There are 2 messages in this issue.
Topics in today's digest:
1. Liquid Clay - The Bentonite Cure
From: "Hippocrates Health" <[email protected]
2. Diabetes - Oxygenated Blood Can Help
From: "Hippocrates Health" <[email protected]
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Message: 1
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 07:02:58 PET
From: "Hippocrates Health" <[email protected]
Subject: Liquid Clay - The Bentonite Cure
Cleanse Yourself Internally With Liquid Clay—The Bentonite Cure
http://www.alternativemedicine.com/digest/issue27/27044R00.shtml
Prescribing for Yourself
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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 clay—the medicinal form of “dirt”—as 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 DETOXIFIER—Bentonite, 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 bentonite’s ability to bind and absorb
toxins. According to Yerba Prima, a company based in Ashland, Oregon, which
markets Great Plains� Bentonite, the clay’s minerals are negatively charged
while toxins tend to be positively charged; hence the clay’s attraction
works like a magnet drawing metal shavings. But it’s 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 Sonne’s 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.”
Clay’s 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.
Knishinsky’s 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, clay’s 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 Rock’s 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 nutrients—“they 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.
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Message: 2
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 1999 10:12:45 PET
From: "Hippocrates Health" <[email protected]
Subject: Diabetes - Oxygenated Blood Can Help
Adult-Onset Diabetes—Oxygenated Blood Can Help
FRANK SHALLENBERGER, M.D.
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You don’t 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
Virginia’s blood then injected it with ozone gas. Ozonating the sample of
Virginia’s 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 Virginia’s
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 didn’t 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 they’re unable to
resist infections.”
A prime reason the red blood cells in the diabetic’s 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 isn’t enough of this molecule in the system, the red blood
cells can’t deliver the oxygen.
When you introduce ozone—that is, more oxygen—into 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 didn’t want to give up drinking beer. Even with a daily
dosage of four Micronase pills (another blood sugar–controlling drug),
Quentin’s 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.
“Quentin’s 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 Quentin’s treatment, Dr. Shallenberger added another element to the
ozonation procedure: chelation. The chelation would help improve Quentin’s
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
Quentin’s 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, Quentin’s 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 Quentin’s
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 Quentin’s right foot twice. “I’m 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 Leonard’s 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, Leonard’s 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 Leonard’s 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, Leonard’s 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.
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