Diatomaceous Earth - any good?

[Myvie]

i know firsthand it works on bedbugs because of the facility I work for. If a resident brought in bed bugs they got to use the DE and a line of it drawn in their doorway and around their bed / other seams in the room quickly to prevent the bedbugs from traveling. They die in 30 seconds or so with contact. Watched a bb walk into a line of it and give up the ghost many times... Sounds dark, sorry lol
The stuff around bedposts and whatnot is a great prevention method. Great for other pests, you'll find other bugs that didn't make it past a barrier of the stuff as well.
Anyway, Ive never heard of anyone using it internally or on pets, til today, and given the rather 'violent' way it actually works to kill bedbugs for instance (basically gets inside their breathing system and acts like millions of little razors) it wouldn't surprise me if the stuff can be an irritant to human/pets eyes and lungs, maybe even skin for some creatures, so I hope people are researching well before experimenting with it.

I am completely a total kill joy.. Personally speaking, An old acquaintance and member of these forums promoted the use of something called hydrocoloidal silver, which as far as I am aware ..he too daily partook of .. the chap is crossed to spirit now, though I'd like to think it was not the daily ingestion of hydrocoloidal silver that killed him.. I cannot swear to it..

I digress.. I think I have something of a moral responsibility to post...

some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to diatomaceous earth?

If breathed in, diatomaceous earth can irritate the nose and nasal passages. If an extremely large amount is inhaled, people may cough and have shortness of breath. On skin, it can cause irritation and dryness. Diatomaceous earth may also irritate the eyes, due to its abrasive nature. Any dust, including silica, can be irritating to the eyes.
What happens to diatomaceous earth when it enters the body?

When diatomaceous earth is eaten, very little is absorbed into the body. The remaining portion is rapidly excreted. Small amounts of silica are normally present in all body tissues, and it is normal to find silicon dioxide in urine. In one study, people ate a few grams of diatomaceous earth. The amount of silicon dioxide in their urine was unchanged.
After inhalation of amorphous diatomaceous earth, it is rapidly eliminated from lung tissue. However, crystalline diatomaceous earth is much smaller, and it may accumulate in lung tissue and lymph nodes. Very low levels of crystalline diatomaceous earth may be found in pesticide products.
Is diatomaceous earth likely to contribute to the development of cancer?

When mice were forced to breathe diatomaceous earth for one hour each day for a year, there was an increase in lung cancers. When rats were fed silica at a high dose for two years, there was no increase in cancer development.
Most diatomaceous earth is made of amorphous silicon dioxide. However, it can contain very low levels of crystalline silicon dioxide. Amorphous diatomaceous earth has not been associated with any cancers in people.


I think all I am saying is.. As responsible folks ..keep a weather eye on not only the potential benefits of a thing but the potential risks too.

Exercise caution in deciding what is good for you.

[Myvie]

Originally Posted by Neville

I am completely a total kill joy.. Personally speaking, An old acquaintance and member of these forums promoted the use of something called hydrocoloidal silver, which as far as I am aware ..he too daily partook of .. the chap is crossed to spirit now, though I'd like to think it was not the daily ingestion of hydrocoloidal silver that killed him.. I cannot swear to it..

I digress.. I think I have something of a moral responsibility to post...

some signs and symptoms from a brief exposure to diatomaceous earth?

If breathed in, diatomaceous earth can irritate the nose and nasal passages. If an extremely large amount is inhaled, people may cough and have shortness of breath. On skin, it can cause irritation and dryness. Diatomaceous earth may also irritate the eyes, due to its abrasive nature. Any dust, including silica, can be irritating to the eyes.
What happens to diatomaceous earth when it enters the body?

When diatomaceous earth is eaten, very little is absorbed into the body. The remaining portion is rapidly excreted. Small amounts of silica are normally present in all body tissues, and it is normal to find silicon dioxide in urine. In one study, people ate a few grams of diatomaceous earth. The amount of silicon dioxide in their urine was unchanged.
After inhalation of amorphous diatomaceous earth, it is rapidly eliminated from lung tissue. However, crystalline diatomaceous earth is much smaller, and it may accumulate in lung tissue and lymph nodes. Very low levels of crystalline diatomaceous earth may be found in pesticide products.
Is diatomaceous earth likely to contribute to the development of cancer?

When mice were forced to breathe diatomaceous earth for one hour each day for a year, there was an increase in lung cancers. When rats were fed silica at a high dose for two years, there was no increase in cancer development.
Most diatomaceous earth is made of amorphous silicon dioxide. However, it can contain very low levels of crystalline silicon dioxide. Amorphous diatomaceous earth has not been associated with any cancers in people.


I think all I am saying is.. As responsible folks ..keep a weather eye on not only the potential benefits of a thing but the potential risks too.

Exercise caution in deciding what is good for you.

Yup this makes sense with what I would suspect... But does this mean that the amorphous DE would be perhaps what people are talking about using for ingestion? If it is less abrasive and easier for the lungs to handle or whatever, I dunno...not that it wouldnt be a leap to say it based on your post alone, obviously but I just don't know. And I hope people using it are aware of the different types.