5 Benefits of Diatomaceous Earth

[donnay]

5 Benefits of Diatomaceous Earth

By Dr. Edward F. Group

Diatomaceous earth is a naturally-formed sedimentary mineral rock. It’s derived from the remains of diatoms, or oceanic unicellular algae.[1] Diatoms are over 30 million years old and are formed from the cementation of microscopic algae-like plant remains into the earth’s surface. These clay-like, chalky remains are usually found in the form of a thick, white, siliceous powder known as diatomaceous earth.[2] Often used to support body cleansing, some research also suggests it’s a natural tool for promoting normal blood lipids, detoxing toxic metals, and fighting harmful intestinal organisms.

Health Benefits

The use of diatomaceous earth knows no bounds, and has many applications in cosmetic, agricultural, and cleansing realms. It’s been extensively investigated and some interesting benefits have been discovered.


1. Natural Source of Silica

Food-grade diatomaceous earth is composed of approximately 85% silica.[3] This important, trace mineral is required by tendons, cartilage, blood vessels, and bones.[4] The nutrient even contributes to almost every vital organ, including the heart, liver, and lungs. Food was the primary source of naturally-occurring silica before modern farming practices depleted the soil. It is suggested that only 1/3 of the silica we need is available in natural, plant-based foods.


2. Promotes Skin Health

Because diatomaceous earth is a strong abrasive, it is often used as a toothpaste and facial exfoliator. The process of exfoliation is important in skin care as it helps to remove dead skin cells that may give the appearance of tired, worn-out skin. The product’s natural silica content is also necessary for healthy skin, teeth, hair, and nails, and the product is often touted as a potent beauty mineral.


3. Supports Heart Health

Research has also shown that food-grade diatomaceous may offer positive benefits for cholesterol levels and encourage heart health.[5] Nutrients such as silicon, calcium, sodium, magnesium, iron, and other trace minerals are available in diatomaceous earth, giving rise to a practically endless supply of health benefits. Most of these nutrients play a role in building and repairing of muscles and bones.


4. Natural Pesticide

One of the most common uses for diatomaceous earth is as a natural insecticide. Studies indicate that this clay-like powder can kill the harmful insects that threaten crops and home life. [6] Due to the incessant use of pesticides, many insects have become resistant to chemical deterrents. This organic pest control method is helpful for reducing the amount of environmental toxins we’re all exposed to.

Continued...

[presence]

My dog has worms again from eating rabbit and deer $#@!.... diatoms solves the problem every time. I've wormed every cat, dog, farm animal I've ever cared for with diatoms.


another use:

The activated clotting time (ACT) test uses whole blood, which is mixed with a clot activator, usually diatomaceous earth or kaolin. Clotting typically takes 70–180 seconds, and can be measured mechanically or by an electrochemical procedure. Hospitals use the test at the bedside to monitor high-dose heparin anticoagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass surgery as well as during cardiac catheterization.

http://www.aacc.org/publications/cln...ionTests.aspx#

[donnay]

My dog has worms again from eating rabbit and deer $#@!.... diatoms solves the problem every time. I've wormed every cat, dog, farm animal I've ever cared for with diatoms.

I use Food-grade DE daily in my dogs food. I also rub it in his coat to keep the flea and ticks populations down. It is also great in livestock feed to keep it from being infested by bugs. I sprinkle it in my hen house (it also absorbs odor) and around my garden. If you are storing and type flour; mix some Food-grade DE to keep the weevils from infesting the stored flour.

If you hate chemicals as much as I do, you will appreciate what DE can do inside and outside of your home and body.

[brushfire]

Is there any chance that airborne dust can damage the lungs? Not disputing the positives - I've actually been thinking about DE in an experiment.

Also, another application I'd been pondering. I have a patio that is constantly under attack by excavator ants (I absolutely loath the fkers). If the DE was used in the bed, and then poly sand in the cracks... I know some pool filters use DE, right? Oh wait, that's rare earth - perhaps they are the same. Anyhow, I've got to do much more research on the topic - just something that came to mind the other day as I was smashing those vile ants.

[donnay]

Is there any chance that airborne dust can damage the lungs? Not disputing the positives - I've actually been thinking about DE in an experiment.

Also, another application I'd been pondering. I have a patio that is constantly under attack by excavator ants (I absolutely loath the fkers). If the DE was used in the bed, and then poly sand in the cracks... I know some pool filters use DE, right? Oh wait, that's rare earth - perhaps they are the same. Anyhow, I've got to do much more research on the topic - just something that came to mind the other day as I was smashing those vile ants.

It is advised not to breath it in--the silica can get trapped in your lungs and cause respiratory issues, kind of like talcum powder. I would NEVER use pool filter DE, only food-grade DE and they are NOT the same. Pool filter DE is treated with chemicals. You can sprinkle FGDE right on ant beds, the working ants will dehydrate and die and they will take it to their queen as well and she will die and you will be rid of your ant problem within a couple of days to a week.

[brushfire]

It is advised not to breath it in--the silica can get trapped in your lungs and cause respiratory issues, kind of like talcum powder. I would NEVER use pool filter DE, only food-grade DE and they are NOT the same. Pool filter DE is treated with chemicals. You can sprinkle FGDE right on ant beds, the working ants will dehydrate and die and they will take it to their queen as well and she will die and you will be rid of your ant problem within a couple of days to a week.

Ah, thanks. Please dont excuse my premature thoughts as laziness. I guess if its a desiccant, its not a good proactive treatment. I recall you mentioning something about the DE causing microscopic cuts in insects. If they dehydrate due to the cuts, this might still be a viable "proactive" solution, by incorporating the DE in the sand bed, used for brick paver installations. If the dehydration is due to a desiccant effect, then its probably not going to work real well for this application.

I've been using fipronil, which is pretty hard core. Its time delayed and also leverages the "social" nature of ants, to kill the entire colony. The thing is, there are so many sub colonies that they continuously recover after a couple of weeks. BTW - I'm very careful in the application of fipronil as to avoid giving it to honey bees.

I'm going to do a little more research on the DE tonight - very cool of you to share, thank you.

[Acala]

I use it to keep the leaf cutter ants out of my fruit tree. Leaf cutter ants are very cool and I don't want to mess with their nest, but at certain times of the year they will go for my pomegranate and totally strip it in a matter of hours. But a ring of de around the base keeps them out. Tangle foot on the trunk works too but is a pain to work with.

[brushfire]

But a ring of de around the base keeps them out. Tangle foot on the trunk works too but is a pain to work with.

Another good idea. I'd been using tangle foot goop on my shepherds hook, where I keep the humming bird feeder. The stuff is pretty nasty, but very effective. I've got such a personal thing against these ants though - I'm considering strapping a hepa on my face, and DE treating 30,000+ square feet with my spreader. I have lots of earthworms in my yard - I'm reluctant to spread any chemicals as I dont want to kill those immediately beneficial insects, but there's something about our yard that ants really love. Perhaps DE is the answer here - I'll have to experiment with smaller patches.

[donnay]

Ah, thanks. Please dont excuse my premature thoughts as laziness. I guess if its a desiccant, its not a good proactive treatment. I recall you mentioning something about the DE causing microscopic cuts in insects. If they dehydrate due to the cuts, this might still be a viable "proactive" solution, by incorporating the DE in the sand bed, used for brick paver installations. If the dehydration is due to a desiccant effect, then its probably not going to work real well for this application.

I've been using fipronil, which is pretty hard core. Its time delayed and also leverages the "social" nature of ants, to kill the entire colony. The thing is, there are so many sub colonies that they continuously recover after a couple of weeks. BTW - I'm very careful in the application of fipronil as to avoid giving it to honey bees.

I'm going to do a little more research on the DE tonight - very cool of you to share, thank you.

Yes, FGDE is a broad spectrum desiccant; it works by dehydrating insects through a desiccating action. After doing some more research; it is not that it 'cuts' the insect per se, what it does it gets into their joints and soft tissue and tears it up along with permanently dehydrating them.

If it rains, I would suggest applying more to the mounds.



Fipronil: environmental fate, ecotoxicology, and human health concerns.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442503

[donnay]

Another good idea. I'd been using tangle foot goop on my shepherds hook, where I keep the humming bird feeder. The stuff is pretty nasty, but very effective. I've got such a personal thing against these ants though - I'm considering strapping a hepa on my face, and DE treating 30,000+ square feet with my spreader. I have lots of earthworms in my yard - I'm reluctant to spread any chemicals as I dont want to kill those immediately beneficial insects, but there's something about our yard that ants really love. Perhaps DE is the answer here - I'll have to experiment with smaller patches.

Beneficial Nematodes works great to get rid of the nasty grubs and keep all the beneficial insects where you need them.

[brushfire]

Beneficial Nematodes works great to get rid of the nasty grubs and keep all the beneficial insects where you need them.

LOL - oh man, you guys dont even know... This thread has sparked an all out biological war on my property

[donnay]

LOL - oh man, you guys dont even know... This thread has sparked an all out biological war on my property

You got me chuckling. I pictured this...

[presence]

If you are storing and type flour; mix some Food-grade DE to keep the weevils from infesting the stored flour.

I add some to all of my dry goods; rice, beans, corn, oats, etc. I keep things in hermetic jars buying most dry goods in 50lb once yearly.

[donnay]

I add some to all of my dry goods; rice, beans, corn, oats, etc. I keep things in hermetic jars buying most dry goods in 50lb once yearly.

Excellent idea! I really love this stuff.

[Suzanimal]

Where do you buy this stuff? I want to try it on my ants.

[donnay]

Where do you buy this stuff? I want to try it on my ants.

http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Wisdom...omaceous+earth

More info:
http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/de_retailers.html

[Suzanimal]

Cool, thanks. I didn't even think about Amazon.

http://www.amazon.com/Natures-Wisdom...omaceous+earth

More info:
http://wolfcreekranch1.tripod.com/de_retailers.html

[Working Poor]

they will go for my pomegranate and totally strip it in a matter of hours.

Them buggers need to die. How dare they attack the pomegranate tree.

[Acala]

Them buggers need to die. How dare they attack the pomegranate tree.

Naaa. They are cool. They don't sting or bite. They just do their fungus farming thing and work organic matter into the soil. I like 'em. I just have to direct them away from the stuff I don't want them to eat.

I wouldn't even destroy a Pogo nest unless it was right next to the house or a path. And those mofos can sting! I was out hiking with a friend last year and we sat down for a snack. Out of nowhere, a Pogo nails me. I said "WTF? I wasn't bothering her, there's no nest nearby? Why the aggression?" My friend said "Because you're flesh." Hehehehehe

[Lucille]

I'm using this on (I think) pavement ants. Not much help so far. They're under the patio pavers so maybe that's why. We did have a ton of dead flying ants in the pool a few days after I started using it so it's doing something. But the workers are legion and relentless. I've killed so many, and they just keep coming.

I had no idea you can ingest it! I'm going to try it. Maybe it will help my broken foot to heal.

Like donnay said, you do have to be careful not to breathe it into your lungs. My beloved aunt ended up with silicosis and lung cancer from the silica blowing around the family gravel pit where we spent so much time swimming. She's doing great though! It's not growing and the IV vit C therapy she's been doing since last fall has been very effective.

[Suzanimal]

I'm using this on (I think) pavement ants. Not much help so far. They're under the patio pavers so maybe that's why. We did have a ton of dead flying ants in the pool a few days after I started using it so it's doing something. But the workers are legion and relentless. I've killed so many, and they just keep coming.

I had no idea you can ingest it! I'm going to try it. Maybe it will help my broken foot to heal.

Like donnay said, you do have to be careful not to breathe it into your lungs. My beloved aunt ended up with silicosis and lung cancer from the silica blowing around the family gravel pit where we spent so much time swimming. She's doing great though! It's not growing and the IV vit C therapy she's been doing since last fall has been very effective.

I had a lot of flying ants in our pool a few weeks ago. I had one of those sponges floating around that picks up tanning oil and it was covered in the nasty bastards.

[presence]

I'm using this on (I think) pavement ants. Not much help so far.

for ants and cockroaches boric acid is an environmentally benign go to solution, you can buy it at the drug store otc and cut it with sugar to bait the ants, even works with carpenter ants

[Lucille]

It was a graveyard, Suz! Thank God my pool guy came that day (although it's time to let him go. I can do it myself).

Thanks, presence! I read about how people have used 20 Mule Team Borax and mix it with some sugar and water and make a paste, or saturate cotton balls with it, and they eat it and it kills them off. I'll try it and let you know! I also saw orange oil and dawn, but that would stain my pavers (I am going to try it on weeds though, including the invasive and fugly Salt Cedar!).

[Suzanimal]

It was a graveyard, Suz! Thank God my pool guy came that day (although it's time to let him go. I can do it myself).

Thanks, presence! I read about how people have used 20 Mule Team Borax and mix it with some sugar and water, and saturate cotton balls with it, and they eat it and it kills them off. I'll try it and let you know! I also saw orange oil and dawn, but that would stain my pavers (I am going to try it on weeds though, including the invasive and fugly Salt Cedar!).

You have a pool boy? Lucky woman!

[opal]

Big fan of DE here too - so much good info in this thread and stuff I need to do but haven't yet. In the dry goods is genius!