entirely accurate. Cobalt is an ESSENTIAL trace mineral that is only toxic at excessive levels. An arsenic compound has been used to treat certain cancers. And most of us are already exposed to similar or higher levels of some of these heavy metals every day.

Do you have any numbers on how much of any of them it takes to do harm? I am doing my own research, but so far I haven't been able to determine if regularly consuming a small amount of DE could cause toxic levels of chromium, nickel, or cobalt. Lead is a minor concern, especially for children. Cadmium and mercury, there are higher levels in a lot of water and foods. I won't say they're inconsequential, but most of us are already exposed to these levels.

If anyone has any data to share, I would very much appreciate it. If I can determine the levels of chromium, nickel, and cobalt are acceptable for me, I'll consider doing my own experimentation on myself, but I prefer to know as much as I can up front.

I agree. Most of us are exposed to some level of heavy metals everyday.
Most people will try not to be exposed to any more heavy metals than necessary. Many of the heavy metals are retained in the body so every little bit adds up.

Now my question is. Why take something on purpose that contains heavy metals in addition to those we are exposed to daily?
Does DE double the amount of heavy metals the body retains?

Guess I have another question. Heavy metals are not good for the human body. DE contains trave amounts of heavy metals.
There may not be any research on the effects of DE one way ot the other. It may or may not have any good effect on the body. There has definately been research on heavy metals effect on the human body.
Now the question.
Why would a person choose to gamble?

I like your gung ho attitude when it comes to heavy metals. The little bit we all get in our daily routines might not be lethal, so you will seek out new sources for extra ingestion. Everyone needs to find their own limits. I can respect that. Rasputin survived enough cyanide to kill five men. Too bad he was a poor swimmer.

Arsenic: http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9922970
Cobalt: http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9923518
Chromium: http://www.sciencelab.com/msds.php?msdsId=9927136

And anything else from blueberry flavor to spearmint: http://www.sciencelab.com/msdsList.php

This is true, but I'm not sure how big of a deal it is. Lead ingested by adults, for example, is mostly excreted within a month. And only a fraction of the lead ingested is absorbed by the body to begin with. So it's a concern, but I'm not yet convinced it's a deal-breaker.

It's possible any benefit outweighs any negative effects. That's something for everyone to decide for themselves. Many prescription drugs have some pretty nasty side effects, yet millions of people take them every day. Clearly the benefits outweigh the risks for them. ETA: Another example, how many millions of people willingly allow dentists to install little pockets of mercury in their mouths?

There's no reason to believe it does. Some people have claimed it actually helps remove heavy metals from the body, but there's no proof of that.

Like I said above, weigh the risks. I don't consider it a gamble the way I'm approaching it. I'm trying to determine before I use the stuff if it's likely to be dangerous. If I come to the conclusion that it's safe, I'll try it and monitor my blood for heavy metal levels. The levels in DE do not appear to be enough to cause acute toxicity if it's taken in small amounts, but it's possible they could accumulate over the course of several months. If that happens, I'll stop taking it. It won't kill me overnight.

Other than hearsay, and a few incomplete studies, there's no reason to believe it's beneficial either

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I wouldn't say I'm gung ho about it. I'm open-minded and willing to experiment on myself if there's no great risk. I'm probably going to die young anyway, and I've already accomplished more in my life than most people three times my age. Just as an example of what I'm talking about when I say the risk is probably low, take a look at the MSDS for arsenic. It takes 145 mg/kg to cause acute toxicity. I weigh about 80 kg, so it would take 11.6 grams of arsenic. Diatomaceous earth contains 4.6 mg/kg of arsenic. In order to get 11.6 grams from DE, assuming I absorb every gram I consume (which I likely wouldn't) I would have to consume over 2500 kg of it, which is over 5500 pounds.

What if you don't?

That's why I choose to find out for myself. There's enough anecdotal evidence for me to give it a try, as long as it's safe. If I derive no benefit, I'll stop taking it and I'll be out about $10. No big loss.

Then I'll have a beer and celebrate. Alcohol is another poison that people willingly put in their bodies.

You are gambling you will be out only about $10.
You may also be gambling away your life.
It is your life to gamble.

You have read the ingredients. That part is a fact.
You have read the effects of heavy metals on the body. That is a fact.
You have read there is no scientific benefit of taking DE. That is a fact.
Some person on the internet says it will cure all diseases including broken bones, cancer, and aids.

Your choice. Good luck with whatever you choose.

That's ridiculous. It's not going to kill me. If I check my blood once a month I'll know LONG before it's at a dangerous level. Did you see my example with arsenic? It would take 5500 POUNDS to cause acute toxicity. At 250 grams a day, that would take something like 25,000 YEARS to consume. And that's assuming none of it would be excreted, which is not true. The other heavy metals are in similarly small amounts. I suspect I will die of old age before 25,000 years.

That is NOT a fact. I've seen more scientific evidence saying there is benefit than scientific evidence saying there is not, which is to say not much versus ZERO. Not much beats zero any day. Thanks for your concern, but this was a wildly inaccurate statement. Do you really think repeating a falsity ad nauseum will somehow magically make it true?

If it's the heavy metals you are after, why use the DE as a carrier? Why not a spoonful of each heavy metal a day, and monitor your blood as stated? You've show n me that arsenic is more or less harmless, all studies to the contrary.

No, you have not seen any scientific evidence that shows any benefit from DE. The one you keep referring to is not scientific evidence. It may satisfy you but it isn't scientific evidence. It takes more than that to prove anything. Especially if there is nothing to compare the results to, no control group, no testing of anything or anybody out of the group that was fed DE.
That is not scientific proof. That is what many people and scientists call a WAG.
Do you know the difference in a scientific experiment and a WAG?

WAGs don't get published in medical journals. If you want to redefine science, take it up with science. But it doesn't change the fact that there are even LESS scientific studies saying DE provides no benefit.

I don't know where you got those ideas. I never said anything of the sort.