Anyone taking Diatomaceous Earth?

Ellie Mae · #**161** 02/10/12, 02:26 PM

Am not up to reading back through 150+ posts to find who said what about the potential "side effects", a word I used to describe what others have equated with ingesting or using DE...

I recall a comparison to eating glass, some kind of lung disorder from breathing it, kidney issues and renal failure. I call those side effects.

I do not have a link, or a study handy, but if I recall correctly, St.John's wort is a prime example of a group of people using a non mainstream alternative for depression with some good results, that was then taken and studied for pro's and con's and it is now what I would consider known as a common herbal remedy for depression and sold in stores.

Does that mean it did not help people with mood disorders until an "official" study was done?

With some of the responses I have read on just this thread alone to anyone who dares admit they take DE, I see why it would not become something people are willing to readily share with others.
I am strong enough to take ridicule and stand my ground, but there are others who are afraid to either be rejected by others on an internet forum or be made a laughing stock.

pancho · #**162** 02/10/12, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ellie Mae

hard to tell someone's gender on here at times, my apologies to Rogo.

and I know why DE is added to foods, but alot of folks don't know many ready made foods contain DE.

I mentioned it to point out to the one's who are claiming catastrophic health effects from ingesting it that they too are probably eating it, just not aware and on purpose.

Those who are claiming that DE will cause horrible side effects are scare mongering without proof just as they accuse those who claim benefits without major studies and proof.

That last sentence is very true.
A person can eat all of the DE they want and it probably won't do much more than dry them out a little. DE would have to be the majority of their diet before it did much damage.
Breathing DE inside of the lungs is completely different. It is easy to find out all of the lawsuits against DE manufactures in the past. Many safety regulations were enacted to prevent lung problems in DE mines.

Most of the people here have heard all of the miracles Rogo claimes DE will do.
We have had these discussions in the past. DE will not cure disease. DE will not mend broken bones. It isn't some miracle drug.

barnyardgal · #**163** 02/10/12, 02:57 PM

Wow~I say everyone use *THEIR* own judgement in using the product...There is good & bad in everything we put in our mouth~~

pancho · #**164** 02/10/12, 02:58 PM

DE has a use.
As long as it is in its dry form it will kill insects.
It can be used as a drying agent.
It has many uses.

It can also cause lung problems if breathed in.
Anyone who does not believe this can do research on lawsuits against DE manufactures and see what laws were enacted to protect people who worked in DE mines.
Also take note of the protective equipment that is mandatory to workers in DE mines.

ryanthomas · #**165** 02/10/12, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by barnyardgal

Wow~I say everyone use *THEIR* own judgement in using the product...There is good & bad in everything we put in our mouth~~

I agree.

terri46355 · #**166** 02/10/12, 03:46 PM

And a wise man said over 2,000 years ago that we should be more careful about what comes out of our mouths than what goes in.

Bearfootfarm · #**167** 02/10/12, 09:23 PM

Quote:

the only clinical trial I could find on DE said the same thing.

The trial you showed concluded a REAL study was needed.

If the companies that mine, process and distribute DE spend millions of dollars already, WHY is it they won't spend a few hundred thousand to do actual clinical trials that PROVE their health benefit claims, and INCREASE the value of their product?

(Here's why)

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pu...ity/diatomite/

Quote:

Diatomite is a chalk-like, soft, friable, earthy, very fine-grained, siliceous sedimentary rock, usually light in color (white if pure, commonly buff to gray in situ, and rarely black).

It is very finely porous, very low in density (floating on water at least until saturated), and essentially chemically inert in most liquids and gases. It also has low thermal conductivity and a rather high fusion point.

Diatomite is now used principally as a filter aid; but it has many other applications, such as an absorbent for industrial spills and as pet litter, a filler in a variety of products from paints to dry chemicals, an insulation material as sawn and molded shapes as well as loose granular, a mild abrasive in polishes, and a silica additive in cement and various other compounds.

ryanthomas · #**168** 02/10/12, 10:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

The trial you showed concluded a REAL study was needed.

If the companies that mine, process and distribute DE spend millions of dollars already, WHY is it they won't spend a few hundred thousand to do actual clinical trials that PROVE their health benefit claims, and INCREASE the value of their product?

(Here's why)

http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pu...ity/diatomite/

So don't use it. I have more evidence for my position than you have for yours. The study I posted was an actual clinical trial, of which you conveniently ignore the first half of the conclusion. For what it's worth, clinical trials usually cost millions. The miners are doing fine without them, probably with repeat customers.

ryanthomas · #**169** 02/10/12, 10:39 PM

Also, silica may be "essentially chemically inert in most liquids and gases," but it is not completely chemically inert. I just pulled a chemistry book off my shelf and found that it says "silica is somewhat soluble in water and in dilute acids." Wow, imagine that. Our stomachs use acid to help digest what we put in our mouths. And don't forget all those other trace minerals also in DE. There's also a possibility that there are mechanical/biological effects apart from any chemical action. Even with eight beers in me I can shoot holes in uneducated opinions.

pancho · #**170** 02/10/12, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanthomas

So don't use it. I have more evidence for my position than you have for yours. The study I posted was an actual clinical trial, of which you conveniently ignore the first half of the conclusion. For what it's worth, clinical trials usually cost millions. The miners are doing fine without them, probably with repeat customers.

The miners are doing fine by selling DE for its intended purpose much like those Bearfootfarm has listed.
Do you actually think there is enough people buying DE for a miracle cure to matter?
Not a lot of people will eat kitty litter and try to tell everyone it is a miracle cure for all diseases and even broken bones.
Not a lot of people drink paint for its ability to cure arthritis.
Not a lot of people use insulation as eye drops to inprove eyesight.
Not a lot of people use cement additives to cure cancer, diabetes, macular degeneration, and who knows what else.

Some people believe all of the above. It is your choice if you want to be included in that group.
Good luck to you.

pancho · #**171** 02/10/12, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanthomas

Also, silica may be "essentially chemically inert in most liquids and gases," but it is not completely chemically inert. I just pulled a chemistry book off my shelf and found that it says "silica is somewhat soluble in water and in dilute acids." Wow, imagine that. Our stomachs use acid to help digest what we put in our mouths. And don't forget all those other trace minerals also in DE. There's also a possibility that there are mechanical/biological effects apart from any chemical action. Even with eight beers in me I can shoot holes in uneducated opinions.

Arsenic (As) 4.6
Cadmium (Cd) <0.5
Cobalt (Co) 5.8
Chromium (Cr) 7.1
Lead (Pb) 7.4
Mercury (Hg) <0.2
Selenium (Se) 0.61
Nickel (Ni) 9.9
Silver

This a partial list of some of the trace minerals in DE.
If I remember right some of those will accumulate in the body.
Ever wonder what the effects of these minerals might be?

ryanthomas · #**172** 02/10/12, 10:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pancho

Do you actually think there is enough people buying DE for a miracle cure to matter?

No, you're probably right about that. But the fact that they don't do the studies proves nothing. Maybe they don't believe it's useful for any medical use. But they're miners, so why do I care what they think about medicine? I don't.

ryanthomas · #**173** 02/10/12, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pancho

Arsenic (As) 4.6
Cadmium (Cd) <0.5
Cobalt (Co) 5.8
Chromium (Cr) 7.1
Lead (Pb) 7.4
Mercury (Hg) <0.2
Selenium (Se) 0.61
Nickel (Ni) 9.9
Silver

This a partial list of some of the trace minerals in DE.
If I remember right some of those will accumulate in the body.
Ever wonder what the effects of these minerals might be?

I know what the effects of these are. Some are BAD. But I don't know how much any of them accumulate or how much you need in you to do any harm. That's something I intend to research before using it myself. Interestingly enough, some heavy metals have been shown to be beneficial in very small doses.

J.T.M. · #**174** 02/10/12, 11:13 PM

Add the word " critters " to the list of words I absolutley can not stand...

pancho · #**175** 02/10/12, 11:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ryanthomas

I know what the effects of these are. Some are BAD. But I don't know how much any of them accumulate or how much you need in you to do any harm. That's something I intend to research before using it myself. Interestingly enough, some heavy metals have been shown to be beneficial in very small doses.

I had a friend who got lead poisoning. He was a sandblaster. Took him a long time to recover and the last time I saw him he was still bald. Along with several more serious problems all of his hair fell out.
I don't think they even sell arsnic anymore. Years ago you could buy it for rat and mouse poison.
Mercury isn't anything to play with. The place I worked in we had a mercury switch break. They called in a special crew to clean it up.

chickenslayer · #**176** 02/10/12, 11:35 PM

When I was 4 years old I ate dirt all the time, but then I grew up and don't eat dirt anymore.

ryanthomas · #**177** 02/11/12, 12:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pancho

I had a friend who got lead poisoning. He was a sandblaster. Took him a long time to recover and the last time I saw him he was still bald. Along with several more serious problems all of his hair fell out.
I don't think they even sell arsnic anymore. Years ago you could buy it for rat and mouse poison.
Mercury isn't anything to play with. The place I worked in we had a mercury switch break. They called in a special crew to clean it up.

It's all in the dosage. I don't know the acute toxicity levels for those things off the top of my head, but I'm guessing they're much higher than the levels in DE, just for the simple fact that people consume and don't die. Long-term maybe there are issues with some of them, but I haven't been able to find anything on that yet.

ryanthomas · #**178** 02/11/12, 12:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chickenslayer

When I was 4 years old I ate dirt all the time, but then I grew up and don't eat dirt anymore.

Most likely you do if you eat any processed food.

Bearfootfarm · #**179** 02/11/12, 01:14 AM

Quote:

The study I posted was an actual clinical trial, of which you conveniently ignore the first half of the conclusion. For what it's worth, clinical trials usually cost millions

So you're saying now that they spent "millions" for a "trial" that concluded they needed to do a REAL TRIAL, and then never did it?

LOL

Quote:

And don't forget all those other trace minerals also in DE

Those are everywhere. Many of them are poisonous
You don't need to eat the Silica to get them.
That's just sales hype for "contaminates"

Quote:

But the fact that they don't do the studies proves nothing. Maybe they don't believe it's useful for any medical use. But they're miners, so why do I care what they think about medicine? I don't

So the people who produce it don't think it's useful for medical use, even though the distributors claim it is, and they could increase the value MANY times by doing some simple tests to prove it.

I think they don't do the tests because they already know the answers, and they would rather keep selling it based on the rumors

ryanthomas · #**180** 02/11/12, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bearfootfarm

So you're saying now that they spent "millions" for a "trial" that concluded they needed to do a REAL TRIAL, and then never did it?

LOL

Nope, I didn't say that at all. But nice try.

Quote:

Those are everywhere. Many of them are poisonous
You don't need to eat the Silica to get them.
That's just sales hype for "contaminates"

They are not everywhere, but they are lots of places, including the toxic ones, but the toxic ones are only toxic in relatively large doses. The essential ones are lacking in a lot of farmland these days. A sheep farmer should know about how important cobalt is. Silica itself is essential to life, not in nearly the amount it occurs in DE, but the uptake is very low.

Quote:

So the people who produce it don't think it's useful for medical use, even though the distributors claim it is, and they could increase the value MANY times by doing some simple tests to prove it.

I think they don't do the tests because they already know the answers, and they would rather keep selling it based on the rumors

I have no idea what the people who produce it think. Your guess is as good as mine. But those "simple tests" are not so simple and they probably wouldn't really increase the value much. It isn't a drug. It's a mineral complex mined from the ground. Nothing proprietary about that. And people like you probably wouldn't believe it had any value even if they did double-blind placebo-controlled clinical studies and published them in highly respected peer-reviewed journals, so why bother? It's just minerals after all.

For what it's worth, I'm still open-minded. If you have any real information to convince me how worthless or horrible DE is, I'd appreciate it so I can make a fully-informed decision. But your theories and "logical" arguments aren't helpful. None of what you've posted in this thread qualifies as "neighborly help and friendly advice."