Zeolite is an amazing crystalline rock with a honeycomb-like structure with cavities and channels. It is a mineral that serves to adsorb many different types of gases, moisture, petrochemicals, heavy metals, and radioactive elements.
There are around 40 types of natural zeolites that are formed in volcanic and sedimentary rocks and around 150 synthetic types, the latter manufactured for industrial purposes and not for human consumption.
Index
What is zeolite and what is it for?
Zeolite is a natural mineral derived from volcanic ash that slowly settled in the presence of gas and water vapor. This mineral is widely used in many fields of industrial activity where it is used to eliminate odors, capture particles and absorb moisture, but in the field of health, it has also been used to treat numerous conditions. We look at the most important uses of zeolite.
Zeolite is used to combat rheumatism
It is used in the treatment of all types of rheumatism, including sciatica, disc disease, ankylosing spondylitis, arthritis, or rheumatic arthritis.
Zeolite improves kidney functions
The diuretic effect of zeolite has a positive influence and helps improve kidney functions and fight infections.
Zeolite is used to lose weight
Because it is a detoxifier and a cleanser for the body, zeolite helps reduce weight. In fact, there is a capsule presentation, specifically for weight loss treatment.
Zeolite fights diabetes and purifies the blood
With the use of zeolite, an improvement in irregular blood values is recorded, positively influences triglyceride and hemoglobin values and improves the circulatory system. In most of the cases studied, it has shown a clear stabilization and decrease in the amount of sugar in the blood.
Zeolite serves as a neuropsychiatric effect
It has been proven effective in the treatment of insomnia, neurosis, depression, adjuvant treatment of epilepsy, schizophrenia, Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s.
Zeolite is an antioxidant and helps fight cancer
Being a unique antioxidant, it works by absorbing excess free radicals because it has an unpaired free electron. At the same time it has the rare ability to integrate a gigantic amount of positively charged toxins, indirectly neutralizing the appearance of cancers.
Zeolite serves to provide greater resistance
It is used to achieve an improvement in endurance during intense physical exertion and allows a reduction or even elimination of pain after intense exercise.
Zeolite is used to treat other health conditions
This mineral has a positive influence on the digestive system, cures diarrhea and duodenal ulcers. It is also applied in the treatment of periodontosis and other dental processes. It also acts in the healing of skin burns and as an antifungal, as well as in the proper functioning of the endocrine glands, especially the lymph nodes.
Zeolite serves to decontaminate irradiation
In eastern countries and in Germany, zeolite K is officially used in hospitals to decontaminate irradiations. The human dose of 1 to 3 teaspoons per day depending on the degree of contamination.
Zeolite is useful in agriculture
In this field, zeolite serves as retainers for cations, micro-life, trace elements and water. It considerably increases the cation exchange capacity, in particular by incorporating 10 to 15% of zeolite in the horticultural substrate. It is also widely used to grow bonsai cacti and arid plants as a substrate alone.
Applications and main uses of zeolite
This mineral has different uses, however its main applications refer to:
Heavy metal absorbent
Zeolite has been shown to be very effective at trapping lead, cadmium, arsenic, mercury, and other potentially harmful metals.
It is interesting to note that this mineral appears to eliminate toxins in a particular order. During the first few weeks, remove the heavy metals mentioned above; then it removes the second most urgent toxins, such as: pesticides, herbicides and plastics.
Radioactive resistance
Zeolite is one of the most effective fronts for controlling radioactive contamination in soils and for subsequent radioactive accumulation in the food chain. A study carried out in Sweden recently highlighted that MORDENITE, a natural zeolite, had decontaminated live meat and animals, affected by radioactivity during the Chernobyl nuclear disaster.
Since then, klinoptilolite-rich zeolite is now known to be one of the best radioelement scavengers in both animals and humans.
How does zeolite work in the body?
Zeolite has a negative chemical charge, which is a rare thing for a mineral. Under the microscope, it takes on a “cage” shape, which allows it to attract and imprison heavy metals and other positively charged toxic chemicals, acting as an important detoxifier.
Being a natural toxin trap, it traps them and then flushes them out of the body. In fact, thanks to its negative charge and its particular structure of porous microparticles, it can capture or attract positively charged ions (toxins) and free radicals, and eliminate them from the body, acting as a molecular sieve.
The strong detoxifying power of zeolite is due to the fact that the zeolite-toxin bond is almost impossible to break. Once attached, heavy metals cannot be separated or deposited elsewhere in the body because they are neutralized within the negatively charged zeolite field.
Therefore, once trapped, toxins are removed from the body by slowly passing into the small intestine, where the zeolite-coated villi purify the bloodstream.
Furthermore, this chelation process lasts only 5-7 hours and proceeds as a normal bodily process, with no impact on the kidneys or liver.
How is zeolite taken?
For complete detoxification, 1 teaspoon of zeolite (clinoptilolite) should be added to a glass of water or juice and drunk 3 times a day for 7 to 9 weeks, preferably twice a day for a lighter detox.
After the initial detoxification period, the process can be repeated again in case of particular health problems that require the use of zeolite or continue with a maintenance dose once a day.
A complete detoxification of heavy metals in the body can take 7 to 9 weeks or more, depending on body size, general health, lifestyle, diet, and age. Detoxification can be faster and more effective if there is constant improvement in diet and lifestyle.
Where to buy zeolite?
You can buy zeolite in powder, capsule or liquid form in health food stores, also in online stores. The best zeolite for human consumption is naturally activated clinoptilolite, without additives or synthetic substances.
Regardless of the site, it is important to ensure that you purchase 100% natural, food grade, volcanic zeolite. You must also be sure to buy a certified product that does not contain additives.
Contraindications or risks of consuming zeolite
Zeolite has no known major side effects or considerations, is also not toxic, and cannot be absorbed into the body through the digestive tract. Although rare, it can cause headaches and nausea from detoxification. However, there may be some risks, which we will try to mention.
Zeolite dehydration
Due to its ability to absorb water, zeolite can cause dehydration. Therefore, it is important to drink enough water, before and during zeolite consumption to ensure adequate hydration and to avoid constipation.
Zeolite and the use of other medications
Zeolite is contraindicated for anyone taking a drug that contains heavy metals, such as lithium, or that contains platinum, which are generally found in some cancer drugs. Therefore, it is important to discuss this with your doctor before taking Zeolite to rule out the presence of these metals in a treatment.
Synthetic zeolites
This type of zeolites should not be consumed, since they are for exclusive use in the filtration of industrial water, air purification and to eliminate radioactive particles and contaminants from the soil. It can also be used in pet litter to remove bad odors.
Conclusion on the use of zeolite
Zeolite, both in its natural and synthetic versions, has proven to be very beneficial in various fields. Its applications are numerous, as we have seen, to treat health problems and for industrial purposes. In agriculture, it has also shown excellent benefits.
Dr. Samantha Robson ( CRN: 0510146-5) is a nutritionist and website content reviewer related to her area of expertise. With a postgraduate degree in Nutrition from The University of Arizona, she is a specialist in Sports Nutrition from Oxford University and is also a member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition.