One summer day a few years ago, my wife Vida and I were in the kitchen when we heard one of those piercing screams that send spikes of adrenaline through a parent’s heart. Our son, Max, who was 8 years old at the time, picked up a rock and was stung by a scorpion. I knew that our Central Texas strain of scorpion wasn’t known for being lethal, but I also knew that Max was allergic to ant stings and was afraid that the much stronger toxins in the scorpion sting would wreak havoc in his system.

As soon as we discovered the source of the pain, Vida and I had two completely different reactions. I ran to the phone to call poison control and she ran into the bathroom and grabbed a Tupperware container of bentonite clay mixed with water that she occasionally used as a beauty mask. Meanwhile, the death cries of our son made the chandeliers shake. When I found the number for poison control and was about to dial, something strange happened. Silence. I walked out into the living room and my son’s face, still flickering white and red from lack of oxygen from all his yelling, was gaping at a glob of wet mud that had caked on the top of his hand. of the. He seemed surprised that the pain was gone.

“What the hell is that?” was my question

“It’s clay,” Vida told me. “I read that it was good for insect bites.”

That was my introduction to calcium bentonite clay. Apparently, the clay paste absorbed the toxins from the superficial puncture wounds and eased Max’s pain in a matter of seconds. He was fine by the way and the swelling went down about 30 minutes after we took the paste off.

As it turns out, we literally live 15 minutes from author, motivator, keynote speaker and founder of The Living Clay Company, Perry Aldridge. His book, Living Clay, is the seminal work on the subject and Perry A herself has access to a calcium bentonite mine that produces some of the finest calcium bentonite clay in the world. The source of the following information on the benefits of bentonite clay is from this book.

Bentonite clay sometimes referred to as “Montmorillonite” refers to edible bentonite clay that belongs to the smectite family of clays. These clays were formed from volcanic activity millions of years ago.

Many sodium-based clays are marketed as edible bentonite clays, but require mixing with an acidic beverage to offset the high sodium content before consumption. Our bodies cannot tolerate large amounts of sodium, so the amount of sodium-based clay that can be consumed in a day is restricted to small amounts. There are no such restrictions for the consumption of pure calcium bentonite clay.

As Perry A says in his book, Living Clay: “Sodium-based clays are used primarily for industrial purposes, including: drilling mud, kitty litter, plaster, matches, cement tile, grease, paints for the household, copy paper, dynamite, shoe polish, concrete, crayons, and bleaching agents. Calcium-based clays are called “living” clays as they consist primarily of minerals that contribute to the production of enzymes in all living organisms.” .

Calcium bentonite clay is the preferred clay to be eaten by humans, animals and plants and to be incorporated into the soil, so be careful when purchasing clay for consumption and check labels. The best calcium bentonite clay is pure with a very fine mesh.

Humans have been using healing clays externally and internally to cure disease, sustain life, and promote general health and well-being.

Calcium bentonite clay is both an “adsorbent” and an “absorbent” agent.

The difference between these two words is critical to understanding how bentonite clay minerals work and how healing clay works.

Perry A explains in his book Living Clay: “Adsorption describes the process by which charged particles of other substances combine with the charged particles on the outer surface of the clay molecule. Bentonite clay molecules carry an electrical charge negative while toxins, bacteria, viruses, parasites and other impurities carry a positive charge. When clay enters the human body, the positively charged toxins are attracted to the negatively charged surfaces of the clay molecule. Clay molecules act like a magnet, attracting and holding toxins and impurities to its surface, and removing them when the clay is removed or expelled.

Absorption is a slower and more complex process. Acting like a sponge, the bentonite clay molecule attracts other substances into its internal structure. Absorbent clays have charge in their inner layers. This means that the charged ions are found between the layers of the clay molecule surrounded by water molecules. The clay expands as foreign substances are absorbed and fill the spaces between the stacked layers of the clay molecule. Absorbent clay will absorb positively charged toxins and impurities and ignore negatively charged nutrients. Calcium bentonite clay is by far the most effective clay, with the highest drawing power.”

It turns out that bentonite clay has many more uses than simply as a paste for insect and scorpion stings. He traveled abroad to Southeast Asia every year. I never travel without my clay and I no longer suffer from traveler’s diarrhea or dysentery or any of the myriad other maladies I used to get perennially when traveling. A couple ounces mixed with water before bed followed by a glass of water and this works for me.

Most people laugh when I tell them I eat dirt and they have no idea I even brush my teeth with it. But you know what? It’s okay. Our family budget for medical expenses has nothing but zeros.

Copyright (c) 2011 Free Spirit Health