The use of clay for a variety of medicinal purposes dates as far back as we have records for organized society in prehistoric times and still sees widespread use across many cultures today. Perhaps most interestingly, it has been well known since the second century that many animals seek out specific clays when they are sick to successfully treat and heal themselves. The first uses of medicinal clay that we have instruction for come from mesopotamian tablets around 2500 B.C. and the writings of Egyptian physicians that documented their work with pharaohs. Clay can be used topically for beautiful skin and hair, orally to strengthen teeth, and internally to treat and heal a variety of intestinal issues. Over the next three weeks, I’ll walk you through each of these, starting today with internal use.

Organic Clay Sources for Internal Use

Zeolite

The most prominently used internal clay in alternative medicine today for detoxification purposes is Zeolite – a powder made of fine honeycomb shaped mineral clusters that form over many years when lava and ash meet sea water. It’s effectiveness in detoxification comes from their natural negative charge. Since many toxins, all heavy metals, several dangerous chemical compounds, and multiple carcinogens are all positively charged, they readily bind with zeolites, forming a neutral compound that is easily flushed out in the urine.

Another advantage of their negative charge is that they are naturally alkalizing, helping balance body pH and enhancing the body’s digestive processes which are more efficient when the rest of the body maintains its alkalinity. During the digestive process, while zeolite clay is being passed through the intestines, the absorption of carbohydrates are slowed. While the same amount of carbohydrates are still ultimately absorbed, allowing this to occur over a slightly longer amount of time helps the body regulate its blood sugar levels.

Personally, if you’re looking to cleanse your body with organic zeolite, I recommend Super-Z-Lite by Omica Organics (which is also available in powder or capsule form) if you’d like to start taking a zeolite supplement. This is the Zeolite I use and the best I’ve found on the market. They use sustainable manufacturing practices from a private zeolite source where they can ensure a specific level of quality, and their zeolite is reduced to the size of red blood cells to ease absorption. This differs from most Zeolite manufacturers who use a variety of sources (often whatever costs the least, unfortunately) and do little to no work to ensure the quality of their products. Super-Z-Lite is also comprised of over 100,000 parts per million pure zeolite, making it the most concentrated zeolite source available today.
Bentonite

The second most widely-used internal clay that you’re likely to hear about is Bentonite, which gains most of its detoxifying abilities from its absorptivity. Unlike zeolite, it does not have a prominent negative charge and so does not specifically bind heavy metals and other positively charged toxins. While bentonite clay absorbs a decent amount of water while passing through the gastrointestinal tract (a fact that once made it a prominent diarrhea treatment), it also absorbs many toxins. Why it absorbs substances that tend to be harmful to the body while leaving nearly everything else in the GI tract alone is not well understood, but it has been repeatedly observed.

Upon contact with bentonite clay, certain molecules initially bond to its surface. Shortly after, the clay draws the molecules inward, absorbing them completely within their structure along with a small amount of water. Since these molecules are then surrounded entirely by a clay that the body will not absorb, they pass harmlessly through the rest of the GI tract. Bentonite has been shown to absorb a wide variety of toxic and carcinogenic chemicals and help remove them from the body.

Historically, clay treatments, especially Zeolite, have been prescribed by practitioners of alternative medicine for sore joints, arthritis, cysts, a wide variety of gastrointestinal issues, and as a regular overall cleanse to increase general health and wellness. It is important to note that clay can alter the absorptivity of any medications you may be taking, thus changing how they act, so be aware of this before starting any cleansing program with clay.

Personally, I take Zeolite almost every night before bed and make sure to drink plenty of water with it. I have also done a two week long internal cleanse using bentonite clay. I followed the protocol described in the book, Bernard Jensen’s Guide to Better Bowel Care. I had a colonic every evening during this cleanse, as well. This cleanse was the single deepest cleanse I ever did and it got the most profound results. I felt amazing and all of my chronic sinus, skin, and health conditions were pretty much eliminated afterwards. Of course, such conditions can easily come back if a pure, healthy diet as not followed, so keep that in mind.

Lastly, if you’ve tried an internal clay cleanse, be sure to let us know how it went for you!