How Activated Charcoal & Zeolite work to detox
Lets include Diatomaceous Earth as well – it’s good for the same task too.
When it comes to detoxification we’re often told to use these products because they’re supposed to be good at removing toxins from the body.
Firstly, they don’t leave the gut so this is the only place they’ll be capturing anything. But they’re good at it and have the good character to prefer grabbing things we don’t want in there. They are the necessary ‘binders’.
(Micronized zeolite as ‘clinoptilolite’ may actually pass the gut to the bloodstream).
The three compounds have similar physical properties; a porous open structure with a large internal surface area capable of attracting and holding a wide range of substances.
Activated Charcoal – charcoal that’s had strong steam cleaning to create a huge internal surface area. Amazingly huge; 1000 square metres for a single gram
(click images to see full size).
Zeolite – a volcanic ash layer which has reacted with alkaline ground water over eons of time to form a porous cage like structure. Will attract and hold heavy metals although some of the less pure types contain toxic metal themselves. Manufactured zeolites are very pure with precise properties. Natural zeolites are volcanic, the best is Clinoptilolite.
The cage structure is negatively charged and will attract and hold positively charged toxic metals. Even better, zeolite prefers the heaviest and strongest charged metals, so will swap out a weaker metal for a stronger one, acting as a selective sieve for toxic metals.
Diatomaceous Earth – diatoms are a species of algae, diatomaceous earth is mined from ancient deposits of their skeletons. They have a porous internal surface area and also make a good intestinal ‘broom’ (although they can be quite abrasive to the gut lining).
So, what can they do for us?
Activated charcoal is a good detox compound for emergencies like poisoning or diarrhea, to absorb bacterial and other toxins.
Diatomaceous Earth is best for limited use as an intestinal broom, for example to support Giardia treatment.
Zeolite (especially clinoptilolite) helps capture heavy metals from the bloodstream and gut.