Bentonite clay has been a real life-saver for me. I am blown away by the powerful detoxing abilities of this clay. I don’t remember where, why or when it was that I first started using bentonite, but I do remember the first place I ever heard of anyone eating any kind of earth was when I read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marques. I remember being quite shocked by the idea at the time, but I think it did make me more willing to try bentonite clay originally :-).

Calcium Bentonite clay is a member of the Montmorillonite/Smectite family of clays. Also called Living Clay, it is one of the most sought after of the healing clays. It carries a uniquely strong negative ionic charge which causes it to magnetically attract any substance with a positive ionic charge (i.e., bacteria, toxins, metals, etc.). These substances are both adsorbed (sticking to the outside like Velcro) and absorbed (drawn inside) by the clay molecules. The toxins are then eliminated from the body as the clay is eliminated or removed.

Calcium Bentonite clay is used both internally and externally to detoxify the body. Clay cannot be digested, so when taken internally in liquefied form, the clay passes through your system collecting the toxins, and removing them as the clay is eliminated. If drinking the liquefied clay is not palatable to you, it can be added to food, juices, or smoothies. Used externally, clay baths have proven to be highly effective at removing toxins. Discussing clay baths in his book The Clay Cure, Ran Knishinsky states, “It is a fairly simple procedure, and it can do a lot of good in a relatively short time. Because of clay`s excellent drawing effect, the clay has the power to literally pull toxicities through the pores of the skin in the bath.” And Wendell Hoffman, author of Using Energy to Heal, found that Bentonite clay, when used in a bath, can and does draw out toxic chemicals through the pores of the skin.

The above is quoted from a very interesting article on www.naturalnews.com about the uses of bentonite clay for people and kids with Autism please read more here)

I have found over the past couple years that often even a sip of bentonite clay liquid will help me immensely if I feel a migraine or cyclical vomiting syndrome or any other types of symptoms from die-off or toxic overload. Even if it is just a caffeine withdrawal headache, bentonite will really help. I have a rather unhealthy liver, so I need a lot of help detoxifying my body as well as a hypersensitivity to chemical cleaning agents as a result of using too many heavy duty oven and hood cleaners in my day. As it turns out bentonite is even more powerful than I had at first realized. I have also used it in the bath with great success as well as using it in a fast which helped remove impacted matter from my intestines (more on this later). Bentonite gives immediate results, even a small sip can quickly calm a nauseous stomach.

I generally buy the powder and add it to water as needed. You can also buy it in liquid form. If you are mixing it yourself it is easiest to put a teaspoon or so of some bentonite clay into a bottle of water (use less rather than more as you don’t need much it absorbs a lot of water and even a small amount is very effective). Make sure you are getting the right kind of clay! –you can usually find it at any health food store these days or you can order it online. Use a bottle with a tight lid so you can and shake the bottle vigorously until the clay is dissolved into the water (it takes quite a bit of shaking so be persistent). Drink a small sip at first, if that works out OK then you can drink more as you feel necessary. Be sure to stir it up if it has been sitting for a while before you drink it as the clay settles. Keep any extra in the fridge.

If you prefer not to drink it, just add it to your bath as mentioned above. It is a really cost effective and efficient solution for a variety of problems. I have been using bentonite clay with only beneficial results for years.

Bentonite clay can also be used as a natural shampoo, it is often mixed with marshmallow root or honey to help conditions the hair as well. I have just recently discovered this and will have to experiment with this myself! Here is a great link to information on how to use it as a shampoo.