CLAY: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews (2024)

FAQs

CLAY: Overview, Uses, Side Effects, Precautions, Interactions, Dosing and Reviews? ›

It has been safely used in doses up to 3 grams daily for 3 months or 4 grams daily for 6 weeks. Side effects are usually mild but may include constipation, vomiting, or diarrhea. Clay is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth for a long period of time. Eating clay long-term can cause low levels of potassium and iron.

Common medicinal clays

Bentonite-type clay has been used to treat infections, indigestion, and other medical problems by both applying wet clay topically to the skin as a poultice, and by ingesting it. Bentonite has been prescribed as a bulk laxative, and it is also used as a base for many dermatologic formulas.

Clays are used for making pottery, both utilitarian and decorative, and construction products, such as bricks, walls, and floor tiles. Different types of clay, when used with different minerals and firing conditions, are used to produce earthenware, stoneware, and porcelain.

Effect of Clay on Soil Water Clay acts as a binding agent between soil particles. It gives soil elasticity and provides cohesion of soil particles. The result is a network of capillary pores that hold moisture against the force of gravity.

Most of the research on bentonite clay involves animals. Studies show it may lower the amount of certain toxins in the body, like aflatoxins. They're made by certain molds and can hurt your liver. Some research shows it may remove pesticides and help treat metal poisoning.

Clay is POSSIBLY UNSAFE when taken by mouth for a long period of time. Eating clay long-term can cause low levels of potassium and iron. It might also cause lead poisoning, muscle weakness, intestinal blockage, skin sores, or breathing problems.

Inhalation of all clay materials especially silica can damage your lungs. All clay bodies contain some free crystalline silica which can scar your lung tissue and cause irreversible loss of breathing capacity.

Uses: Earthenware is used for sculpting, hand-building, and wheel throwing. You can create sculptures, flowerpots, and other outdoor decorations. Porcelain or china ceramics are incredibly popular, especially for dinnerware. They are mostly pure mineral kaolin, otherwise known as “China Clay.” and other materials.

Starting approximately in 9,000 BCE, clay-based ceramics became popular as containers for water and food, art objects, tiles and bricks, and their use spread from Asia to the Middle East and Europe.

Clay is an important part of soil because it contains nutrients that are essential to plant growth. Another way to use clay is through sculpting. One property of clay is plasticity. This means that you can stretch out the clay without it breaking or tearing.

What are the disadvantages of clay? ›

A handful of damp clay will retain the impression of your fingers and may appear shiny on the surface. Disadvantages: When wet they are sticky and hard to work, and when dry they set hard and crack. They are prone to waterlogging and tend to warm up later in the spring than more open sandy soils.

Pregnant or nursing women and older adults should avoid bentonite. Bentonite should not be taken two hours before or after medication or nutritional supplements. Although there haven't been adverse effects in amounts used in nutritional supplements, there are no studies on the long-term safety of bentonite in humans.

Draws Toxins from Your Liver

In high enough quantities, aflatoxins can damage your liver. Fortunately, bentonite clay actually binds to aflatoxins and expels them from your liver and body.

Most physicians don't recommend eating clay as it could cause a blockage in your intestines and lead to bothersome digestive issues. Research done by the FDA laboratories evinced that exposure to lead can cause grave damage to the central nervous system, kidneys, and immune system.

Taking the capsules may boost immunity by fighting off bacteria that could make you sick. It may also help cleanse your body of built-up toxins like aluminum, mercury, and lead. Bentonite clay might even help your gut absorb more nutrients by increasing the flora in your intestines.

Bentonite has no determined acute toxic affects. Long-term exposure to moderate or high concentrations of Bentonite dust may affect nose and respiratory tract and chest health.

Thanks to its of ABsorption and ADsorption properties (read more about those two properties here), clay mechanically neutralizes toxins, impurities, chemicals, dead cells, etc, which are then carried out of the body. It is traditionally used for liver detox, colon, blood and skin cleanse.

In schools, families, and adult therapy settings, clay becomes a tool to enhance mental health by providing a unique form of expression. It is not merely an art form but a means to create shapes imbued with personal meaning, fostering a sense of self and promoting emotional well-being.