As soon as we discovered the source of the pain, Vida and I had two entirely different reactions. I ran for the telephone to call poison control and she ran into the bathroom and grabbed a Tupperware bin of Bentonite clay mixed with water that she used occasionally as a beauty mask. All the while the death curdling screams of our son shook the chandeliers. By the time I found the number for poison control and was about to dial, a strange thing happened. Silence. I walked out into the living room and my son's face still oscillating white and red from a lack of oxygen from all the screaming was staring open mouthed at a glob of wet mud caked on the top of his hand. He seemed shocked that the pain was gone.

"What the hell is that?" was my question.

"It's clay," Vida told me. "I read that it was good for insect bites."

So that was my introduction to calcium Bentonite clay. Apparently the clay paste sucked the toxins out of the shallow puncture wounds and eased Max's pain within a matter of seconds. He was fine by the way and the swelling went down about 30 minutes after we removed the paste.

As it turns out, we live literally 15 minutes away from author, motivational and keynote speaker and founder of The Living Clay Company Perry Arledge. Her book, Living Clay, is the seminal work on the topic and Perry A~ herself has access to a calcium Bentonite mine that produces some of the world's finest calcium Bentonite clay. The source of the following information about the benefits of Bentonite Clay comes from this book.

Bentonite clay sometimes referred to as "Montmorillonite" refers to edible Bentonite Clay that belongs to the smectite family of clays. These clays were formed from volcanic activity millions of years ago.

Many sodium-based clays are marketed as edible Bentonite Clays but require mixing with an acidic beverage to offset the high sodium content prior to consumption. Our bodies cannot tolerate large amounts of sodium so the amount of sodium-based clay that can be consumed in a day is restricted to small amounts. There are no such restrictions for consumption placed on pure Calcium Bentonite Clay.

As Perry A~ says in her book, Living Clay: "Sodium-based clays are used primarily for industrial purposes, including: drilling mud; cat litter; plaster; matches; cement tiles; grease; house paints; copy paper; dynamite; shoe polish; concrete; crayons and bleaching agents. Calcium-based clays are referred to as "living" clay as they principally consist of minerals that contribute to the production of enzymes in all living organisms."

Calcium Bentonite clay is the preferred clay to be ingested by humans, animals, and plants and for incorporating into soil, so be careful when purchasing clay for consumption that you check the labels. The best Calcium Bentonite Clay is pure with a very fine mesh.

Humans have been using healing clays externally and internally to cure illness, sustain life and promote general health and well being.

Calcium Bentonite clay is both an "adsorptive" and "absorptive" agent.

The difference between these two words is fundamental to understanding how Bentonite clay minerals function and how healing clay works.

Perry A~ explains in her book Living Clay: "Adsorption describes the process by which the charged particles of other substances combine with the charged particles on the outer surface of the clay molecule. Bentonite clay molecules carry a negative electrical charge while toxins, bacteria, viruses, parasites and other impurities carry a positive charge. When the clay is taken into the human body, the positively charged toxins are attracted to the negatively charged surfaces of the clay molecule. The clay molecules act like a magnet, attracting and holding the toxins and impurities to its surface, and removing them when the clay is removed or expelled. That is why it is important to drink plenty of water after ingesting living clay, to help expel the now toxic clay.

Absorption is a slower and more complex process. Acting like a sponge, the Bentonite clay molecule draws other substances into its internal structure. Absorbent clays have a charge on their inner layers. This means that charged ions sit between the layers of the clay molecule surrounded by water molecules. The clay expands as foreign substances are absorbed and fill the spaces between the clay molecule's stacked layers. Absorbent clay will absorb positively charged toxins and impurities and ignore negatively charged nutrients. Calcium Bentonite clay is by far the most effective clay, with the strongest drawing power."

As it turns out, Bentonite Clay has many more uses than merely as a paste for scorpion and insect stings. I travel overseas to Southeast Asia every year. I never travel without my clay and I no longer suffer from traveler's diarrhea or dysentery or any of the other myriad diseases that I used to get perennially when traveling. A couple of ounces mixed with water before bedtime followed by a glass of water and this stuff just does the trick for me.

Most people snigger when I tell them I eat dirt and they have no idea I even brush my teeth with it. But you know what? That's ok. Our family budget for medical expenses has nothing but zeros in it.
 

About the Author: Jim Witcher is a recovering attorney, entrepreneur and popular health and wellness blogger. Benefits of Bentonite Clay and instructions on how to use bentonite clay can be found on Jim's blogsite at Free Spirit Health. (www.freespirithealth.com)