This is PART SIX of a SIX PART Interview series.  

Dr. Eugene Zampieron, ND interviewed Ran Knishinsky, author of Healing with Clay: A Practical Guide to Earth’s Oldest Natural Remedy about the health benefits of edible clay. 

RK: Yes, that’s correct. One other thing I would like to mention because we talked about using mud masks for skin conditions, clay has been shown to be effective, and there have been studies showing the external applications of clay and diminishing the symptoms of dermatitis. Think about dermatitis, you have a newborn at home, you want to wake up less at night, and there are clay lotions - so you don’t have to grab dirt from the backyard – and the clay lotions work better and faster than typical calendula gel treatments for example.

Dr. Z: Oh, so you can use that as a “baby powder”. I know that powder has gotten a bad rap in maybe causing ovarian cancer, there are some big lawsuits with the pharmaceutical industry. Powder is a mineral, there’s no relationship between these powders and clay, right? That’s important for listeners to know that when you put clay on the surface it’s not like putting baby powder on the surface which has been linked to all kinds of issues.

RK: There has been bentonite lotions that have been shown to be effective in preventing dermatitis or diminishing the condition. I would like to make a point for your listeners, please. The name Bentonite is seen everywhere, its seen on many different clays, both clays that you apply externally and clays that people will eat internally. However, the name bentonite by itself isn’t a mineral name. It’s a trade name for a commercially sold swelling clay. Whenever someone says they’re eating bentonite, that doesn’t mean anything to me. It just says that they are eating an expandable clay, but it doesn’t tell you the exact type of mineral clay that is being consumed. Whenever somebody is using bentonite to apply to the body, I think it’s fine, but as far as eating a bentonite clay, to me, there is a red flag there. That’s why I only go for clays where the exact mineral is listed and then you can relate it back to the scientific research and you know how that clay will work inside your body.

Dr. Z: You mentioned that there are different types of clays that are used and you’re an expert in that. People can go onto your website to get more information, which is www.DetoxDirt.com. Now, you mentioned a little bit about stomach flus. They found that when people have the flu, it’s important to soak up the various toxins that are produced by the virus itself. Or if they have some type of parasitic affliction, sometimes it’s the parasite that does the damage, but many times it’s the toxin that the parasite or enteric agent like a bad string of e.coli that produces, and that toxin is the problem. With cholera, the vibrio toxin that really causes the intestinal permeability. This is what our Doctor Fasano taught us the real physiology of leaky gut. When I was in naturopathic school, we had different concepts of leaky gut. We didn’t know about zonulin. We thought maybe the toxins somehow unglued the cement that kept the cells together and caused the leaky gut. Now we know its almost like an intelligent drawbridge that opens and closes, and the toxins can jam these things open and allow the garbage to get into your bloodstream. In essence, clay could sort of, maybe stop it from happening.

RK: This is a newer area with respect to edible montmorillonite clay. It’s thought that clay can fortify the intestinal barrier by cross linking to molecules in the mucus. And it’s been shown that smectite, and again this includes montmorillonite, have an increased mucin production. 

Dr. Z: So, it actually kind of putting a coat of slick-50 on your intestines, so to speak. Haha. 

RK: They think that the mechanism of action here to reduce the permeability of the gut wall to toxins and pathogens. Which means ultimately that earth can reinforce the intestinal wall and offer protection from harmful toxins and pathogens.  

Dr. Z: In the last two minutes of the show here, how do we eat clay? Do we take it in a capsule? Do we go into the backyard and get a shovel? 

RK: Go to your baseboard, grab a spoon, and spoon that dirt out! Haha. I take a powdered clay. Its typically sold in powdered form. It might be sold in encapsulated form, and it can also be sold in a gel form. You asked me earlier when I take it? I take it almost daily. There are days when I skip clay, like anything. But I take it almost daily because I am exposed to toxins daily. I do once a day, a teaspoon mixed with 4 oz of water and drink. It takes me literally less than a minute to do this.  

Dr. Z: Do you have to drink more water because it loves water, its hydrophilic? 

RK: Generally speaking, it’s always good to drink water! I live in Arizona so especially here. Drinking water is important. When doing clay, I like to take my clay on an empty stomach. In the morning when I wake up before I drink a cup of coffee. Or in the nighttime before I go to bed.  

Dr. Z: There are some recipes that you mention in your book. You can mix it with water, with tomato juice, prune juice…you call that a Pile Driver, that’s funny! Well, this has been a great show, I appreciate you coming on. Again, your website www.detoxdirt.com, you can find out more information about Ran and what he uses. And more importantly, read his book, learn about it first, you might be a big believer in clay. I think that this shows certainly opens some minds, certainly has educated me a little more about using clay in my practice. I have prescribed it when they are purposefully detoxing, but not as an everyday type of tonic, but maybe I will in the future! So, thank you for being our guest. Ran Knishinsky and Healing with Clay, a revised and expanded edition of The Clay Cure: A Practical Guide to Earth’s Oldest Natural Remedy. Love it! Real naturopathic medicine 101. 

END of Interview between Dr. Z and Healing with Clay Author Ran Knishinsky. Listen here: https://thenaturalnurse.podbean.com/e/the-natural-nurse-and-dr-z-040522/