Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE), also known as Fossil Shell Flour is natural, organic fossilized microscopic one-celled plants (phytoplankton) that has excellent health benefits for humans, plants, and animals, as well as many household uses, especially as a safe, natural, non-toxic insecticide.
All diatomaceous earth is not the same. (Never use pool grade diatomaceous earth - it is poisonous to animals and humans). Perma-Gaurd Pure Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth comes from an extremely pure fresh water deposit of the diatom Melorsira Preicelanica, which has a consistent tubular shape and hardness and holes along the walls, allowing moisture to be absorbed. All of these attributes are important in the physical mechanical action of scratching and dehydrating parasites.
Microscopic fossilized fresh water Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth magnified 7000x
Human Health Benefits - Start with a dosage of 1 teaspoon daily. and work your way up to 1 to 3 Heaping Tablespoons per day. If you feel that you are very toxic or you have any flu-like symptoms from taking DE, you may be detoxifying too quickly and you should reduce your dosage to 1/2 teaspoon and gradually work your way up.
Some people prefer to take it in a glass of water before bed or first thing in the morning, well before breakfast, to allow DE time to move through and absorb toxins from the digestive tract without interfering or absorbing nutrients from foods or liquids. Some mix it in juice, smoothies, oatmeal or other foods.
Parasites: DE helps eliminate all intestinal parasites and worms from the body. If you suspect that you have parasites, it is advisable to take digestive enzymes on an empty stomach several times a day to breakdown dead parasites. In addition some parasites can harbor viruses, which can be released when the parasite is killed. Digestive enzymes high in protease can digest the cell wall of the virus.
Detoxification and cleansing of the intestines:
A single dosage supplies millions of tiny negatively charged diatoms, attracting positively charged bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses, endotoxins, pesticide and drug residues, E-coli, and heavy metals and traps them in the cylindrical structure, to be passed out of the body. It has also been reported to absorb methyl mercury (mercury fumes from amalgam fillings that are in the gut become methylized) and proteinaceous toxins produced by some intestinal infections.
Because these cylinders are very hard and have sharp edges, as they pass through the intestines, they "scrub" the walls of mucus, molds and old hardened toxic matter and sweep it out of the body. Food Grade DE has not been shown to cause any damage to the intestinal mucosa or barrier wall.
After a few months of taking DE your intestines are clean and consequently many health benefits result from more nutrients being absorbed.
Detoxification improves the function of the immune system as it reduces the load of invaders challenging the immune system.
As fungi, bacteria and viruses are eliminated, symptoms associated with them such as fatigue, unclear thinking, headaches, endocrine and hormonal balances, bloating, irritable bowel, constipation, skin disorders, etc. can subside or be relieved altogether.
DE does not kill the beneficial bacteria in the gut.
DE is safe to use in pregnancy, it helps the mother better absorb nutrients from the food they eat, passing those on to the unborn child. It is best to start with a small dose of 1/2 teaspoon for the first few days and drink plenty of clean, pure water, and slowly increasing the dose to avoid detoxing too quickly.
Silica, which is abundant in Diatomaceous earth has many healing properties:
Silica prevents and even reverses osteoporosis. Research conducted by biophysicists Louis Kervan and Dr. Richard Barmakian pointed to the fact that silica was more important in bone formation and repair than calcium. Bones healed extremely well when low amounts of calcium were present with an abundance of silica.
Builds collagen and elastin which not only prevents wrinkles but is important in all connective tissues including cartilage, tendons, ligaments and vascular lining. It strengthens the body's muscloskeletal system preventing injuries and speeding healing of fractures.
Regulates blood pressure by maintaining the structural integrity, elasticity and permeability of the arteries.
Silica is an essential building block for healthy hair, skin, and nails. It makes hair thicker, can prevent hair loss and has been reported to increase hair growth. It makes nails stronger and more flexible.
Trace minerals - Food Grade DE is a source of numerous trace minerals
Alkalizing agent (pH is 8.0)
Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth is the answer to Non-Toxic, Safe Elimination of Fleas, Ticks, Bed Bugs, Lice, Ants, Aphids and Other Pests, as well as Parasites.
Diatomaceous earth safely eliminates insects and parasites through physical action not by chemical action, so it is completely safe and non-toxic to pets and humans. The tiny hard and sharp diatoms scratch off the insects waxy coating, and absorb moisture, causing the insect or parasite to dehydrate. Insects and parasites cannot develop immunity to DE since the action is physical not chemical.
Food grade diatomaceous earth has been approved for the following applications:
By the EPA to be used as an insecticide for indoor and outdoor crawling insects.
By the EPA to be mixed with grains to control mealworms and other pests.
By the USDA as an anti-caking agent for animal feed
By the FDA for internal and external use and has a rating of Food Chemical Codex Grade
It is organic listed in the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute)
Note: it was graded as "Chemical" grade since it acts like a chemical by dehydrating insects, but it is NOT a true chemical like a pesticide or insecticide.
Disclaimer: Any food grade diatomaceous earth uses other than those approved by the EPA, USDA, or FDA are strictly reports of what farmers, others and we ourselves have done with diatomaceous earth. The following material is not intended as a substitute for the advice of a physician or vet, nor is it intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Specific Uses of Diatomaceous Earth
Flea powder for animals, carpets, bedding, indoors and outdoors (it takes about 2-3 weeks to completely eliminate fleas)
Bed bug remedy (Note: There has been a recent outbreak of bed bugs all over the United States)
Organic Pest Control - elimination of ants, fire ants, aphids, caterpillars, centipedes, flea beetles, fruit flies, earwigs, sowbugs, mites, lice, roaches, silverfish, snails, slugs, spiders, flies, crickets, scorpions, hair lice, crabs (s.t.d.), etc.
Non-toxic garden pesticide for all types of plants (it will not kill earth worms or beneficial soil bacteria) and mixed in water sprayed on tree trunks to prevent ant infestations.
For Fleas and Ticks:
To make flea and tick treatment successful, you must treat everything at the same time, the dog, cat, or other pets, the yard, the bedding and the household. Everything must be treated at once because only 5 to 15% of the flea and/or tick infestation that you see are the adult flea and ticks. The remaining 85 to 95% of the flea and tick infestation are the flea larvae and tick eggs that have not hatched, so you must treat everything at the same time to get lasting effectiveness. It generally takes about 3 weeks to eliminate fleas and ticks.
Apply diatomaceous earth with your hand or a shaker to your pet's fur and rub into the fur at least 2-3 times a week. Apply DE to their bedding, in the carpet or the floor around the baseboards. Apply outside your house in front of doors to prevent fleas from coming in. If your dog, cat, or other animal currently has fleas make sure to feed them twice the recommended dosage for parasites daily, since ingestion of fleas results in tapeworms.
For Parasites in Animals:
Feed diatomaceous earth according to the feeding table listed below. Other benefits include silkier coat (from the silica - see all benefits of silica below) and cleaner digestive system as well as increased absorption of nutrients and elimination of diarrhea. DE is safe to use in animal pregnancy, safer than chemical flea, tick or parasite remedies, just start with a very small dose to make sure that detoxification does not occur too quickly.
Daily Food Grade DE recommended feeding rates:
Kittens - 1/2 teaspoon
Cats = 1 teaspoon
Puppies - 1/2 to 1 teaspoon
Dogs under 35 lbs- 1 teaspoon
Dogs over 35 lbs - 1 tablespoon
Dogs over 100 lbs. - 2 tablespoons
Horses- 1/2 to 1 cup in daily ration
Cattle, Dairy Cows, Hogs, Goats and Sheep - 2% of dry feed
Chickens - 5% in feed
Deodorizing and Absorption:
Add to kitty litter to absorb orders and keep the litter box drier, sprinkle on compost piles to prevent breeding of pests and control odors, apply to moist kennel areas to reduce odors, dry the area, and prevent pest breeding.
Bed Bugs:
Sprinkle DE on the mattress especially in the creases and on all the bedding. Bed bugs cannot fly, so surround the legs of the bed with DE so the bugs are killed before they can get on the bed. Keep the bed away from the wall and there is no bedding touching the floor. Dust DE in the carpets and in the corners of the room. Remove electrical outlets and puff some DE inside walls. Keep this routine up for several days until the bed bugs are gone.
Garden and Tree Insecticide:
Apply to soil and on both sides of plant leaves. DE will kill beneficial insects as well, so don't put it on your flowers where honey bees go and use it wisely. Food Grade DE will not kill earthworms if applied to the top of the soil, allowing the worms to work it into the soil as opposed to smothering the soil and the worms with large doses. Mix 1 cup of DE with 1/2 gallon of water and spray on tree trunks to avoid ant or other pest infestation of trees.
Organic Pest Control:
Dust DE anywhere you have an insect problem. The pest pistol duster is useful to get it inside walls, either under the base boards or my removing electrical outlet covers and dusting it inside walls. For pests that have larvae and eggs, you will need to reapply several times. You can also apply a 2 inch barrier around your home to prevent pests from coming in. If you are building a home or remodeling, dust DE inside the walls to prevent bugs in the future.
Grain Storage and protection:
Suggested use is 1 cup of Food Grade DE will protect 50 lbs of grain from insects. A study done by ACRES, USA, Inc. reported that after 12 months of storage, material treated with Food Grade DE had 15 insects, compared to 4,884 with malthion and 16,994 for untreated grain.
Cautions:
Do NOT get DE in your eyes. DE is a drying agent and will dry out the eyes. If you have asthma or some other lung ailment, either wear a mask of be very careful when using food grade diatomaceous earth.
Do NOT use heavily in carpet, it can cause vacuum cleaner problems.
NEVER USE pool filter grade diatomaceous earth around animals or humans. It can poison or kill them.
The information presented in this article is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for informed medical advice or care. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat any health problems or illnesses without consulting your vet, pediatrician or family doctor. Please consult a doctor or vet with any questions or concerns you might have regarding your, your child's or your pet's health condition.
The statements regarding these products have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Information contained in this document is intended for the sole use of the individuals using this website. It is not meant as a substitute for or alternative to information from health care practitioners. If you or your pets are taking any medication or are under treatment for any disease, please consult your health care professional or veterinarian about potential interactions or other possible complications before taking any of these products. If you or your pet are pregnant or lactating, please consult your health care professional or veterinarian before taking any medication or dietary supplements. The efficacy of these products has not been confirmed by FDA approved research and the traditional use of these products does not establish that the products will achieve the manufacturer's claimed results.
