The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Acne
Posted by Arveca (Kansas) on 03/09/2018
★★★★★
Try the D.E. as a face scrub. Works better that way for acne. Also start with small dose for internal use 1/2 to 1 teaspoon..work your way up to a tablespoon. Anything can be overdone.
Detox
Posted by Michael (nw) (Oregon) on 11/20/2015
★★★★★BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Hi,
I started DE about 3 weeks ago. The first 2 weeks I felt fine, no side-effects, no apparent die-off, felt actually a bit better in ways. But into the 3rd week, I started becoming Dehydrated, constipated, gut aches, etc... I took one day off, drank a ton of water, started up again, two days later my bowels are doing fine, but now I have major gut tightness, not really bloated as much as just feeling VERY tight. After this afternoon's dose I felt ill/maliase, etc...
Can it take a couple of weeks to start having die-off symptoms? I've been doing other detox treatments, and probably don't have as much heavy metals and toxic to clean out as some people do which is why maybe I didn't have an initial reaction, but I do have a parasite, and possibly SIBO which I'm hoping DE will take care of.
I usually take 1tsp 2x per day. Cheers.
Beautiful Skin
Posted by Doug (Osborne KS) on 11/20/2023
If you are having constipation issues just add psyllium husk (without the sugar). DE and psyllium Husk are amazing together!!
Good Sleep
Posted by Jazz452 (Uk) on 10/09/2017
★★★★★
You go to sleep quicker cause you don't sit down much when taking DE, energy levels are higher, which makes you fitter and don't really need as much sleep. That's my findings anyway.
Accidental Diatomaceous Earth Inhalation
Posted by Breanna (Sedalia,mo) on 03/07/2014
Hello! We were told to use diatomaceous earth in our house to rid it of fleas. I took precautions by wearing a mask when I put it all over our house, which is 4000 sq ft. I left it there for 3-4 days. During that time my 2 year old was running and playing all over the house and moved around all of the particles in the air. Well after that she started coughing and 7 months later she has been diagnosed with asthma. She was fine before this exposure. My concern is that she got this from inhaling all of that in our house. She is too young to have tests to check her lungs and her function but my concern is that she could have serious lung problems and have read that this can lead to tuberculous, cancer, and death. Do you know how serious this is? How many cases has there been. What can I do to help her! ? Thanks
Bacterial Infections
Posted by Tikiwish (Rancho Cucamonga, Ca) on 07/19/2013
★★★★★
Thanks for the info, I just started taking it, for two days now, for an bacterial infection. I felt really bad last at first, but then I started feeling a lot better than I hadfor a long time, today I had more energy too. I'm going to do the same thing, take it for a year and hope it gets rid of this infection. I bought a large box online, it's not expensive. I'll post more about my progress.
Avoid Inhaling DE
Posted by Sheila (Cheshire) on 07/19/2017
If you use food grade, I've read that this is not harmful to inhale - though obviously take precautions and don't breathe it in deliberately!
Parasites
Posted by Ray (France) on 02/07/2015
Distilled water is dangerous for the health. It should be used only for mixing other substances such as H2O2, but never drink as regular water because it leeches minerals out of the body and the body becomes dehydrated and will attack your kidney and heart to start with. DE works very well on many kinds of parasites. One should study about water or about anything before posting an opinion for it's dangerous for other people who believe you. I'm very happy with DE that works not only for me but my dogs and horses. I read several articles about Neem oil that it shouldn't be used by pregnant women. Is it true?
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease
Posted by Madeleine (Pawtucket R.i.) on 09/29/2013
★★★★★
Doc has told me that I have gastroesophageal reflux disease. I was taking omeprazole 40 mg a day and even that at times didn't help at times. No more bad heartburn.
Well it's been for 32 weeks on diatomaceous earth ~ I have now made this a big part of my life ~ I eat it, bathe in it, I give it to my birds, and dust it on their cages ~ Love it ~
Scabies
Posted by Alice (Odessa, Texas) on 02/13/2009
★★★★★
Diatomaceous cured my scabies : After being diagnosed w/scabies and given Permethrin, which made me very ill, I tried Neem, tea tree oil, kerocene! all kinds of things till I remembered I had Diatomaceous Earth DE fossil Shell Flour ( food grade ) in my house ,I used to use it on my cats for fleas until switching to a topical for less trouble.I decided to completely dust my enviroment and body w/ it to see if that worked! DE kills mites of all kinds by acting like ground glass inside them destroying their innards, but is safe to humans and pets, make sure you get the FOOD GRADE and not the one for pool filters which is dangerous! Get a large winter type sock with loose weave, fill it w/ the fossil flour and walk your house patting it, you will see it clouding and falling to the floor, use on furniture and any places you freguent often, like your PC. I dusted my comforter on both sides good, to keep from washing it all the time! Same for pillows although mine are in sealed garbage bags. Last try to keep yourself dusted from scalp to soles of feet for at least a week,a ll crawling sensations will disappear along with biting, from here on in I'm keeping my house dusted as the fine film blends in on carpet and furniture, in case of other types of mites. Neem is still a good shampoo additive, one dropper full to your handful of regular shampoo,well Good luck to all.
DE Tips
Posted by Anon (Salem, Or) on 06/06/2018
★★★★★
DE will settle if not consumed immediately. Some people and pets will not take it down immediately, so mixing it well with food, to me, is a good solution. After all, one brand of bottled water has Silica in it, as do bananas, and I haven't seen any warnings about these products. However, do not overdo the water as the body can't tolerate more than 800 mls at one time. Moderation. If you eat bananas regularly without a problem, you're introducing your system to Silica. Adding some water now and then helps, too. Start slowly with DE. Some people go full out and survive, but it's not recommended. And some people never go beyond 1 tablespoon and get results too.
Detox
Posted by Reba (Chicago) on 05/30/2018
★★★★★
DE will give you detox/die-off symptoms. Go lower with your dose until it becomes tolerable then slowly increase. I went 1 tsp right off the bat and I thought I was poisoned. Not true- just too much detox at once. I've been on DE for a week and now I'm at 1/3-1/2 tsp. While there are some detox effects, they're becoming less every day. Perhaps the antibiotic you're taking is also contributing to the way you feel. Not sure if it's recommended to take all of that together. Best of luck.
Nail Growth
Posted by Ali (Wales) on 09/23/2018
This may be a detox response. Most ‘illnesses' are not illness at all, but the body purging. Coughs, colds, zits, rashes, boils, sweats, fevers, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, tears, discharges, etc, are all purging outlets. When given the tools & opportunity the body will purge unwanted matter if it is able.
Having said that, ensure you are not breathing in the DE dust when you put it in the water. I find it floats everywhere as I put it in the water, so cover the glass with my hand or a cloth for a minute or two until it's settled. It's not good to breathe in any dust & DE is no exception.
Detox
Posted by Timh (Ky) on 07/07/2016 2041 posts
R: I once tried D.E. orally and experienced ulcerative colitis, so from your report, it appears that you have some "leaky gut" issues which is allowing those sharp Silica mineral fractions to go directly into the bloodstream where they are cutting into the kidneys.
For now take Slippery Elm or Marshmallow to restore Kidneys.
Likely culprit is either Parasite infestation or candida infection or both in the gut. Once these pathogens are removed your intestines should heal back to normal.
I now add D.E. with other minerals for daily footbath and experience the benefits of Silica this way.
Detox
Posted by Art (California) on 07/10/2016 2940 posts
I forgot to mention that "Feed Grade DE", not "Food Grade DE" can have more heavy metal in it.
Another quote from that previous link:
What is the difference between food chemical codex grade (food grade) and feed grade diatomaceous earth?
Although these two types are very similar there is one very important distinction between them. Food Chemical Codex Grade (commonly referred to as “Food Grade") DE must meet certain specifications regarding heavy metal content. To be considered Food Grade, the diatomaceous earth must not contain more than 10mg/kg of arsenic and no more than 10mg/kg of lead.
Art
DE Tips
Posted by Myway (Wilmington, De) on 12/20/2014
★★★★★
I have been using
food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) for quite some time for both myself (supplementation and bug killer) and cats (fleas) but wanted to give everyone a tip on it's use that may make application easier and inexpensive. Purchase a plastic mustard or ketchup bottle from the dollar store (here in US). These bottles are either yellow or red...anyway, they have the small hole at the top. Fill the bottle about 1/4th way with DE.
For Flea Prevention: start at the head of the cat or dog and go to the tail with a line of the DE from the bottle. Rub it in. Do this once a week during flea season. Once a month during off season. DE is not a cure-all in my opinion, it is part of the prevention. Again, you don't want you or your pet breathing this stuff in so, the environment for application should be very calm. Wrestling a cat and trying to apply this stuff would kick up the dust. It is non-toxic but you don't want it in you or your pets lungs. If your cat is a mixed martial arts specialist, try something else. I also use an old rouge brush - dab it on the back of the neck of one cat who comes by occasionally.
For Ants: Try to locate the entry point of your ant infestation and squirt a small amount of DE in the corners of the house where they are coming in. The ants or bugs will die with contact of this stuff. I had ants coming into certain parts of the house...I watched them and figured out where they were coming from. Problem solved. No need for pesticides. Remember, if you apply DE to the outside of the outside, it will have to be reapplied if there is moisture (rain) or very high humidity. It will wash away.
By the way, I am asthmatic - DE has not bothered me at all when used in this manner. If I had carpets, a respiratory compromised person or small children, I personally would not put it on the floors. This is just my opinion.
Good Luck!
Detox
Posted by Dakina (L.A., California) on 07/24/2013
To Saraaa from Paradise, Narnia on 6/24/13 -- My heart goes out to you. I felt that way when starting my health journey many years ago. For some reason, many people get introduced to the holistic path through detox. Having tried every experiment out there for various issues over the years, I came to understand that the so-called "healing crisis" isn't necessary or even good for you. From what you describe, I would like to suggest you skip over all this and go straight to an acupuncturist for your issues. Now, everyone says "oh acupuncture is great" – as if it were some generic thing you can just go down the street and there it is. But the reality is, you need to find someone really good or you won't get the amazing results promised with Chinese medicine. Specifically, you need to find someone really, really good – someone who has done it for a looooong time (like 30 years) and has true mastery of the art. And you do that by looking them up online and looking at their bios or their background. If they just graduated a couple years ago, say no thanks. They should be working with a mentor at that stage. If they are directly from China and have practiced for a long time, that is a really good scenario.
On rare occasions, I have had American-born acupuncturists who were excellent, but they had also been in practice for a loooooong time, were on the board of the acupuncture college, etc. So find someone who has mastered their craft and get better NOW. There is absolutely no reason you should be suffering this way. Also, sodas with caffeine can cause acne, so if you're drinking soda, STOP. As for detox, it is a good idea once in a while, but some reason people can get really carried away with it and it all sounds really good – you'll just go through it to the other side kind of thing, and you'll be great on that other side. But the body isn't a garbage can that you can just purge out all the icky stuff. Be aware that detoxing can harm organs and systems in the body (very hard on the spleen especially) – people will tell you it's just "die off" or just "detox" or "healing crisis". Your body doesn't need that. You are having real symptoms and you need to know what is going on and get relief. Chinese herbs and acupuncture address the unique patterns in your body, the imbalances that are causing these symptoms. And the knowledge is 5,000 years old and backed up far more than any other medicine available. When you're having lots of painful and extreme things going on with your body, that is NOT the time to do experiments (such as detox). Hope this helps. There is no reason you should be suffering like this!
DE Tips
Posted by Anonymosaurus Rex (USA) on 08/28/2012
★★★★★
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is one of the richest sources of silica around, at ~80%. In comparison, Horsetail has ~4% (often touted as the highest source), and bamboo stalk has ~28%.
Silica is important for bones, hair, teeth, nails, ligaments and especially the skin. Silica is best absorbed with acid (stomach acid works quite nicely) as silicon dioxide must first convert to orthosilicic acid before it can be utilised by the body. Silica will convert to orthosilicic acid when in contact with water.
If you are making your own toothpaste, face cream, toner, nail treatment or moisturiser you should consider adding a small amount of DE as it will be very beneficial and is absorbed by your skin.
To supplement your daily intake of silica, here is a method on adding DE to water that I got from - http://www.mountainmistbotanicals.com/info/Silica_Diatomaceous Earth vs Horsetail Grass.htm (I am not afilliated with this site whatsoever, but this article is a really, really good read. If you are interested in Silica, DE or Horsetail I strongly recommend it.)
"...add a spoon full of food grade DE to a gallon of water and allow the DE to settle to the bottom. This may take a few days initially. Pour the water you intend to drink from the top of the container, but be careful not to disturb the DE on the bottom of the container. Refill the container with water and allow it to settle out again. Keep repeating this process. A spoon full of DE should last several years if it is not poured off in the water."
This method of adding DE will work especially well if you have a water urn/dispenser that has a spigot (tap) slight above the bottom - you can put a touch of DE in the bottom and it should supplement your water without any problems.
Warnings:
- Diatomaceous Earth must be food grade if you are considering using it for yourself, as many other posts have mentioned.
- DE contains ~2-4% aluminium oxide, so if you are avoiding all aluminium then do not consume this as a supplement. It should be known that orthosilicic acid reduced aluminium uptake in digestion as well as increasing the excretion of aluminium through urine. The DE water method above uses a very small amount of silica over a long period that it will minimize your ingestion of aluminium.
- Vegans/vegetarians generally should find DE acceptable, as it consists of phytoplankton (algae) but it is important to be aware of this just in case.
Avoid Inhaling DE
Posted by Sj (Tn) on 10/20/2015
★★★★★
How much did your friend use for curing stomach cancer? I have someone in the family going through treatments for it and would like more info. I've just recently started using myself (not this particular brand) and am feeling the benefits after just a few days! Thanks
Fibromyalgia
Posted by Laura (Asheville, Nc) on 09/14/2011
★★★★★
I have fibromyalgia and have been taking Diatomaceouls Earth for almost 2 weeks. It is definitly doing something positive for me. First I noticed a huge change in my foot problem that has plagued me for 4 years. I have woke up stiff, but that is different too. I don't know how to describe it except that the stiffness is not to the bone and all encompasing as before. I am so hopeful that I may continue to improve. If it is possible different factors contribute to Fibro for different people, I guess different results could be experienced from individuals also. My experience would lead me to suggest, try it and see how your body responds if you suffer any joint or fibro pain. Good luck to you all!
Parasites
Posted by Palma (Navarre, Florida, Usa) on 08/11/2011
★★★★★
To ALL who have problems, and posted here for help.
I have purchased FOOD GRADE DIATOMACEOUS EARTH for internal parasites (husband, myself, and two cats). And we also use it to "dust our carpets, beds, and even plants. It works by dehydrating the parasites, and works on most all types, including tapeworm.
Besides killing parasites, it has good health benefits for humans & pets, and is safe for children.
For adults: At bedtime take one heaping Teaspoon in 8oz warm water, then follow with another half glass water.
For children and also for small pets dosage is 1/2 teaspoon in 8oz warm water followed by additional half glass of water. I would do this for 30-45 days. Tapeworms will often come out in pieces. Can sprinkle directly on pet's food and mix it up if they won't drink the water.
The website I purchased from also sells a duster container which the DE can be poured into to easily dust beds (also kills bed bugs) and carpets. Dust lightly on carpets, as it can clog vacum if sprinkled too heavilyI would suggest a GOOD QUALITY intestinal/colon cleanse after 45 days, though not necessary. We purchased Dr Natura colon cleanse. A bit expensive, but very good.
As for the Diametrous Earth, we bought from Wolf Creek Ranch website. They also give detailed information on dosage and other uses. It has stopped my itching in areas of my body. Avoid getting it in eyes. Can also be lightly sprinkled on pets fur to kill fleas etc. I offer the two brand names as I know their quality, but there are other good ones out there, I am certain. DE MUST BE PURE FOOD GRADE.
Body Odor
Posted by MamaBear (Minneapolis, MN) on 02/23/2025
★★★★★
If you are having body odor, including underarm odor, it is a sign that you need to detox your body. I use a high quality FOOD GRADE ONLY diatomaceous earth (DE) powder mixed with water (start with a teaspoon to 8 ounces of water then build up to 1-2 tablespoons per day mixed with 8 ounces water over 2-4 weeks). NEVER take DE that is not food grade, it contains very harmful ingredients!! I mix well and drink it down all at once. You have to increase your water intake when taking diatomaceous earth. I try to drink at least 48-80 oz (3-5 bottles) of water per day. You can also use bentonite clay instead of DE. Taking DE daily gets rid of my body odors of all kinds. It may take several months of consistent daily use but you should see a difference! It works for me! I cannot stress enough that you have to eat healthy foods, exercise and stay well hydrated along with the DE. Stay away from sugar-laden foods and beverages, processed foods, sodas, fried foods and cow's milk. Stay hydrated! Intermittent fasting (6-16 hours) and infrared saunas can also speed up the detox process along with the DE! A real benefit with daily use of DE is that it also gets rid of internal parasites and caused my faded eyebrows to turn dark once again! 🤗 Hope this helps someone out there! God bless! PS: if you have problems drinking plain water try adding lemon, limes, cucumbers or fruits!
DE and Amalgams
Posted by Baise (New York) on 02/10/2021
Can I use DE while having 6 amalgam fillings?
I know some people have commented on this but I realize that it's just people's opinions based on what they think is right. I've read every single post on DE on this site, but I haven't come across anyone who explicitly said they have amalgam fillings, they have used DE and have improved their health. So if there's anyone out there who has these toxic fillings and has also successfully used DE please can you respond to this post?
Please no posts telling me I need to get rid of these fillings. I know that better than anyone else and there's nothing more I want to do, but it's not cheap, especially since I need to go to someone who specializes in the removal of them and I can't afford it right now, but hopefully I will in a couple of years. I can't find anything on the internet on this topic and would appreciate any help. Thank you very much.
Detox
Posted by Art (California ) on 07/10/2016 2940 posts
There seems to be some confusion about food grade DE and industrial or pool filter DE. The pool filter DE is exposed to high temperature in the manufacturing process which alters it considerably, converting it to crystalline silica and making it not fit for human consumption and it is very important that people realize that fact as it will harm you if consumed and that is why I asked the question in the first place, to make sure,
Sarah, was actually using FGDE as opposed to pool DE or the DE that also has a pesticide in it. I have a bag of the pesticide type DE and it has a very distinctive smell to it........kind of like the smell of moth balls, but milder. In any case, a little safety here can go a long way! Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is what you should look for.
Here is a link that gives a detailed discussion on the difference between pool grade and food grade. Definitely worth reading for people who are considering consuming DE.
http://www.absorbentproductsltd.com/food-grade-diatomaceous-earth-vs-pool-grade.html
Here is an important quote from the link:
Crystalline silica is very dangerous and can be harmful to the health of humans and animals. For this reason, Pool Grade diatomaceous earth should NOT be used for any purpose other than filtration.
Art
Detox
Posted by Art (California ) on 05/24/2016 2940 posts
Sarah,
Are you sure it is " food grade" DE? There is non food grade which is used for pool filters and is toxic. There is another type that has added pesticide for insect control and obviously should not be taken by humans.
Art
