Caution: Food Grade
Do you realize that diatomacious earth is glass? the algae in the ocean make this glass as part of their body. they die and people collect this diatomaceous earth from the bottom of the ocean. it has a cutting action -- just like glass. thus you could cut a hole in the eardrum with this or your intestines. i would not drink this nor put it in the ear.
(Prattville, Al)
11/21/2011
D.E. is NOT GLASS! Diatoms are actually made up of mostly calcium and other minerals and are the food grade is safe for humans and animals internally as well as externally.
(Ca, US)
07/16/2014
I don't think cutting is a problem with diatomaceous earth; if you feel it with your hands it is very smooth.
Silica, which is what DM is mostly, (it is not glass, though a large percentage of glass and don't forget 3000 degrees) is not good to inhale, silicosis is a problem with working with clay also which has a lot of silica so best to take care when working with the dry, like using for insect control, even mixing with water.
It does cut insects bodies and parasites. Silica is important to the body.
Food grade has been used in food and animal foods for a long time, so I don't think there is a worry.
(Tennessee, US)
03/10/2015
★☆☆☆☆
Why do people post things as facts when it is just their uneducated opinion??? You could not be more wrong in your statement. DE is NOT glass.
Accidental Diatomaceous Earth Inhalation
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
(Cincinnati)
03/07/2014
From what I know, its not harmful if its small amounts and given time to clear out of the lungs... its the silica particles... but my question would be was it the Organic Food Grade DE or the hardware store kind? The first thing I would do is visit the place you bought it and write down all the ingredients. If they are not listed then you can contact the manufacturer- for stabilizers or anti-caking agents, etc. But asthma is inflammation- so anti-inflammatory herbs and foods would help and avoiding inflammatory foods. A quick internet search can pull these up for you. There are plenty of natural treatments for asthma. I am not a doctor, but my daughter had sports induced asthma for a while and it can flare up as side-effects of other things. But it its been 7 months at least and it was organic food grade DE and just minimal from breathing- I have always heard the lungs will clear it out with a good immune system and no side-effects.
Taram7: The asthma reaction is the lungs inability to properly remove the silica, which ends in an inflammatory response.
To hasten the removal of this particulate, use purified water in either a vaporizer or nebulizer. Three herbs which will help the lungs are Marshmallow Root, Slippery Elm, and Mullein. You may find an herbal lung formula at the health food store w/ these three as well as others. Read label for directions.
As these remedies begin clearing the lungs, there may be some silica build up in the colon, so sprinkle Milled Flax Seed in the child's food to final eliminate the silica. Speaking of Flax, you will need to increase the dietary Omega 3 Fatty Acids w/ cold water fish like Salmon, Mackerel, or Sardines. These greatly reduce inflammation and promote healing.
When you seem to have succeeded in this endeavor, you may consider giving one cap of Raw Lung Glandular so as to heal any possible lung damage.
(Tennessee, Usa)
03/08/2014
Dear Breanna,
Well, I am so sorry your daughter was left with asthma from the DE and also sorry you have gotten such dire predictions about her future health. I won't at all minimize the asthma issue (we have dealt with this in two of our children) however, the human body can generally deal with a lot of assaults to it and still live on well for a long time. (Not that we should assault it on purpose, but it is inevitable in this world, no matter how careful we are.) My father is in his 80's. He has some health issues and has asthma, likely caused by decades of smoking and some dangerous chemical exposure to his lungs as a young person. Yet he has led a long and very productive life.
Is your daughter needing medication to keep her asthma under control? Is this hindering her play of her sleep?
Tim's advice about herbs and pure water in a vaporizer or nebulizer are great.
Heritage Essential Oils makes a blend called, "Lung Healing" that we found very helpful for our daughter. We used it for months in an essential oil nebulizer while she slept for months and it kept her from wheezing or coughing.
Please keep us posted!
~Mama to Many~
(US)
09/14/2014
Hi Timh ...I used diatamaceous earth (food grade) to get rid of carpenter bees. I used a pest pistol to get it into the openings. The dust did fly everywhere and I was not wearing a mask. Fast fwd several months later and a chest CT scan shows nodules (benign in nature...possibly from old pneumonia which I never had or breathing in some solvent) and slight swelling of lymph nodes. I feel it is safe to assume this was caused by my inhaling the diatomaceous earth as I have an autoimmune condition which keeps my immune system at a less than optimal level. I am going to try your suggestions and have a few questions if you don't mind. I have a nebulizer and will begin treatments with purified water...how often do you recommend. Of these 3 Marshmallow Root, Slippery Elm, and Mullein...which do you think would be best for my situation?
Sandee: It's always safe to start low and go slow, so one treatment on day 1 and if no bad side effects two treatments per day. You can use all three herbs together for best results. The nebulize water plus herbs should help significantly but true healing will take some time. Other treatment options would be an herbal expectorant like Lobelia or Licorice. The herb Hawthorn Berry has an antioxidant affinity for the lungs which should encourage the removal of anything foreign. After several weeks of treatment and you feel "cleaned out" you can consider the herbs Horstail, Gotu Kola, and Comfrey for removing scar tissue and encourage regrowth. Two other nutrients which will help is Glucosamine and Calcium-AEP. Looking forward to your results.
(Pa)
09/15/2014
Thank you so much Timh...I will go today to get the water and herbs. I am so happy and blessed to have figured the possible cause and to "stumble" upon this thread (no coincidences is my belief:)
Would it be ok to do nebulizer treatments along with using a vaporizer at night? Also if I use a vaporizer will my partner be ok ...want to make sure there will be no ill effects for him.
Thanks so much....you have shed much light on this issue for me and others too I am sure.
Sandee: I suppose you will use something like "Vicks" mentholyptus in the vaporizer and if so the same principle applies --start low and go slow; gradually increase the mentholyptus or eucalyptus. I forgot to mention these herbs but they are helpful. Back in the day, the steamrooms at the fitness centers I attended had the Eucalyptus available or allowable to mix w/ the steam and oh my what a cleansing & invigorating experience. Unfortunately nowadays most places have too many complainers of the "bad odor" and so goes the Eucalyptus. The advantage of the steamroom experience would be rapid cleansing as well as removal as per the sweating.
The only bad side effects I can imagine in your case would maybe be some heart pain or digestive discomfort as the lungs are clearing the toxins back into the bloodstream. Headache or dizziness would indicate a good deal of bad stuff, so it all comes down to what kinda levels of free radicals you have in your lungs. The marshmallow and Slippery Elm will help lubricate & protect the Kidneys as well as lungs so that would greatly reduce the stress loads on the Kidneys, although if there is any sign of infection some Cranberry will take care of it.
Am very glad to help and only hope to hear some good news from you soon.
(Montgomery Tx)
05/22/2017
I was told when using DE for carpets/house to "wear a mask" due to the dust when applying. This makes good sense. I don't know about effects on Asthma victims, but would be cautious and be out of the house while someone else does the job. It settles really fast. You might want to dust excess off furniture if ppl are going to be running, raising the dust to inflict into lungs. (?) I would suspect that it is not that harmful. Read the bag! Follow directions. Asthma can be from many things, but mostly from a poorly functioning immune system.
Accidental Inhalation of DE
★★★★★
I just wanted to share on the 'hazards' of breathing in food grade Diatomaceous Earth, while making capsules of the stuff recently I was tamping down to fill more and trapped dry DE burst out of capsule machine going into my face, hair, eyes, nose, mouth, and as I gasped in nervousness, my lungs. Apart from a mild stress from reading too many warnings, I had no ill effects, I did not wipe my eyes, nose or mouth, as at first I froze, not knowing what I should do. I did think well any bacteria in my nose will die. I will still take care with DE, but will absolutely not freak out about accidentally breathing it in.
Acne
★★★★★
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.
Acne
★★★★★
I had acne problems and I read that by using Diatomaceous Earth as a facial mask mixing water with then rub for 30 secs let dry for 2 mins then rinse. It's a great exfoliator and it helped cleared up my acne. I do this every other day. My pores have gotten smaller and easier to clean. I also use rosehip oil after. Hope it works for you. Give it a month. Let me know.
Acne
★★★★★
I had really bad acne all over my face and neck with the random appearance on my chest, back, or shoulders constantly for 14 years (starting at puberty), and as time went on it only got worse (so it wasn't caused by changes in hormones as I was led to believe).
I stumbled upon some information on Diatomaceous Earth (DE) and became intrigued because of its many proported benefits (I recommend looking it up). It is relatively unknown, and only sold for pest control and consumption by animals, (but you can buy food grade DE online) but since it is used to mechanically kill bugs in grain silos and just about every person who has ever eaten grain which was stored in a silo has eaten DE, I figured it would be safe and I would try it.
DE is the fossilized shells of a type of algae called Diatoms. Their shells are extremely hard and very sharp (but yet not dangerous to your cells) and they mechanically scrub the walls of your intestines, scraping away any build-up. Some DE passes through the intestinal walls and into the bloodstream and while it is there it scrapes plaque buildup away from the walls of veins and arteries. It basicly acts like a plumber in your body.
I found that most cases of acne are caused by toxins entering the blood stream through the digestive system (some degree of leaky gut), not by a problem with the skin itself. It is your body attempting to expel the toxins from your blood.
When you expel the toxins which originate in your digestive tract through the digestive system, they don't have the opportunity to make it into your blood stream and thus cause acne by pushing through your skin.
So... I began adding 1tsp DE to water every day for a week, then increased it to 1 tbsp gradually after that and drank it daily for 2 months. I noticed a difference my skin within a day.
By the time 2 months was up I no longer had acne. I had to stop consuming it for a little while after that because I slightly threw my body off balance (my skin became a little dry). After a month off, I started consuming it again in moderation and have been ever since.
I have been able to consistently keep the acne away as long as I continue to consume it at least a couple of times a week. I highly recomend it because it is very effective and it gets to the root of the problem instead of just treating the symptoms. I now have had only a few pimples (instead of many hundreds) within the last 9 months, and I know that in time I will get them to go away completely.
Arthritis
★★★★★
We have used DE for over a year now for many different ailments on both our pets and our selves with positive response. My 76 year old mother takes it twice a day she has severe arthritis in her knees since taking this she now is up to walking a mile a day. I was so happy to find DE.
Avoid Inhaling DE
★★★★★
I sell DE for a living and can tell you that in it's dry form it is EXTREMELY hazardous long term as it is chemically inert and you can not eliminate it from your body if you inhale it. It is perfectly safe when wet and can not poison you in any way unless you (or your pet) swallow massive amounts which will bind together in the presence of muriatic acid, also known as stomach acid and create a very strong "mud."
(Ma)
02/11/2015
I would like to see your references for the assertion that "you can not eliminate it from your body if you inhale it." Mucus membranes line the entire respiratory tract, as well as cilia. Also, hydrochloric acid is in the stomach, not muriatic acid. Please learn your biochemistry, anatomy, and physiology before making such assertions. Also, I do not sell any DE, and have no financial associations with such sale.
(Texas, US)
02/23/2015
Muriatic Acid is dilute Hydrochloric Acid.
(Usa)
09/17/2017
Joshua,
LOL, you're the one who needed to be educated with your own biochemistry haha. muriatic is hydrochloric acid, it is the same thing. But guess your being funny.... and that was a good laugh :)
(Tampa)
07/29/2015
★★★★★
I brush my teeth with it and coconut oil. I use the same concoction as deorderant.
I mix it in water and drink it. Ive had a friend cure stomach cancer by drinking it.
Ben, How in its dry form is it toxic? But in wet form isnt?
Its exoskeletons of diatoms that lived million of years ago which sustained life....for millions of years. It was once present in the soil, but now is depleated. God has a design that included Diatomaceous Earth.
I believe you are talking about the heated and chemically treated for swimming pool, D.E.
NOT the food grade. Why call it FOOD if harmful?
Also, the body will rid the excess through the urinary tract. And anything breathed in thats not oxygen, can irritate the lungs.
There are only 4 deposit sites that they take Food Grade DE from. So that shows something.
It is drying so try not to get in eyes or inhale it.
But it isnt toxic. It is 89 % silica with 14 trace minerals we need.
(Tn)
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
(Cheshire)
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!
(Canada)
10/12/2021
I think Ben meant he sells "Pool Grade" D.E. and that is indeed poisonous to the body. Food Grade is called "food" for a reason. This stuff is amazing! Don't be scared. Don't be held up by Brand either - just make sure it's Food Grade. It will work. I am still discovering the wonders of D.E. Happy Healing, everybody!
Bacterial Infections
★★★★★
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.
Bad Breath
★★★★★
For bad breath, I take a level desertspoon of diatamaceous earth once per day in a drink, works a treat
Beautiful Skin
★★★★★
Hello.
I use a tablespoon of DE in simple water, not juice... Just pure liquid to get it down.
The next day I felt only mildly different, not negatively.
But looking in the mirror I said ok, no makeup today. My eyes were stunningly 'nice', I usually put a touch of liner, and usually darken my brows. Small touches. So I left it at just using moisturizer, and went out. A woman and I were chatting and eventually she said "you're so beautiful'. I tell you this because I had not heard this in decades, and it was day 1, following use of DE. The down side for me is that on the 2nd, 3rd day I am a bit constipated....
(Seattle, Wa)
07/28/2012
★★★★★
Yes, you need to take in more water as DE can act like a diuretic.
(Osborne KS)
11/20/2023
If you are having constipation issues just add psyllium husk (without the sugar). DE and psyllium Husk are amazing together!!
Broad Benefits
★★★★★
DE has really helped me very much in solving a few different issues with health. I leave a cup on the kitchen counter and add a little to food as I am cooking. It also made strong nails which I have never had before. I can't recommend it highly enough.
Broad Benefits
★★★★★
I took DE for three months. I never missed a day, I don't know if it was the DE or not (I think it was a herxhiemer effect) but I got sick coughing up phlegm and mucus that lasted for weeks. After about three weeks I started seeing parasites in my stool. I swear I lost ten pounds of Candida. But the annoying cough wouldn't go away so I mixed my own borax mixture and started taking a tablespoon of the concentrate (1 teaspoon of borax dissolved in 1 liter of water) a day. Within a week I started dumping more parasites. Then something that I would say looked like a small scallop with thin white whisks coming off it like a sort a tail.( its hard to describe). I had some nuggets of yellowish waxy looking things come out as well My urine smelled weird. I started this initially as a candida flush but it did so much more.
1- it took away a sense of urgency to pee that I had for ten years.
2- I always was cold, now I'm comfortable.
3- I never get heartburn anymore.
At times I never felt better. I'm 58 and I really think this stuff has given me better health. Can anyone explain to me what all this was that came out of me? I am a cancer survivor and my gut tells me this was some sort of cancerous issue.
Good luck..... Don
Broad Benefits
★★★★★
I take DE myself, as well as my animals. The benefits are many, both to humans & animals.
I am now able to sleep through the night, after years of energy draining, up every 2 hours, sleep problems.
And the extreme swelling of my feet, ankles & legs, went away. This, & a bit of effortless weight loss, all happened within a few months. I started with half a teaspoon in a full glass of room temperature, filtered water, as soon as I got up each day. In 3 weeks, increased the DE to a tablespoon. I still take it every day & my bowels are normal again, also. Age 68.
Please, make sure that the Diatomaceous Earth is FOOD GRADE.
Broad Benefits
★★★★★
I have been doing Diatomaceous Earth (DE) since May 14 2016. I have been doing Chlorella and Spirulina for years along with unrefined sea salt for a plethora of minerals and Vitamin C, Iodine, Vitamin D3, CoQ10, Resveratrol from Muscadine grapes, and Bromelain. I also take a strong Probiotic. I eat organically and Non-GMO primarily.
I was able to increase DE from 1 tsp to 1 TBS the 1st week and went to 2 TBS the second week. Because of my previous health regimen before starting DE I only experienced a slight headache near the end of the day for around 3 days and that quickly subsided.
I am experiencing dark hair growth in my beard and the hair on my head. Back pain is gone and nails are shiny with the North to South ridges dissipating. My skin has always shined from the previous regimen and there has been no change in that, which is great.
I sleep straight through now from DE and have experienced a bit more energy. Bowels will be a bit constipated if I fail on water consumption so I keep the hydration up and water is better than juices for that.
Initially I would wake up with a stiff neck because I would sleep so soundly that I would not move at night. That has passed.
I swear by DE. I am 66 years old and people say I pass for late 40s. I stay away from Doctors religiously. I would go for a broken bone or if I need a tooth pulled. They are good at killing you. I once worked at a Hospital in Dallas and would see several people going out the back each day in body bags. They never go out the front as it is bad for business. All those people I am sure had been treated by a doctor probably for years. The Hippocratic Oath, which they claim, to follow is nominally only with them. Hippocrates said, " Let your medicine be your food and your food be your medicine."
(Albuquerque, NM)
03/26/2021
Yes, 3 weeks of taking it and my husband's hair has returned to being BLACK by 95%! Still can't believe it.