There are many types of living clay that may perform different
functions and that it why it is very important to choose a living
clay that will fit the needs for you, your family and your family
pet.
Living clays have various uses that range from internal, external
medical uses, to their use in industry.
There are mixed opinions among the scientific world as to the
use of living clays, however most of the scientific community
does believe the following:
Clay minerals all contain oxygen, silicon, potassium etc and
their basic structure begins as a sphere, which is the basic
building block of clay minerals as are amino acids the basic
building blocks of proteins.
The actual clay structure will determine the use of that
particular clay.
The actual clay structure is referred to as a single silica
tetrahedron.
This particular clay structure is the one that is found in
montmorillinite which is the living clay of choice for internal
and external medical use.
The name montmorillinite originated from the clay deposit
found in Montmorillon France.
Of interest, montmorillinite is only found in the United States,
Italy and France.
Another type of clay known as bentonite was first discovered in
Fort Benton, Wyoming.
Illinite was another clay type that was found in Illinois.
WHAT ARE THE INDIVIDUAL CLAY GROUPS?
The Kaolin group is used in Kaopectate.
It has the ability to absorb various harmful bacteria and toxins
however its main use is to bulk up the digestive system and
help stop vomiting and diarrhea.
The Illinite group is a green, mineral clay that comes from
biological sea beds and other marine deposits.
The Smectite group has the ability to absorb toxins, damaging
heavy metals, bacteria and radiation.
The most important clay that is included in this group is
montmorillinite.
Montmorillinite is the only clay that has the ability to absorb
and adsorb.
The Bentonite group occurs in natural deposits and depending
on the structure of the bentonite in the deposit, will determine
if the clay can be used for medical purposes or only for
industrial uses.
The term bentonite is actually a trade name as already
mentioned, first discovered at Fort Benton, Wyoming.
The mineralogists consider bentonite to be in the smectite clay
group.
There are different structured bentonites that can be used
medically and others that are used to seal ponds and make
crayons and for other industrial uses.
Often the term montmorillinite and bentonite are used
inter changeably and some have the same function as
montmorillinite and some have different functions.
The bentonites and montmorillinites that are the same either
come from volcanic ash or old biological sea beds that have
been exposed to intense heat for long periods of time.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERNCE BETWEEN CLAYS THAT ADSORB AND
CLAYS THAT ABSORB?
Adsorption = is the ability of a clay to have toxins, bacteria,
radiation and damaging heavy metals adhere to the outside
surface of the clay structure due to their negative surface ions.
The adsorption occurs due to the clays negative electrical
surface charge that causes the positive charge carried by the
toxins etc, to be neutralized and in doing so allows the body
to excrete the neutralized toxins, bacteria, radiation and
damaging heavy metals.
Absorption = definitely occurs slower with the clay structure.
Unhealthy contaminants are absorbed within the clay structure
between the many layers, and the more contaminants that are
absorbed the more the clay will expand.
A negative charge is held in between the layers of the clay
structure to neutralize the toxins, bacteria, radiation and
damaging heavy metals.
Therefore the difference between adsorption and absorption
is that the neutralized contaminants either stick to the surface
of the clay structure for excretion or are absorbed internally for
excretion.
However, some clay’s will not only absorb the contaminants
but will also absorb nutrients, vitamins and supplements which
may harm the human or animal.
Fortunately the montmorillinite clay has both the abilities
to adsorb and absorb only the contaminants and not the
nutrients, vitamins and supplements for excretion.
Other physical features that would encourage you to only use a
montmorillinite clay for better health is due to its finer granular
size including much thinner layers that allow for the production
of greater amounts of neutralization of contaminants to occur
for excretion from absorption.
From an adsorption stand point, looking at the neutralization
by the surface negative ions, Ran Knishinsky reports in his book
The Clay Cure, “ according to an article on clay (Lei 1996), an
mineralogist at MIT, Robert T. Marin, states that one gram of
montmorillinite a has a surface area of 800 square meters”.
According to Mr. Knishinsky,” this is about the surface area of
10 football fields”.
This is the reason I have used only montmorillinite clay for my
patients, my family, our family pets and myself for the last 35
years.
These are just my thoughts.
Sincerely,
Dr. AL Plechner
