Healing earth

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dry healing earth powder

Healing earth is a powder that is extracted from ice age loess deposits and processed for various applications. It is usually used or ingested mixed with cold water . From a medical point of view, healing clay is an over-the-counter drug with an antiacid effect.

history

The use of clay healing earths was already practiced before the modern age, in the Middle Ages they were also known as Bolus Armenicus and came on the market as Terra sigillata . Its use was later promoted by Sebastian Kneipp , the “clay pastor” Emanuel Felke and Adolf Just , among others . According to Just, the healing earth was “nature's best remedy”.

Components

From a mineralogical point of view, healing earth consists essentially of aluminum silicates such as B. in bentonite and other minerals in varying compositions. Often it is loess , loam , clay or peat soils. Healing clay is also known as Ice Age loess. Their composition depends on the mining area. In addition to the silicates mentioned, calcite , feldspar and dolomite are often found , but also trace elements (see also marl ).

Application and effect

Healing earth is used both externally and internally . For example, it is used externally to support the inflammatory component of lymphedema , for anti- inflammatory and pain-relieving treatment of polyneuropathies , as part of hydrotherapy for hyperthyroidism , or for sinusitis with warm, moist compresses on the sinus region and the neck.

Healing clay is also said to help externally against acne , but also against joint pain. Internal areas of application include digestive disorders such as functional dyspepsia . Scientific evidence (in the form of a meta study by the Cochrane Collaboration ) is (only) available for the weak effectiveness of smectite against diarrheal diseases in children.

Side effects

Healing Earth could inside the active ingredients ingested drugs bind and thus impair their effectiveness. Therefore, the advice of a doctor should be sought if healing clay is taken in addition to medication. The increased supply of silicon due to the contained silicates can also lead to increased urinary stone formation. With long-term use, silicates can lead to chronic interstitial nephritis . To what extent the aluminum compounds contained in healing earth such. B. in bentonite are health problems , is still disputed. An assessment of bentonite as harmful can be found e.g. B. in.

The Federal Office for Risk Assessment (BfR) took up a recommendation to only consume a maximum of 1 mg of aluminum per kg of body weight per week in a statement dated February 20, 2015. There it says: “When considering the hazard potential of aluminum, the focus is on effects on the nervous system and toxic effects on reproduction, as well as effects on bone development. In healthy people, aluminum is excreted through the kidneys. In people with kidney disease, especially chronic kidney failure, this elimination route does not work well enough, so that accumulations in the body can occur. But even in healthy people, the light metal accumulates in the course of life in the body, especially in the lungs and the skeletal system. ”These statements apply to both bentonite and kaolin.

In addition to its internal application as a healing earth, bentonite was also used in the beverage industry (in wine production , in the production of fruit juices) and in cocoa butter as a fining agent (i.e. as a clarifying and precipitating agent) (no longer present in the end product). Bentonite was added to food as a release agent. It was also known as a food additive under the name E 558 . E 558 has not been approved in the EU since May 31, 2013 .

Externally, healing clay dries out the skin, which is desirable in the case of acne, but can lead to problems with other applications.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Healing earth application - more beautiful skin thanks to Mother Earth's "miracle cure" from nature In: Local Gesund & Schön. September 11, 2017 , accessed on July 2, 2019 (section "What is healing earth"): "From [...] soils that mainly contain 'bog, clay, loam, [...] loess earth' . "
  2. ↑ Karin Kraft ( University of Rostock ): Lymphedema. (PDF) training. In: hautnah dermatologie, volume 27, issue 4. SpringerLink , July 2011, p. 256 , accessed on May 19, 2018 . ISSN 0938-0221  
  3. ^ André-Michael Beer ( Ruhr University Bochum ): Polyneuropathies. (PDF) In: MMW-progress of medicine , volume 153, issue 48.Springer Medizin Verlag Munich, December 2011, p. 27 , accessed on May 19, 2018 . ISSN 1438-3276  
  4. ↑ Karin Kraft ( University of Rostock ): Functional dyspepsia. (PDF) In: MMW-progress of medicine , Volume 154, Issue 8. Springer Medizin Verlag Munich, May 2012, p. 30 , accessed on May 19, 2018 . ISSN 1438-3276  
  5. ^ Karin Kraft ( University of Rostock ): Sinusitis. (PDF) In: MMW-progress of medicine , volume 153, issue 40.Springer Medizin Verlag Munich, October 2011, p. 19 , accessed on May 19, 2018 . ISSN 1438-3276  
  6. ^ André-Michael Beer ( Ruhr University Bochum ): Functional dyspepsia. (PDF) In: MMW-progress of medicine , volume 152, edition 7. Springer Medizin Verlag Munich, February 2010, p. 21 , accessed on May 19, 2018 . ISSN 1438-3276  
  7. ↑ Pérez ‐ Gaxiola G, Cuello ‐ García CA, Florez ID, Pérez ‐ Pico VM: Smectite for acute infectious diarrhea in children . In: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews . No. 4 , 2018, doi : 10.1002 / 14651858.CD011526.pub2 (Art. No .: CD011526). PMID 29693719
  8. ↑ Michaela Matus: Healing earth: This is how nature's "miracle cure" works. In: Focus Online. November 7, 2017, accessed on August 10, 2018 (In the section "Interactions and Side Effects"): "Under certain circumstances, the healing clay can lead to interactions and bind the active ingredients of drugs."
  9. ↑ JW Dobbie, MJB Smith: Urinary and serum silicon in normal and uraemic individuals. In: D. Evered, M. O'Connor (Eds.): Silicon biochemistry. (= Ciba Foundation symposium. 121). John Wiley & Sons, Chichester 1986, ISBN 0-471-91025-2 , pp. 194-208.
  10. ↑ a b Is bentonite suitable for internal use? In: Pharmazeutische-Zeitung.de, Mediengruppe Deutscher Apotheker GmbH, Apothekerhaus Eschborn. May 9, 2016, accessed on September 3, 2016 (answer from Hiltrud von der Gathen).
  11. ↑ a b EU Regulation No. 380/2012 of the Commission of May 3, 2012 with regard to the conditions and quantities of use for food additives containing aluminum (PDF)