There is evidence that humans have been eating green clay for thousands of years. The healing powers of clay, together with plants, herbs & other natural substances, were vital to ancient man.
There are many different clays, all with their own unique properties, but French Green Clay is considered to be the most effective for detox by many health professionals. The therapeutic use of clay in France is now quite common and substantial numbers of users have testified to its success in treating a wide range of disorders.
Green Clay is beneficial for all digestive disorders. It can be used for detox in the treatment of food allergies, colitis, viral and bacterial food poisoning, and parasites which are unable to reproduce in the presence of clay. It has also been used in the treatment of arthritis, diabetic neuropathy, stomach ulcers, acne, pain treatment, hemorrhoids, diarrhea and many others. It was reputed to have been used during the Balkan war of 1910 to reduce mortality from cholera among the soldiers from sixty to three percent.
High mineral content
You might be wondering how a clay can be useful in treating all these things. As well as being able to detox poisons French Green Clay, also known as illite, contains a wealth of healing minerals adsorbed from the plant kingdom including Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, Selenium, Silica, Iron, Potassium, Cobalt, Manganese,Copper, Phosphorous, & Sodium, micro-algaes, algae, and phyto-nutrients. The algaes give it its green color. It’s extracted from pollution free, high mineral content sites in France and carefully sun dried absorbing energy from the sun.
Like Bentonite, a Montmorillonite clay, the French Green Clay is used for detox because the molecules carry a negative electrical charge while toxins carry a positive charge. The positively charged toxic ions are attracted to the negatively charged surfaces of the clay molecule which hold onto it until both can be eliminated by the body. As the impurities are drawn out like a magnet the minerals it contains are released and absorbed by the body restoring health & vigor.
Skin detox beauty treatments
Many face masks, bath and spa products contain green clay as a main ingredient. It stimulates the blood and lymph circulation while adsorbing the toxins and removing dead skin cells leaving the skin smooth and radiant.
How to detox with French Green Clay?
Mix a teaspoon of green clay in a 8 oz glass of pure water using a non-metal spoon. Allow to stand overnight. Next morning before eating anything mix well with a wooden spoon and drink the clay and the water.You can add some lemon juice or cider vinegar to improve the taste if you like. Wait about 30 minutes before eating anything. Of course it goes without saying that you should follow a healthy eating or detox plan while doing this. You can have this detox drink everyday for 21 days then wait one week before repeating.
If you don’t have the time to do this in the mornings you can take it at night before you go to bed after mixing it up in the morning. You can take it both morning and evening.
Everyone responds differently so if this is your first experience with detox or Green Clay then you might like to introduce it more gradually. Mix the clay as above and take for three days. Miss the next 4 days then take for 4 days and miss the next 4 days. Continue like this until your body adjusts. Generally it takes 2 – 4 weeks for the body to get used to it. Many people increase the dose until they are taking 1 tbsp a day.
Although it is less likely to cause constipation than Bentonite because it is a “non swelling” type clay some people find that it does. The manufacturers claim that healing clays in themselves do not cause digestive or elimination problems and this side effect is caused by a digestive system that is functioning far below ideal levels.
It may also be because not enough water is taken during the detox. If you do get constipated then you can take 1 tsp of psyllium husk powder diluted in 200 ml of water or juice after the clay mix and again later in the day if necessary.
Benefits of Detox with French Green Clay
- Helps in the removal of heavy metals and other toxic substances in the digestive system.
- Natural remedy for food poisoning ( research shows it kills deadly bacteria)
- Cleanses the colon and promotes proper bacterial balance in the intestines
- Has anti-fungal properties so can be used for candida overgrowth
- Improves digestion
- Improves immune system function ( can increase T cell count)
- Stimulates liver function
- Helps to supply beneficial minerals to the body.
Not all clays are equal.
As clays become a popular detox treatment some that are less than pure are coming onto the market. Make sure the manufacturer provides a mineral analysis and a certified laboratory microbial test. Argiletz French Green clay is pure and available in Australia, the UK and USA.
Learn more about detox in my 9 Simple Steps To Slenderness Book.
Image credit: Mountain Rose Herbs
My sister aged 78 has recently been diagnosed with abdominal aortic aneurysm – could French green clay powder drink help shrink the aneurysm (it is now 4.5 cm). She eats low sodium and low cholestrol, tries to keep her BP normal. I am her caregiver.
Please advise if it would make her BP go too high or she may excert herself in making stool and that would endanger her aneurysm.
Thanking in advance for your help, Alice
I have never heard that French green clay could help shrink an abdominal aortic aneurysm. A low sodium and low cholesterol diet is good as long as it is also full of fresh vegetables and fruit and low in simple sugar. More raw food if she can manage it may help supply more nutrients that the body needs.
Many nutrients are needed for the health of the arterial walls. Citrus fruit is a rich source of bioflavanoids, needed for healthy vessel walls.
Some regular gentle exercise is good too. Straining of any sort should be avoided.
There is some suggestion that aneurysms are due to a lack of copper so she should get tested for this. A nutritionist or naturopathic doctor who has a special interest in cardiovascular problems may be able to help.
Sandy
My nephew has Crohn’s disease. He has had one surgery. He was on 6MP, and now he is on Humera. A friend of mine recommended I investigate French Green Clay. His mother has just been diagnosed with Crohn’s. Can you give me ANY information regarding French Green Clay possibly benefiting Crohn’s patients. I would certainly have my nephew check with his doctor before taking anything new.
Thank you.
Mary Aiken Wright
French Green Clay can help with diarrhea and reduce toxicity in the bowel that may be contributing to the inflammatory process.
A few things that your nephew may want to look into is David Klein’s approach to healing it: http://www.colitis-crohns.com/index.html
The specific carbohydrate has helped a lot of people too:
http://www.breakingtheviciouscycle.info/index.htm
I would consider parasite testing at a lab like Genova Diagnostics and also check for metal toxicity.
It all boils down to treating the whole person and not just the label he has been given.
I wish him better health.
Sandy
Great article, thank you! If I am taking supplements (herbal and vitamin), do I need to let an amount of time pass between drinking the clay water and taking the supplements? I’m thinking the clay might absorb some. Thank you!
Hi Deborah,
Yes, you are quite right. You should not take the clay water at the same time or near the time you take supplements or they could be taken out of the body by the clay before they are absorbed. Take your supplements well away from when you drink clay water.
Good health.
Sandy
If green clay
works in water. Would it not be more beneficial as an all body mask?
Hi Candie,
I don’t know about more beneficial but you could use it as a body wrap. Using it that way would not detox the gut though which is it’s main purpose.
Thanks for dropping by and taking the time comment.
Good health,
Sandy
How bad it is when I just shuffled green clay with metal spoon?
Hi Denis,
Good question! The answer is that I don’t know. There are various opinions about using metal spoons and utensils with various clays. Some say the the clay loses its beneficial electromagnetic qualities through contact with metal reducing most of its healing properties others say it will not. To be on the safe side it’s probably best to stick with the advice generally accepted that it’s best not to used metals when using any type of clay. Just try to remember next time.
Good health,
Sandy
Will this green clay help reverse autoimmune disease? Dermatomyositis in particular… .
Hi Carlton,
I don’t know of anything that can reverse an autoimmune disease. They are thought to stem from the gut so treating the gut can often help to control and improve symptoms. It often helps to get one of the latest stool tests that use PCR technology to take a look at the diversity of your gut organsims and look for any overgrowth of yeast or pathogenic organisms.
Best wishes for better health.
Sandy
Will this help me get off of the meds I take for high blood pressure and dermatomyositis? I want to really get off of them. Thank you.
Hi Carlton,
That I can’t say because there are a number of underlying causes for high blood pressure. Diet and lifestyle can help. Some researchers have found that drinking a cup of beet (beetroot) juice lowered blood pressure. Jucing in general can also help. Dermatomyositis is an autoimmune disease as you have mentioned in your other question. Autoimmune diseases can’t usually be cured but they can be controlled and symptoms reduced with the right diet and treatment. They are generally thought to originate in the gut so treating your gut could help. Getting a stool test done at one of the specialized labs that do PCR testing could help to determine if you have dysbiosis, or any overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria or yeasts or harbour parasites. A test for leaky gut would also be good. You need good diversity of gut bacteria for your immune system to function efficiently.
Best wishes for better health.
Sandy
The Detox Specialist