Health Benefits of

Diatomaceous Earth

Food grade diatomaceous earth (DE) is a white powder that is almost entirely made of silica.  Silica is a mineral that is already in our body and is an important component of our  ligaments, cartilage, and muscles. When taken as a supplement DE may help to absorb mercury, E. coli, parasites, viruses, pesticide, radiation, drug residues and other toxins.

The only cautionary side effect that we have found relating to food grade diatomaceous earth has to do with direct inhalation and is essentially the same caution that is advised when handling any fine powder. Diatomaceous Earth is a very fine powder. 

Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is 89% Silica.  It was established in the 1940s that life can’t exist without Silica. More recently, in her book “Water & Salt” Dr. Barbara Hendel states: “Silica is the most important trace element in human health.” Silica plays an important role in many bodily functions and has a direct relationship to mineral absorption.

Yet most people are, in fact, silica deficient.  We carry around 90mcgs of silica per 1 gram of hair we have on our bodies and we carry around 100mcgs of silica per 1 gram of bone.  Silica is in all of our connective tissue and it is so very important to include this mineral in our diets. Silica is mostly found in the fiber portions of whole grains, and the skins of fruits and vegetables.

Among other things, enough silica in the body is vital for calcium absorption to allow calcium supplements to work.

Reported Health Benefits of Silica / Diatomaceous Earth Include:

1. Maintaining Healthy Blood Pressure Levels
2. Maintaining Healthy Cholesterol Levels
3. Better Calcium Utilization for help with Osteoporosis and Healthier Joints
4. Stimulates Weight Loss
5. Improvement in Hair, Nails, Teeth & Gums
6. More Energy

According to Kayla T. Daniel, PhD, CCN and Galen D. Knight, PhD in their article “Mad as a Hatter” there is no better product to detox heavy metals and radiation from your body than with Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth!

Take diatomaceous earth daily on an empty stomach. I recommend starting small and slowly working your way up to a higher dose; begin with a teaspoon added to at least 12 ounces of liquid. Mix vigorously and drink immediately.  Some people don't like the mildly chalky flavor and gritty texture. If that describes you, try adding DE to a drink with more flavor (milk, orange juice, coffee, smoothies) or to light foods like yogurt, oatmeal, or applesauce.

As your body begins to detox, you may experience what is commonly known as "die off," which sometimes gives people mild flu-like symptoms for a couple days. This is a side effect of toxins leaving your body, not a side effect of DE itself. You can counteract these symptoms by increasing your fluid consumption, as well as reducing your DE dose for a couple days.

For gum health, because DE is one of the most nourishing substances for your gums, as your gums are connective tissue, which needs silica. To use it, mix 1 heaping tablespoon with water into a paste consistency. Pack it into your gums overnight after you brushed your teeth. Your gums will absorb the diatomaceous earth.  

If you have other ideas on how to use DE please share!

All You Need to Know About Water

By Addison Landry

-Our bodies are made up of 70% water and for good quality health good quality water is needed. 

- A common misconception. Some people are under the impression that they can remove toxins from water by boiling it. Boiling water kills harmful organisms but does nothing to remove toxic chemicals, compounds, salts, and metals.

What toxins can be found in water and how they harm the body:

Unfortunately, water quality issues are not a recent development. Industrial dumping, pesticide runoff, leaky storage tanks, and government mandates have created big problems. Let’s take a look at some of the nastiest water contaminants that may be pouring out of your tap.



1. Fluoride

Adding fluoride to drinking water is a process that began back in the 1940’s to help reduce tooth decay. However fluoride is a neurotoxin and an endocrine disruptor. It can harm the thyroid gland and calcify the pineal gland. It’s so toxic that several countries have banned water fluoridation.



2. Chlorine

Chlorine has disinfectant properties that make it useful for cleaning products and swimming pools. It’s even used to sanitize sewage and industrial waste. Chlorine is added to drinking water as a purification technique, despite not being safe.

Chlorine is a reactive chemical that bonds with water, including the water in your gut, to produce poisonous hydrochloric acid in gas form. Chlorine exposure can cause respiratory problems and damage cells . Long term effects include memory loss and impaired balance.



3. Lead

Corroded pipes are releasing up to ten times the allowable amount of lead into the water. Lead is toxic to almost every organ  and affects children the worst. Developmental issues, stunted growth, deafness, behavioral problems, learning disabilities, and brain damage can all result from exposure to lead. If ingested during pregnancy, lead can cause premature birth. Lead exposure has even been linked to autism, prostate cancer, and reproductive problems for both men and women. It’s damaging to the cardiovascular system and kidneys, too.



4. Mercury

Although mercury is a naturally occurring element, “natural” does not mean “safe. Mercury is extremely toxic  and can cause brain damage, blindness, nerve damage, cognitive disability, impairment of motor functions, headaches, weakness, muscle atrophy, tremors, mood swings, memory loss, and skin rashes.



5. PCBs

PCBs, or polychlorinated biphenyls, are chemicals used for industrial purposes such as insulation, machinery, oil, paints, adhesives, electronics, and fluorescent lights.

Although PCBs were banned in 1979, they’re still present in landfills and pose a danger to the environment. PCBs break down slowly and infiltrate the environment. They have been found in snow and sea water thousands of miles from where they were produced.



6. Arsenic

Arsenic, despite being poisonous, is used in a multitude of industrial processes. Environmental contamination may result from improper waste disposal, or from poorly-planned wells that hit a natural source.

Arsenic poisoning can cause vomiting, abdominal pain, diarrhea.



7. Dioxins

Dioxins are released during combustion, such as burning of hazardous waste, forest fires, cigarette smoke, and burning oil and coal. They settle in the environment and destroy water sources.

Short term exposure can cause lesions and respiratory problems. Long-term exposure can affect the immune, nervous, endocrine, and reproductive systems. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has declared dioxins are carcinogenic. In developing fetuses, dioxin poisoning can cause birth defects or stillbirth.



8. DDT

DDT was used as an insecticide in the 1940s to combat insect-borne diseases like malaria and typhus. It had widespread use as an agricultural insecticide until it was banned in the United States in 1972 due to environmental concerns.

It remains in use in other parts of the world and is still a major health concern for all of us. DDT molecules are persistent and can travel vast distances in the atmosphere.

Animal testing has found DDT causes reproductive problems and liver damage. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has declared DDT is a cancer risk.



9. Dactyl (Herbicide) 

Dacthal (dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate, or DCPA) is an herbicide that contaminates soil and water sources. Unlike HBA and DDT, Dacthal is still in use today. Animal tests have found dacthal damages the adrenal glands, kidneys, liver, thyroid, and spleen.



Why water filtration is important: 

With all these toxins contaminating our water its extremely important to remove them for good quality health. When you drink these toxins it depletes the bodies minerals to help balance the body form the toxins. This depletion of minerals creates a nutritional deficiency as the body has lost the minerals needed to perform at a healthy functional level. With depleted minerals then follows organ dysfunction. Organ dysfunction can cause cause anything skin rashes, digestions issues, acne, lowered sex drive, changes in mood, auto immune challenges, joint pain to name a very small amount. The body is is an interconnected machine so one organ dysfunction can lead to many others. So you can see how important it is to remove toxins form you life style especially water.  



Best Filtration systems:

Zero water filters - Are a great cost effective filter option that removes total dissolved solids most specifically lead. Total dissolved solids being any chemical, metal or  toxin that will dissolve in water which includes fluoride, chlorine, lean, mercury, herbicides and pesticides to name a few. It comes with a TDS meter which allows you to test your water to see the level of total dissolved solids giving you level in which you should change the filter. They are sold on amazon, target, bed bath and beyond and come in different sizes. 



Additional ways to improve water quality:

Ozone-  In the office we recommend a machine that adds extra oxygen to your water called the Ozo-pod. The ozone process is adding a three extra oxygen molecules to the 2 hydrogen atoms and 1 oxygen molecule (2:1).Because ozone is unstable, the newly formed bond is only temporary and must be used or preserved no more than 20 minutes after creation to be most effective. 

Ozonated water in a number of scientific studies has shown to remove bacteria, viruses and eliminate impurities. When you drink ozonated water it increase energy,  and blood detoxification. Increased oxygen in the brain heightens its function. Single oxygen cells introduced into the immune system makes it stronger and better able to fight infections. Drinking cold ozone water on an empty stomach every day can detoxify your intestinal tract. For most people we suggest 16 ounces a day.  



Water on the go:

The best options for water would be glass and stainless steal. Plastic is a toxin that we test for in the office any form of plastic even if BPA free actually acts as estrogen in the body playing off our hormones and causing imbalance. If this toxin shows up in patients we ask them to stay away form all plastic where possible and help them detox through diet changes and whole food supplements. To start improving your health I would give this recommendation to everyone. The less toxins the better. 

It is hard to stay away from plastic when traveling, Voss water and Mountain Valley water have the option of water in glass bottles if it's available. If there is no glass options I would recommend Evian, Volvic or Mountain Valley water in the plastic bottles.

Water bottles to check out:
I personally use the Flaska bottle and love it!

glass: 

Flaska water bottle with cover 

Life Factory- silicon sleeve for grip and protection 



Stainless steel:

Klean kanteen 

S’well

Mercury Toxicity and a Must See Video

When patients need to do a mercury detox at Healing Arts most of them are aware that mercury is contained in some of the fish we eat and from metallic dental fillings. Mercury is also contained in some of the products we use at home and in schools. And when exposed mercury at high levels can harm the brain, heart, kidneys, lungs, and immune system. When affecting the brain, symptoms may include impairment of vision; disturbances in sensations ("pins and needles" feelings); lack of coordination; impairment of speech, hearing, walking; and muscle weakness. When it is breathed in as a vapor where it is absorbed through the lungs symptoms include tremors, emotional changes, insomnia, weakness, muscle atrophy, twitching, headaches, disturbances in sensations, changes in nerve responses, and performance deficits on tests of cognitive function. All studies that look for mercury toxicity in humans seem to find measurable mercury in most of participants and that both blood and urine mercury levels tend to increase with age.  Scientists have decided that if a mercury blood level is less than 85 micrograms per liter (µg/L) then it is safe but I feel to be truly healthy that the body should have zero mercury in it.

When coal is burned, mercury is released into the environment. Coal-burning power plants are the largest human-caused source of mercury emissions to the air in the United States, accounting for over 40 percent of all domestic human-caused mercury emissions. Burning hazardous wastes, producing chlorine, breaking mercury products, and spilling mercury, as well as the improper treatment and disposal of products or wastes containing mercury, can also release it into the environment. Recycling of mercury-containing products is one of the best ways to help prevent mercury releases to the environment by keeping these products out of landfills and incinerators. We can also contribute by not buying mercury containing products. For a complete list of products that contain mercury you can go to this link of the EPA.

Mercury in the air eventually settles into water or onto land where it can be washed into water. Once deposited, certain microorganisms can change it into methylmercury, a highly toxic form that builds up in fish, shellfish and animals that eat fish. Fish and shellfish are the main sources of methylmercury exposure to humans. Methylmercury builds up more in some types of fish and shellfish than others. The levels of methylmercury in fish and shellfish depend on what they eat, how long they live and how high they are in the food chain.

The silver fillings used by dentists to restore teeth are composed of a metal "amalgam" containing roughly 50% elemental mercury and 50% other metals (mostly silver with some tin and copper). Amalgam is one of the most commonly used tooth fillings, and is considered to be a safe, sound, and effective treatment for tooth decay. Amalgam has been the most widely used tooth filling material for decades. It remains popular because it is strong, lasting and low-cost.

Yet the mercury found in amalgam fillings has raised some safety concerns over the years. Amalgam can release small amounts of mercury vapor over time, and patients can absorb these vapors by inhaling or ingesting them. To see a video on how sensitive the amalgam filling is to releasing mercury vapor Click Here.

Unfortunately, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there is little scientific evidence that the health of the vast majority of people with dental amalgam is compromised, nor that removing amalgam fillings has a beneficial effect on health. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) consumer update on dental amalgam advises, as a precaution, that pregnant women and persons who may have a health condition that makes them more sensitive to mercury exposure should discuss DENTAL TREATMENT options with their health care practitioner.

If you do need to get a cavity filled there are other options you can ask your dentist about that include:

resin composite
glass ionomer
resin ionomer
porcelain

Also you should be aware of the less known sources of mercury that include:

batteries
fluorescent light bulbs
necklaces and other jewelry
paint
skin-lightening creams

To help detox all heavy metals from the body we highly suggest a series of ionic foot baths that help pull heavy metal out of your body.  For more information, click here.