There are 2 messages in this issue. Topics in today's digest: 1. Liquid Clay - The Bentonite Cure From: "Hippocrates Health" <hypocrates___@xxxxxxx.xxxx 2. Diabetes - Oxygenated Blood Can Help From: "Hippocrates Health" <hypocrates___@xxxxxxx.xxxx _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Message: 1 Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 07:02:58 PET From: "Hippocrates Health" <hypocrates___@xxxxxxx.xxxx Subject: Liquid Clay - The Bentonite Cure Cleanse Yourself Internally With Liquid ClayThe Bentonite Cure http://www.alternativemedicine.com/digest/issue27/27044R00.shtml Prescribing for Yourself -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The notion of eating clay to produce internal healing will no doubt strike many as farfetched if not a little primitive. But natural clay, especially the form known as bentonite, has not only been used medicinally for centuries by indigenous peoples around the world, but has, in recent years, been increasingly prescribed by practitioners of alternative medicine as a simple but effective internal cleanser to assist in reversing numerous health problems. Clay is a great healer, according to clay expert Ran Knishinsky in The Clay Cure (Healing Arts Press, 1998), who quips I have been eating dirt every day for the past six years. Indeed, in over 200 cultures worldwide, every day people eat or drink claythe medicinal form of dirtas both a nutritional supplement and detoxifying agent, observes Knishinsky. It is not ordinary dirt of course. The name bentonite refers to a clay first identified (or named) in cretaceous rocks in Fort Benton, Wyoming. Although bentonite deposits occur worldwide, many of the largest concentrations are found in the Great Plains area of North America. Bentonite is not a mineral but a commercial name for montmorillonite, the active mineral in many medicinal clays and which comes from weathered volcanic ash. This name derives from Montmorillon, France, where the medicinal mineral was first identified. Sometimes mineralogists use the term smectite instead to describe the same substance. A VOLCANIC DETOXIFIERBentonite, a medicinal powdered clay which is also known as montmorillonite, derives from deposits of weathered volcanic ash. It is one of the most effective natural intestinal detoxifying agents available and has been recognized as such for centuries by native peoples around the world. Whatever the name, liquid clay contains minerals that, once inside the gastrointestinal tract, are able to absorb toxins and deliver mineral nutrients to an impressive degree, says Knishinsky. Liquid clay is inert which means it passes through the body undigested. Technically, the clay first adsorbs toxins (heavy metals, free radicals, pesticides), attracting them to its extensive surface area where they adhere like flies to sticky paper; then it absorbs the toxins, taking them in the way a sponge mops up a kitchen counter mess. There is an electrical aspect to bentonites ability to bind and absorb toxins. According to Yerba Prima, a company based in Ashland, Oregon, which markets Great PlainsŪ Bentonite, the clays minerals are negatively charged while toxins tend to be positively charged; hence the clays attraction works like a magnet drawing metal shavings. But its even more involved than that. Once hydrated (combined with water), bentonite has an enormous surface area. According to Yerba Prima, a single quart bottle can represent a total surface area of 960 square yards or 12 American football fields. Bentonite is made of a great number of tiny platelets, with negative electrical charges on their flat surfaces and positive charges on their edges. When bentonite absorbs water and swells, it is stretched open like a highly porous sponge; the toxins are drawn into these spaces by electrical attraction and bound fast. In fact, according to the Canadian Journal of Microbiology (31 [1985], 50-53), bentonite can absorb pathogenic viruses, aflatoxin (a mold), and pesticides and herbicides including Paraquat and Roundup. The clay is eventually eliminated from the body with the toxins bound to its multiple surfaces. According to Sonnes Organic Foods of North Kansas City, Missouri, a company that markets Detoxificant (a liquid montmorillonite), There is no evidence that bentonite has any chemical action in the body. Its power is purely physical. Clays adsorptive and absorptive qualities may be the key to its multifaceted healing abilities. Knishinsky reports that drinking clay helped him eliminate painful ganglion cysts (tumors attached to joints and tendons, in his case, in his wrist) in two months, without surgery. According to Knishinsky, benefits reported by people using liquid clay for a period of two to four weeks include: improved intestinal regularity; relief from chronic constipation, diarrhea, indigestion, and ulcers; a surge in physical energy; clearer complexion; brighter, whiter eyes; enhanced alertness; emotional uplift; improved tissue and gum repair; and increased resistance to infections. Clay works on the entire organism. No part of the body is left untouched by its healing energies, he notes. A medical study by Frederic Damrau, M.D., in 1961 (Medical Annals of the District of Columbia) established clearly that bentonite can end bouts of diarrhea. When 35 individuals (average age 51) suffering from diarrhea took two tablespoons of bentonite in distilled water daily, the diarrhea was relieved in 97% (34 of the 35 patients) in 3.8 days, regardless of the original cause of the problem (allergies, virus infection, spastic colitis, or food poisoning). According to Dr. Damrau, bentonite is safe and highly effective in treating acute diarrhea. Knishinskys research suggests that the regular intake of liquid clay (typically one to three tablespoons daily, in divided doses) can produce other benefits including parasite removal from the intestines, allergy and hay fever relief, and elimination of anemia and acne. For example, clay helps anemia because it contains both types of dietary iron (ferrous and ferric) in an easily assimilated form; it reduces discomfort from allergies by quickly neutralizing allergens that would otherwise produce allergic reactions; and it reduces heartburn and indigestion by absorbing excess stomach acids. However, clays forte is probably its role as a general internal detoxification and cleansing agent. According to Keith Payne of White Rock Mineral Corporation in Springville, Utah, clay scrapes and cleans the lining of the colon. As the colon becomes cleaner, its ability to absorb minerals and other nutrients increases, making the minerals even more bioavailable, thus giving more energy. White Rocks clay, called Bentonite Minerals, contains 71 trace and ultra-trace minerals, including many that are probably unknown to most consumers, such as ruthenium, tellurium, and thulium. Trace minerals enable the body to absorb nutrientsthey are the bonding agents in and between you and food, explains Payne. Bentonite Minerals are derived from an ancient seabed formation in Utah; according to geologists, the clay formed when a layer of volcanic ash fell into what was, long ago, a shallow inland sea. As the ash filtered through the seawater, it collected pure minerals, forming a layer of highly mineralized clay, says Payne. The best way to drink clay is on an empty stomach, or at least an hour before or after a meal or immediately before sleeping at night, says Knishinsky. Typically, clay is available as a thick tasteless, pale-grey gel, but it also comes as a powder or encapsulated. Generally, it is advisable to start with one tablespoon daily, mixed with a small amount of juice; observe the results for a week, then gradually increase the dosage to no more than four tablespoons daily, in divided doses. Drinking clay can be an annual spring cleaning of your gastrointestinal tract or it can be a symptom-focused, self-care method. _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________ Message: 2 Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 10:12:45 PET From: "Hippocrates Health" <hypocrates___@xxxxxxx.xxxx Subject: Diabetes - Oxygenated Blood Can Help Adult-Onset DiabetesOxygenated Blood Can Help FRANK SHALLENBERGER, M.D. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You dont normally think of oxygen as a treatment for diabetes, but according to Frank Shallenberger, M.D., H.M.D., director of the Nevada Center of Alternative and Anti-Aging Medicine in Carson City, Nevada, ozone (a less stable, more reactive form of oxygen) can produce remarkable improvements in both the major and secondary symptoms of adult-onset diabetes. The connection between the ozone and diabetes is the blood circulation, Dr. Shallenberger says, as demonstrated in the following cases. Virginia, 51, had been diabetic for five years and was taking Glucotrol, an oral medication for controlling blood sugar levels. However, Virginia came to Dr. Shallenberger seeking treatment for recurrent breast cancer, a tumor that periodically grew then diminished. Dr. Shallenberger decided to ozonate her blood as ozone is often used as a healing substance in alternative cancer treatments. He drew 150 cc of Virginias blood then injected it with ozone gas. Ozonating the sample of Virginias blood took about 40 minutes, after which it was reinfused into her body. He did this daily to address the cancer. What surprised Dr. Shallenberger in this case was that not only the breast cancer responded to ozonation (it started to dissolve) but so did Virginias diabetes. Her blood sugar levels began dropping too low (a condition called hypoglycemia) indicating that the ozone and Glucotrol were controlling her blood sugar too well. Dr. Shallenberger reduced her Glucotrol dosage to once daily, then soon after, as the low blood sugar trend continued, eliminated the drug altogether. Practically speaking, Virginia didnt have diabetes any longer, notes Dr. Shallenberger. How did ozone bring her diabetes under control? Diabetics always run the risk of complications, such as loss of vision, heart disease, nerve dysfunction, and gangrenous limbs. Diabetics usually have considerable circulation problems such that the actual blood flow to their tissues is diminished, explains Dr. Shallenberger. Patients often have difficulty digesting fats (such as cholesterol and triglycerides) and their arteries tend to thicken and harden. This is compounded by the fact that what little blood reaches their tissues is less effective than it should be and is unable to deliver oxygen to those tissues, says Dr. Shallenberger. The tissues become oxygen depleted, which explains why diabetics have problems with gangrene and why theyre unable to resist infections. A prime reason the red blood cells in the diabetics blood are unable to release their oxygen is that a key molecule called 2,3-diphosphoglycerate, or 2,3-dpg for short, is in reduced supply. Under normal conditions, 2,3-dpg stimulates red blood cells which carry oxygen to deliver it to the tissues; but if there isnt enough of this molecule in the system, the red blood cells cant deliver the oxygen. When you introduce ozonethat is, more oxygeninto the blood, more 2,3-dpg is produced and the oxygen-delivery system and the efficiency of blood circulation start to improve. The ozone also appears to enhance the activity of cellular metabolism, the continual conversion of food into energy. Dr. Shallenberger likens the metabolism-heightening effect of ozone to a similar benefit to diabetics obtained through vigorous exercise. It oxygenates the tissues and gets all the body processes running better, he says. Levels of ATP, an important molecule which stores energy in the cells, are also enhanced through ozonation. Among other functions, ATP helps each cell maintain the integrity of its membrane, thereby enabling it to regulate the passage of materials into and out of the cell, says Dr. Shallenberger. If the cell membrane collapses, the cell dies; if a lot of cells die, you start getting tissue death, and gangrene becomes a possibility. Gangrene in a toe was a serious diabetic complication besetting Quentin, 50. His diabetes was poorly controlled, mainly because he was reluctant to comply with dietary restrictions, says Dr. Shallenberger. Specifically, he didnt want to give up drinking beer. Even with a daily dosage of four Micronase pills (another blood sugarcontrolling drug), Quentins blood sugar level was around 230; a safe, normal level ranges between 70 and 120. Dr. Shallenberger already had worked with Quentin for two years, prescribing dietary changes, herbs, and supplements, but when Quentin developed gangrene on the third toe of his right foot and conventional doctors were scheduling him for amputation at the ankle, Dr. Shallenberger decided to try ozonation. Quentins toe was completely black and they were going to amputate his entire foot because the rest of the tissue was on the borderline of becoming gangrenous, too, he notes. For Quentins treatment, Dr. Shallenberger added another element to the ozonation procedure: chelation. The chelation would help improve Quentins blood circulation by removing heavy metals and arterial plaque. Dr. Shallenberger calls his combined treatment chezone. Chelation improves blood circulation to the tissues, he explains, which means they get more oxygen. This in turn improves their metabolic rate (energy processing efficiency) and enables them to make better use of glucose (blood sugar). When you have higher efficiency in using glucose, you are much closer to controlling the diabetes naturally, says Dr. Shallenberger. Using ozone, as stated above, helps the patient utilize the available oxygen better, due to improved circulation. Combining chelation with ozone in effect doubles the circulation benefits. In addition to chezone, Dr. Shallenberger put an ozone extremity bag around Quentins right foot, filled it with ozone gas, and left it in place for 20 minutes. In this way, the ozone was absorbed through the skin, an approach that has proven successful in treating chronic sores and skin ulcers, says Dr. Shallenberger. Each time he gave Quentin a chezone treatment (ten in all, one per day), he also ozonated his foot. After about two weeks, the foot was much improved; the area between the ankle and gangrenous toe had healed which meant only the toe would have to be amputated. After the surgery, Quentin hurt his foot in such a way that the stitches broke open and a large ulcerating sore formed. His doctors talked about amputation again, but after another six weeks of chezone and foot ozonation treatments, Quentins foot healed again. Following the first two weeks of intensive treatments, Dr. Shallenberger gave him a chezone once weekly and foot ozonation three times weekly. In ensuing months, Quentin received maintenance treatments. About ten weeks after the first chezone treatment, the lesion in Quentins foot was entirely healed and he was down to only two Micronase pills a day, says Dr. Shallenberger. If I had been able to treat his toe before it went black, I probably could have saved it. As it turned out, Dr. Shallenberger did save Quentins right foot twice. Im not convinced you can get all diabetics off their medication. To me the point is how well you can control the blood sugar. In the case of Leonard, 64, controlling his sugar intake was central to being able to get his diabetes and gangrene complications under control. Leonard, who developed diabetes six years earlier, was on insulin and Glucophage (another diabetes drug) to control his blood sugar levels. However, Leonard developed a blister on the sole of his foot; when this became infected, his doctor cleaned out all the infected tissue, leaving a hole in his foot. Over a three-month period, this wound failed to heal even with antibiotics and Leonards doctors were talking about amputating his foot. Dr. Shallenberger started Leonard on the same combination chezone and foot ozonation program that had worked so well for Quentin. Then he added a piece of advice. You must cut down on your sugar intake. Leonard ate a lot of white sugar in his diet and none of his conventional doctors apparently made the link between high dietary sugar intake and the inability of his infection to heal. White blood cells, the immune cells that fight infection, cease to function in the presence of elevated glucose levels, says Dr. Shallenberger. After two treatments, Leonards foot was noticeably improved and his energy levels were heightened. The initial progress motivated Leonard to comply fully with the program. Dr. Shallenberger started Leonard on a series of nutrients and remedies including chromium and vanadium, to help his body utilize its natural pancreatic insulin. People with adult-onset diabetes produce insulin but their system becomes unable to use it, a condition called insulin resistance. In fact, the pancreas of such a patient generally produces too much insulin; as the body fails to act on this insulin, the pancreas produces yet more. The minerals chromium and vanadium break this cycle and support the body in making use again of pancreatic insulin, says Dr. Shallenberger. Among the other elements of Leonards program were pancreatic enzymes (to support pancreas function and to improve digestion; 400-800 mg three times daily), the hormone melatonin (to bolster the immune system; 3 mg once daily), and the hormone DHEA, levels of which tend to be about 50% below normal in diabetics. Low DHEA levels may help explain the characteristic weight gain in people with adult-onset diabetes, says Dr. Shallenberger. He notes that DHEA doses will vary with each patient. Women should take enough (usually 10-25 mg daily) to raise the serum DHEA-sulfate to between 2,000 and 3,000 mg/ml, while men should take enough (usually 50-100 mg daily) to raise it to between 3,000 and 4,000 mg/ml. He also gave Leonard a specialized product (made from the fungus Mucor racemosus) called Mucokehl, developed in Germany by the Sanum company, and now used selectively (as part of a line of several dozen similar substances) by North American physicians. The Mucokehl would help regulate microorganisms which affect the thickness and texture of the blood. After a month of treatments, Leonards foot was completely healed, says Dr. Shallenberger. As his blood sugar came under better control, Leonard was able to lower his daily insulin intake and resume his busy life. _______________________________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________________________