Use of Clay to treat MRSA & Staph Infections

I've been doing research on Calcium Bentonite clay -- a member of the smectite clay family which has both absorbent and adsorbent qualities (absorbs substances like a sponge, and carries away substances that adhere to it like velcro).

MRSAs that cause staph infections, E-Coli, Salmonella and other deadly bacteria can't survive in an environment that is Alkaline, because they are acidic.

This clay can be purchased in a fine powder form where you add water to it, making a paste to be applied externally (pelotherapy) or consumed internally (geophagy). When water is added to it, the clay becomes strongly electro-magnetically charged with negative ions, which attracts toxins and bacteria that are charged with positive ions (such as the deadly bacterias mentioned above, heavy metals, etc.) The clay then passes through the digestive system and is eliminated, along with these toxic substances, from the body.

Check out this link: Superbugs and Bentonite Clay

Mankind has used clay as a healing modality since 300 BC when Aristotle documented it's use. Mahatama Ghandi and Edgar Cayce advocated it's use. Jesus healed a blind man by applying his spit and clay to the man's eyes.

Austrailian Aborgines, the Incas, many African cultures, ancient Greeks and Romans and countless other peoples have used and many continue to use clay to heal themselves.

NASA feeds it to astronauts to prevent their getting osteoporosis (loss of bone mass).

Calcium Bentonite clay purifies drinking water, as it removes chlorine, heavy metals and other toxins:

Bentonite & Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water

Bentonite can be added to a bath as an effective external de-toxification method. There are many different qualities and grades of this clay in powder form.

I recommend Pascalite Clay, which is where I purchase mine:

Pascalite Clay

Another source: Living Clay

If you're considering obtaining and trying this type of natural therapy internally, I strongly suggest you consult your doctor first if you're currently on medications for any medical condition. Be sure to mention to your doctor that the FDA considers Calcium Bentonite Clay to be GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) for both internal and external use. Further, do research to learn how to properly take clay internally as you must drink a lot of water when using it, don't take too much, etc.

I recommend this website for it's numerous articles about healing clays:

Eytons Earth

Here is a link from their site with Bentonite research articles:

Bentonite Research

Originally posted by aWoman
MRSAs that cause staph infections, E-Coli, Salmonella and other deadly bacteria can't survive in an environment that is Alkaline, because they are acidic.

Well MRSA stands for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus. E-Coli and Salmonella are not Staphylococcus, and can't be MRSA, obviously.
But what do you mean that they're acidic?

Originally posted by aWomanWhen water is added to it, the clay becomes strongly electro-magnetically charged with negative ions, which attracts toxins and bacteria that are charged with positive ions (such as the deadly bacterias mentioned above, heavy metals, etc.) The clay then passes through the digestive system and is eliminated, along with these toxic substances, from the body.

Uh...what positive ions? Why would they have that charge? I don't get it. Like sodium? Potassium?

Or even better, how are you magically giving clay a charge by adding water to it? And how does an electric field, caused by ions (charged molecules), have anything to do with creating an electromagnetic field? You don't charge something just by adding water to it, it's adding or removing a proton or electron that does.

Maybe there's a mechanism you're not describing well enough.

F & S, lets get more input on this.

line 2

The scientific study of clay is complex. I've only skimmed the surface of this topic. Smectite clays act upon & within the body on a nanometric molecular level. Heres an explanation of how the electrical field is activated on a molecular level:

"By mixing Pure Colloidal Calcium Bentonite clay with water either internally or externally the expanded particles develop into a large surface which enables them to pick up many times their own weight of various body toxins. This wide surface is made of a great number of tiny platelets, each with a negative electrical attraction for positively charged toxins. Bentonite clay's negative charge is responsible for its amazing detoxifying properties: it is a magnet for many toxic elements present in the human body (heavy metals, pesticides, & free radicals), which are positively charged. This physical pulling power of Pure Colloidal Calcium Bentonite Clay also has an absorbent action... as toxins are drawn into the porous surface of the clay....When water is added to Bentonite, the molecular structure changes & an electrical charge is produced. The clay swells like a sponge, attracting toxins into the mixture & once they are drawn, they're bound to the clay because of the electric charge."

source: tribes.tribe.net...

When water is added to the clay, it becomes charged with negative ions which attract ions that have a positive ion charge.

Eytons Earth explains further:

www.eytonsearth.org...

"...It has a very high expansion & ion exchange capacity & is very active as a catalyst in organic reactions – the property which is widely used to control environmental pollution & toxicity. Structurally, montmorillonite is composed of a sheet of octahedrally coordinated gibbsite [Al2(OH)6] positioned between 2 sheets of tetrahedrally coordinated silicate [SiO4]4-sheets. The interlayer sheet determines physical & chemical properties of the mineral. The most important property of montmorillonite is its high cation exchange capacity which happens because Al3+ exchanges for Si4+ in the tetrahedral sheets, & of Mg2+ cations exchange for Al3+ cations in the octahedral sheets, thus creating a charge imbalance. The defects at the edges of the clay layers add to this imbalance. The balancing cations of Na+, Ca2+ & Mg2+ are situated between the clay layers. The layers move apart on hydration which leads to the clay swells & the existing interlayer cations become easily exchangeable. Na+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ as compensatory cations for the charge imbalance. When the clay is dry the balancing interlayer cations of Na+, Ca2+ & Mg2+ reside in the hexagonal cavities of the silica sheets. However, when it is hydrated, the cations position themselves between the lamellae & become exchangeable by a variety of cations – metallic & non-metallic, organic & inorganic, such as H3O+, NH4 +, Al3+, Fe3+ & others. "

Another source discusses the structure & chemical composition of bentonite clay:

"The crystal structure, chemical composition, exchangeable ion type, & small crystal size are responsible for several unique properties, including a large chemically active surface area, a high cation exchange capacity, & interlamellar surfaces having unusual hydration characteristics..."

source:

www.onemine.org... 8F7C12995&fullText=smectite&start=10

This source explains that in the presence of water, the clay is activated:

"...In the presence of water, the montmorillonite crystal swells & water molecules become deposited between individual silicate layers. Under the influence of a mineral acid, the exchangeable alkaline earth ions of bentonite are substituted by hydrogen ions...depending on the acid concentration, temperature, pressure, & reaction time, a more or less pronounced leaching process takes place...This results in a change in the crystalline structure of montmorillonite & in an increase of its specific surface area & porosity..."

source:

www.onemine.org... 564A859287D499C67870

A German Scientist described the properties of bentonite:

"...Individual bentonite particles are smaller than many bacteria. If infected mucous membranes are more or less flooded with bentonite, the bacteria are completely surrounded by bentonite particles & are thus separated from their source of nourishment & become imbedded in the inorganic material. Growth & the survivability of the bacteria are thus halted almost instantaneously." --Julius Stumpf, Bolus fur medizinische Anwenduno Darmstadt, 1916, p. 19.

Smectite clays have both properties of Adsorption & Absorption.
Adsorption is when charged particles of other substances combine with charged particles on the outer surface of a clay molecule...For this to happen, it must contact a molecule of another substance with unsatisfied bonds that carry an opposite electrical (ionic) charge. When the 2 molecules meet, the ions held on the outer surface of a clay molecule are exchanged with ions held on the outside surface of a molecule of the other substance. Clay molecules carry a negative electrical charge while toxins, bacteria & other impurities carry a positive charge. When the clay is taken into the human body, the positively charged toxins are attracted to the negatively charged surfaces of the clay molecule. An exchange reaction occurs in which the clay mineral ions are swapped for the ions of the toxic substance. The clay molecule is now electrically satisfied & holds onto the toxin until our bodies can eliminate both.

source: www.clayhealing.com...

Intriguing.

I am familiar with clay's leeching properties, but I have never seen it described in such detail on so small a scale.

I think this requires further research. I will notify my group of this. There may be more areas of use still unexplored.

Further, you asked me to explain about the acidic properties of bacteria. Colloid science is very complex, but I'll do my best to describe their biochemical properties in regards to your question:

"When inflammation is prevalent in the body, the bad bacteria outnumber the good bacteria (probiotics). This manifests as hyperacidity. An acid environment is ideal to foster increased growth of all pathogenic organisms including bacteria, parasites, yeast & fungus."

source: Probiotics & Disease

Calcium Bentonite Clay contains over 70 trace minerals, including many alkaline minerals such as magnesium, calcium, sodium & potassium. Additionally, once water is added to this dehydrated clay, ionization occurs & creates incredibly powerful antioxidants that, due to its micro-clustering of alkaline water molecules, penetrate body cells, & the antioxidants eliminate free radicals from the body (excess acidity) which are responsible for most illnesses, disease & cancer.

source: completewellbeing.com...

The ratio of beneficial to harmful bacteria is perhaps the most crucial element in our health today. Researchers estimate that the average intestinal tract of a healthy individual should be approximately 85% beneficial & 15% pathogenic. While that 15% pathogenic is still in your body, it is benign when it is in the presence of the 85% beneficial bacteria. The real problem here is that the average individual, consuming the standard American diet, has the exact opposite ratio, which is 15% beneficial & 85% pathogenic. Acidic-forming foods (meat, dairy, processed-fried foods, acidic drinks, alcohol, etc.) when combined with stress & pollutants from many sources, produce an unhealthy acidic state in the body called acidosis.

Pathogenic bacteria in the body cause infection or release harmful substances as by-products of their natural digestive processes. They thrive in an acidic environment. Consuming this clay balances the body by restoring it's PH level to a more alkaline environment.

An example of this:

"...Tooth decay is caused by an excessively acidic environment, which is associated with bacteria that thrive on white refined sugar. These bacteria attack sugar particles on the teeth because they possess enzymes to digest the white sugar to use for energy. They then release byproducts of strong acids that eat through the enamel of the teeth. The strong acids are not the right environment for good bacteria & they either die or they go back to being spores. The key pathogen has been identified as Streptocoocus mutans. The solution is to not eat white refined sugar, which is impossible since food manufacturers know white refined sugar is addicting..."

source: www.doctorshealthsupply.com...

I hope this answered your question...

Bentonite is made of platelet shaped particles that have a negative charge on the faces and a positive charge on the edges. It has been used for I have no idea how long in the wine industry for clarifying (fining) wines because of the way the predominantly negative charge of the platelets attract proteins out of the wine. The trick in using bentonite in this manner (i.e. as an ionic cleanser I guess you would say) would be the hydration process of the bentonite. Adding water TENDS TO NEUTRALIZE the bentonite particles...which then start flocculating together into bigger globs of useless proportion, so to speak.

Here is a nice write up on how bentonite is used due to its ionic charge:

www.fst.vt.edu...

Hope something is helpful in there.



[edit on 12-27-2008 by Valhall]

I'd like to add something to this. My parents were both born in the 20's and were raised in extremely poor, rural families. They were children in rural Oklahoma raised in an environment where you did your business in an outhouse, drank untreated water, and played your summer away barefoot because last year's shoes that didn't fit anymore had to be preserved for the next school year. Because of the environment in which they were raised (parasites, high rate of skin maladies such as boils, etc.), my mom treated our health like her mom treated hers.

If we got any kind of skin irritation (multiple mosquito bites, rashes, sunburn, impetigo, etc.) we were treated with calamine lotion. A major ingredient in calamine lotion is bentonite.

If we got any kind of cut, puncture, etc. to the skin, we got treated with methiolate (monkey blood is what we called it) - iodine.

And every year, without fail, my mom lined me and my little sister up and gave us "worm medicine"....because parasites had been a major threat in her childhood. It's probably been 30 years since I got my last dose of that nasty crap, but I'm willing to bet I couldn't host a parasite to this day if I tried!

I just wanted to throw these things in because I believe a lot of what is happening here (i.e. the rise of "noncombatable infections") is that we went away from what worked in a localized manner and went toward what worked in a systemic manner. Now we've over sterilized our entire bodies of the good bugs, and can't beat back the bad ones because of it.

In short - bentonite, iodine and a good de-worming will probably fix us all.

lol

[edit on 12-27-2008 by Valhall]

reply to post by Valhall


Maybe change the use of Iodine to sugar paste?
www.springerlink.com...

Abstract A sugar and polyethylene glycol paste is introduced which has marked antimicrobial activity and is available in thick and thin forms. The paste was used to treat 20 patients with chronically infected abdominal and perineal wounds that had failed to respond to conventional forms of treatment. Complete healing was achieved in 19 patients. The paste was especially effective in the treatment of large abscess cavities with small external openings. It was inexpensive, and easy and painless to apply.

Google search

reply to post by Dae


That's extremely mind-boggling, Dae! Because it is my understanding that the medical profession has learned that restricted sugar intake post-surgery drastically reduces the chance of infection. Apparently glucose is a playground for bacteria. But what you're pointing out is that they are using sugar as a topical to combat infection...O_O!

Excelent thread. I have a lot of reading to do now.

Clay....it makes a lot of sense really.

Thanks for the excelent info and links. I'll get to reading.

I made some red clover blossom wine last year and used bentonite clay to remove the cloudiness -- it did this quickly and the result was a sparkling crystal clear yellow wine. It seemed after I removed the cloudiness, the wine became more potent!

Originally posted by Valhall

I just wanted to throw these things in because I believe a lot of what is happening here (i.e. the rise of "noncombatable infections") is that we went away from what worked in a localized manner and went toward what worked in a systemic manner. Now we've over sterilized our entire bodies of the good bugs, and can't beat back the bad ones because of it.

I totally agree with your post. Modern "city folk" just don't build up immunities to normal things that our ancestors did. Witness the rise of asthma and allergies as just the tip of the iceberg. Add on top of that all the processed food and various chemicals we unintentionally ingest and it's no wonder we are in such relative bad health.

A client of mine is in his late 70's. He is a farmer and can work me under the table still. I asked him how he does it. He said "All I do is work hard, eat the vegetables I grow year round (he does a lot of canning), eat hardly any meat. I don't drink or smoke and I enjoy my life and being outdoors most of the time". Pretty simple stuff but look what the majority of us do day in and day out.

Excellent post. This kind of intelligent conversation is why I came to ats in the first place. Thank you.

Fourteen years back I was killing time in a university library and found a book discussing medicinal uses of clay. This was all based on scientific experiments, not old wives' tales or new age healing.

It said taking pink clay orally destroyed many toxins, but what particularly impressed me was the way it neutralised bee toxin.

Only a few weeks later I was in the city with my daughter, her new baby in a pram and a huge shopping trolley, three city blocks from a health food shop I knew well when she was stung on the hand by a bee. She's allergic to bees, and was soon swelling up and having breathing problems.

So I had to choose, did I try to get an ambulance or get her to the health-food shop and feed her clay. I was pretty sure she was not going to last until an ambulance got there, so I was half carrying her and pushing both pram and trolley, yelling at the crowds to make way, and raced her to the health-food shop.

I threw my purse to the lovely lady behind the counter, grabbed a packet of powdered pink clay and tipped it into a bottle of apple juice and helped my daughter swallow it. By this stage we had quite an audience, but my daughter was not aware of the fact. She could barely swallow, her eyes wouldn't open and I was afraid it was too late.

Most of the people around were Greeks, and one pulled out a rosary and started a sing-song thing with it, and the others joined in. That seemed to help my daughter with swallowing, and she managed to drink the 750 ml bottle. (About a pint.) Five minutes after we got into the store she was looking better.

Whenever I went back they asked me about my "miracle daughter".

Was it the clay?
Was it this group of good-hearted Greek women who believed the Virgin Mary could perform a miracle on a stranger at their request?
Was it my determination that I was Not going to let my daughter die?

reply to post by Kailassa


You fed a girl going into anaphylactic shock CLAY instead of calling an ambulance?

Well, okay!

[edit on 28-12-2008 by Johnmike]

Originally posted by Johnmike
reply to post by Kailassa

 

You fed a girl going into anaphylactic shock CLAY instead of calling an ambulance?

Well, okay!

[edit on 28-12-2008 by Johnmike]

I did what it took to keep her alive.
She was going too fast to last the minimum of half an hour it would take for an ambulance could get to us.

It was a "miracle" that I'd recently learned a way to save her.

Anyway, it was better than what a friend's father had to do to keep him alive when anaphylactic shock closed his throat up. This friend proudly wears a scar where his father, (not a doctor,) did an emergency tracheotomy with a razor-blade and inserted a ball-point pen tube for him to breathe through.

reply to post by Valhall






ADD garlic to that, and to MRSA treatment.

Garlic Compound Effective Against Killer MRSA ‘Superbugs’ – New Evidence
www.innovations-report.com...

Back in the day, in the old country,women were known to keep a clove in their cheek to ward off illness.



[edit on 123131p://bSunday2008 by Stormdancer777]

reply to post by Kailassa


I mean she's okay, so that's what matters, but you really think that something ingested orally would have a fast and powerful enough effect to neutralize a bee toxin on time, if at all? Oral drugs just don't work this fast, in general, which is why when someone is going into anaphylactic shock, you inject adrenaline intramuscularly instead of administering something orally. Even if clay did work, it would have to be some incredibly fast acting immunosuppressant.

Regardless of whether or not it worked, can you give more details? Specifically, the time between the bee sting and giving her the clay mixture, the progression of symptoms before and after doing so along with how long they took to appear/disappear. If you remember, of course.

Originally posted by Johnmike
I mean she's okay, so that's what matters, but you really think that something ingested orally would have a fast and powerful enough effect to neutralize a bee toxin on time, if at all? Oral drugs just don't work this fast, in general, which is why when someone is going into anaphylactic shock, you inject adrenaline intramuscularly instead of administering something orally. Even if clay did work, it would have to be some incredibly fast acting immunosuppressant.

There is something really amazing about clay. I wouldn't be surprises if something was being absorbed from it through the internal skin of the mouth and throat to make it work so fast. And it was mixed into biodynamic apple juice which contained pectin, and pectin can be pretty useful stuff too.

However there were also the praying ladies. They believed they had brought about a miracle, and I can't be certain that they didn't have an effect. They brought about a blissful, caring sort of atmosphere which, at the very least, helped relax my daughter.

Regardless of whether or not it worked, can you give more details? Specifically, the time between the bee sting and giving her the clay mixture, the progression of symptoms before and after doing so along with how long they took to appear/disappear. If you remember, of course.

I was worried when she got stung, because she'd had to have adrenaline in the past for bee stings, and each sting caused a reaction worse than the last. She was supposed to have an adrenaline pen on her at all times, but hadn't thought there was any chance of needing it where we were going. So I was watching her, and she was fine for the first five minutes, and she was insisting it was not affecting her. We were heading out of a densely packed celebration that no ambulance would be ably to drive through, because I was aware this might get worse fast. By ten minutes after getting stung that she was looking swollen with glazed eyes and having trouble breathing. Her hand, arm, face and neck were puffy and she was sweating, but cold. And her breaths were increasingly laboured and whistly.

We were only five minutes away from the health food shop in a market by then, so I bullied her and half carried her the rest of the way, knowing that this was making her produce adrenaline.

Once there, it was less than a minute before I was trickling the mixture into her mouth and encouraging her to swallow. Five minutes later, (twenty minutes after being stung,) she was able to walk again, and we sat under the trees in a little courtyard near the shop for an hour while she recovered properly and fed the baby. After that she was good as new. She waited while I did a quick shop, then we went home and she went to bed to sleep it off.

The last thing on my mind at the time was timing things, but I know where we were at each point, and the time it takes to go where we went. The rest is best guesses.

(I was tossing up about adding this, but it may be relevant. Our family appears to have much better healing abilities than the average.)



Just imagine how much we'd know about thousands of curative substances, including clay, if a hundredth of the money spent on patentable drugs was spent on investigating natural remedies. Too often people forget that drug companies only exist to make profits, and imagine they are caring for out health. Instead, the emphasis put on drugs as treatment for everything prevents most people from learning anything at all about independent methods of healing, and we are actively discouraged from trying non pharmaceutical remedies.