Excuse Me. Is This Your Worm?

Can you imagine walking along the shores of a fresh water lake, seeing some fossilized algae and saying to yourself, “Hmmmm. I think I’m going to try and eat this?”  Or worse, how about someone who notices that this fossilized algae kills insects and then decides to eat it?  Crazy, huh?  I don’t know how things like Diatomaceous Earth ever get discovered, but I sure am glad they do.

Diatomaceous Earth--a microscopic view. photo c/o www.holocaust-history.org

With Diatomaceous earth, you have one of the most wonderful natural remedies for removing all kinds of toxins in your body AND a highly effective remedy at eliminating pesky bugs from your home, garden, and stored grains.  Allow me to take you into the world of Diatomaceous earth today.

For starters, let’s talk about the vital benefits that Diatomaceous earth has on your body. Personally, I drink about 2 teaspoons of it daily in my water bottle (will build up to 1 tablespoon).  (I follow that with 2 teaspoons of Redmond Clay in the next water bottle I fill, but that’s another story.) Why? Because like everyone else who is reading this, I have parasites, tapeworms, bacteria, viruses, and toxins in my body.  Diatomaceous earth is HIGHLY effective at completely removing them from your body.  Since we accumulate these kinds of undesirables in our body every day, I’ve incorporated daily doses of DE in my water every day in order to win the long term battle. If you refuse to take DE regularly, at least give small amounts to your pets and cattle every day. I give my small dogs ½ teaspoon daily for maintenance, and a bit more if they ever get an ear infection or are throwing up. They readily eat it and in fact, when I started them on it, it caused one of the dogs to stop getting into the soil of my plants.

Parasites, tape worm, and weevils--oh my! photo c/o historyfilms.net

How do we get parasites, tape worms, e-coli, etc? Kind of a yucky topic, but let’s put our iron stomachs to work for a moment and learn a little bit.  First of all, you can easily get parasites/worms from the foods you eat. For example, if you eat wheat or other whole grains, you are consuming weevils.  It doesn’t matter how often that wheat was cleaned or how much you paid for it, you’ve got weevils. If you consume regular commercial red meat you also have parasites, and most likely some e-coli in your body as well. There are internal and external parasites associated with cattle.  If you eat pork, regardless of how long you cook it, you definitely have parasites and bacteria in your body. The fat in the  pork is made up primarily of the toxins and waste that the pig eats. It’s just a fact of life, folks. Lungworms, which are rampant in the intestines of cattle, cause viral and bacterial pneumonia.  Sushi also houses parasites, salmonella, and a myriad of other bacteria.  The raw fish is the least of my worries.

Dogs, Cats, and most pets carry parasites, which can be transferred to humans. photo c/o www.javno.com

Secondly, if you have pets such as dogs, cats, hamsters, rabbits, etc. you have parasites as well—that is if you ever pet them, let them sit on you, lick your face, etc. Parasites from pets particularly dwell in your intestines leaching the nutrition that you had otherwise intended for your own body. It is virtually impossible to have pets and not have parasites as a result—unless you use DE in your body and in there’s another story. (I’ll get to that later.)  In fact, just  one kind of internal round worm known as Toxocara, has infected 14 percent of our population according to the CDC. Toxocara comes specifically from dogs and cats. Toxocara is particularly predatory among children. This doesn’t mean that 14 percent of the population has pets. It means that there are sufficient  number of pets in our surroundings. Even those without pets are exposed to parasites that originate from them. Toxocara is easily accessible simply by playing in a sandbox or a playground of dirt or mulch.

Soil is another source of such body invaders. If we work with it in our gardening, we're going to get it in our bodies.  Hanging out at a farm which uses pesticides and herbicides also brings unwanted toxins in our body.

Giardia and other water-born parasites photo c/o physorg.com

Giardia and other water-born parasites photo c/o physorg.com

Unfortunately, water, whether it’s treated by the city or not, is one of the biggest culprits of introducing unwanted bacteria and viruses into our bodies.  In a disaster scenario in which we would have to forage for water, we are likely to consume even more. This is another reason why I’m grateful for the existence of Diatomaceous earth.  Not only can I use it to filter any questionable water, but even if I use other methods, I can also consume the DE regularly to help counteract anything I may have missed in my water filtration or cooking.  DE is a very effective water filter!  All you need to do is take a bucket and drape a tight-knitted cloth on top of the bucket, then a cup or two of DE on top of the fabric in a small mound. Slowly pour the questionable water through the DE into the bucket. Not only will you have drinkable water, but you will also have mineral and vitamin enriched water. This is why I often refer to preparedness as a source of peace in my life as opposed to panic. I can’t help but look at DE and say to myself, "Wow, Heavenly Father. You’re just full of nice little miracles all over the place." I mean really, a substance that kills unwanted bugs of all kinds, but is good for humans and cattle! Cool!

So, what are the consequences of parasites and other like critters in your body? Blindness, obesity, anemia, frequent headaches, weakened immune system, irregular bowel movements, depression, stunted growth, autism, and even death  (although the benefits are so vast and innumerable that it requires a whole "nother article). That’s just what can happen to humans. Imagine what is taking place inside the animals we love or are trying to raise.  The great thing, though, is that de-worming doesn’t need to be an unpleasant one-time event that you hope you’re doing often enough. Keep your body optimal by paying attention to extracting toxins from your body every day by incorporating DE in your daily regime. After watching a medical video about what parasites can do in my body after only 72 hours, I’m definitely converted to the every day approach. Ugh!  Besides, wouldn’t you rather use an organic method of de-worming you and your pets/cattle etc. instead of nasty chemicals?! I know I would. When I teach about water consumption, I teach that adding flavoring to your water changes the chemical make-up and causes the body to have to work harder to process the water into a distilled state so that it can use it. However, when you’re adding the DE, all you’re adding is organic vitamins and minerals that your body will readily assimilate and not have to work hard to extract from the water.  If you must, you can consume the DE in juice or something else like that, but I have found that I seriously don’t notice the taste in the water at all.  Besides, is there anything that can taste bad enough to prevent me from trying to fight THIS? (yuck alert!)

Colonoscopy Demonstrating a Moving Worm

or THIS?!

2008-11-22 - BBC News - Worm removed from woman's brain

Bacteria can thwarted by minerals and diatomaceous earth. photo c/o www.hubtesting.net

Let’s leave the parasites alone for just a moment. One of the other assets to DE is that is also absorbs bacteria AND viruses.  Bacteria and viruses are essentially the tiniest of little critters. They are no match for DE’s effectiveness.  The fact that you have something that will absorb and get rid of both in your body is great. Even modern medicine isn’t effective at fighting viruses. One of the reasons why bacteria is no match for DE is because of the vast amount of minerals found in DE. Bacteria simply can NOT survive amidst minerals. (This is why I love using mineral make-up. It doesn’t go bad because of bacteria, because the bacteria can’t survive in minerals. Thus I may pay a bit more for my make-up initially but it lasts me a lot longer.) So the more that minerals make up your organs and blood, the less of a happy home it is for the bad guys trying to infect you.

How can DE kills bugs but not people? It’s all about the water content. Suppose that you needed to thicken 5 gallons of a very brothy soup. You wouldn’t expect to accomplish this using only a ¼ teaspoon of corn starch would you? (For those of you who really don't know you way around the kitchen, the answer is NO WAY! hee hee) So the benefit in using DE  has to do with the overwhelming amount of water content we have in our bodies as opposed to insects. Insects have very little moisture (contrary to what you may believe when you step on a cockroach), whereas our bodies are made up mostly of water.  This is also why DE doesn’t absorb all of the water that it inevitably grows near.  DE has also been used to help clean up toxins and oil spills.

So, what kind of DE do you need to obtain and where can you get it?  Well, that is the most important question.  You must use only FOOD GRADE DE.  If the manufacturer or seller of the product cannot tell you it’s food grade unequivocally, do not purchase it. For the longest time there were only two kinds of DE, pool grade and food grade. However, in an attempt to avoid paying the FDA the necessary fees to call DE “food grade” some manufacturers have started labeling their DE as “filter grade.”  Again, I implore you to accept no substitutes for FOOD grade DE. While you can do just about everything you want with the other forms of DE such as killing insects, detracting flies, using it in your garden etc. you should not consume any DE that isn’t food grade.  The reason is how it is processed. Just like grains intended for animals should not be consumed by humans due to the regulations that permit chemical additives in order to get more out of the product per package, so too should we humans not consume DE that isn’t labeled as food grade.

diatomaceous earth perma guard food grade

You can purchase food grade DE at most health food stores. However, I found that it’s pretty pricey that route. I prefer to get it in larger quantities and save a boat load of money.  I do know that Five Star Preparedness offers DE in two different formats. They offer it in 5 and 10 pound increments that's simply “food grade” DE. However, for those who want to be extra sure in their internal consumption, they also offer it in as “fossilized phytoplankton powder” (FPP) format.  This is in a 10 ounce jar that runs about $18.00. But I wouldn’t recommend you wasting your money on it since it’s the exact same thing that you can get in the 10 and 20 pound increments,  just with a more friendly “food” label for those who need that kind of reassurance, because for only $25 you can get the 10 pound container (which is the source of  what I use daily). Both are food-grade.  And please don’t buy into the whopper of a lie of a company telling you that the FDA won’t “let” them label their DE food grade. The FDA is all too happy to allow someone to label something food-grade so long as that company pays for the licensing and testing to do so.

I wish that we didn’t need something like DE as a result of our surroundings. But this is just how things are, folks. If it’s there, we get to inhale it, absorb it, or eat it. But I’m sure grateful that there’s a very economical solution out in the world. To see more on what DE can do for the world around you, check out the previous article I wrote about it here Diatomaceous Earth.

Remember, being physically prepared for the future also means being as healthy as you can now. So, let’s have a little DE sprinkled in our life. Cheers.

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Comments

I think you may have made a typo - E-coli is a bacteria, not a virus. Otherwise, interesting write-up on DE. As always, thank you for sharing!

Preparedness Pro's picture

You are absolutely right. That's what happens when I try to be intelligent under the influence of pain meds. Ugh!

Hi! I was just wondering how much DE do you mix into how much water in your glass/flask/whatever, and do you drink this all day, or just a "dose" once a day?
Also, do you have a link to Five Star Prep? I'm in way north MN with no stores that would have anything like food-grade DE. The other DE is "for those hippies that think they can garden without chemicals" (I kid you not, that is what I overheard at the gardening center a few years ago).
I have heard that using grapefruit seed extract does about the same thing, however, I KNOW that GSE is very expensive. The DE sounds like a more frugal, and probably surer, way to go.
I love your blog, whatever you write about is interesting. Please, please, please keep it up.

Preparedness Pro's picture

Yeah, I love GSE, but it simply doesn't have the same applications as DE in my opinion. I use it for other things, and yes, it's a bit pricey.
www.fivestarpreparedness.com
I'm glad you enjoy the blog, Ginger.

Sorry. I just re-read your blog and realized you answered my "how much DE" question, but how big is your water bottle and do you sip on this all day?
Thanks.

Preparedness Pro's picture

Sorry Ginger, I should have clarified that. I drink about 4 of my water bottles daily. One has DE in it. One has Redmond Clay in and the other two are just straight water. My water bottle is just a bit more than 24 ounces.

I checked out a website about d.e. after reading this article. I had no idea d.e. was good for so many things. I'm getting some d.e. and redmond clay this week, hopefully I'm picking some up from five star while I'm in Orem. Thanks for the info. I'm really excited to try it out. I'll let you know how it goes.

Preparedness Pro's picture

Good Michelle. I hope it does half as great for you as it has done for me thus far!

Does the filtered water you use become cloudy or dirty looking? I should think we wouldn't need too many pain meds if we are avoiding bacteria and viruses. Of course, there is always the unexpected in our bodies like broken bones and surgeries. Love the site; share it whenever I can. Last week you put 4 extra bulk TP packages in our storage.

Preparedness Pro's picture

Yes, it does become cloudy, Donna. Unfortunately, my bed ridden days are not the cause of bacteria or viruses. *sigh*
Glad to hear you got some extra TP. Keep listening to your own radar.
take care.

Been a while, but wanted to share my wonderful shot at DE... I have been bothered by what was diagagnosed as Irritable Bowl Syndrom......Well not so...I started taking

Wanted to thank you for the another great article.....I had never heard of DE till you mentioned it about 6 monthes ago. I did some research,bought some and started taking it. I had been diagnosed with IBS.....well not true....It took about 3 weeks, but no longer have any symptoms after 6 monthes. I can eat and drink anything and no longer am on any medication..
My Doctor of five years is now making her own study of this as she is very impressed. I must stress that this is not a cure all for all things. However in my case it worked. I also use it in the garden,living in the mountains there are a lot of creepy critters here. I do know that ants and spiders do not like to cross where it has been put down. I would have never mentioned this before a some medical problems can be enbarassing....I am not a doctor and would never recommend this for anyone. If it would help 1 person I would be thrilled......see you on the 10th of this month for your Survival Sanitation Webinar at 7:pm

Preparedness Pro's picture

Razr, thanks so much for sharing your story. Yup, DE should indeed help with the bowels according to everything I've read. But like I always say, I'm not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV. :-)

This gives me hope. I just purchased some from earthworks health (just another company) for our family. My 9 year old daughter was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome 2 years ago. Most especially I am hoping this will help her.

I know I asked you before (I can't find my previous q&a) but can you use food grade DE from the feed store? And what's your opinion on silver water?

Preparedness Pro's picture

It doesn't matter where you buy it, so long as it's food grade. The DE most likely from the feed store will be "filter grade"
I think that the propensity for using too much silver is a risk and thus I personally only use silver for specific medical scenarios. But that's just based on what I know at this point. I"m still researching and still learning.

I eat kosher....just wondering if DE contains anything that would be considered "unclean"??

Preparedness Pro's picture

You know Deb, I wouldn't trust myself to answer that question. There is a Jewish Preppers link though on my site. I'd go over there and ask them.

I am so glad I found you. What an education I have been getting! So much better than the college education I received. REALLY! Bless you!

From a place that I frequently buy food and stuff in bulk, they sell DE, but don't necessarily say food grade. Here below is what is posted in the description, does this count as food grade?
Thanks,
Lori

The following Celatom diatomaceous earth products meet the requirements outline in FDA Title 21, Part 573, Subpart B, Sec. 573.340 (animal feed additive specification):

MN-2 MN2 MN-51
AFA CROPGUARD ALL-GONE
FN-1 FN2 FN6

These products also meet the specifications outlined in the U.S. Food Chemicals Codex (FCCV) for use as a filter aid in food processing

Preparedness Pro's picture

You're answer is right there. "animal feed specification" not "human consumption specification"
Just so you know though, Codex, is just fine. It could mean that a food item can also be used for chemical purposes...ie Coca Cola, mineral oil, etc.

I researched DE, gosh what a great product. I love multi-taskers. Now I'll have to build my water filtration bucket. It will be easier than I thought with DE.
I live in farm country but getting DE that wasn't easy most products are set up for pests or pools. I'm sure the salespeople meant well but I won't trust my health, or my pets health on "I think it should be ok"

I too researched the DE and thought if it did half what they said it should be very beneficial. I found Food Grade DE on eBay and one of the sellers runs an animal rescue operation so I ordered from them. The 50# bag with shipping averages about $1/lb. which is great! I have been on it almost a month now and have much more energy, better attitude and have seen evidence of 'worms' so I know it's working! Thank You SO much for telling us about this Kellene.

when you are drinking this, do you put the earth right in the water or are you filtering your water with it then drinking? also could I just add this to a casserole, or spaghetti sauce etc?

Yes, I just put a tablespoon in my glass of water.
I have never used it in cooking. I'm concerned with how the recipe would turn out in using this anti-caking agent.

If DE destroys bacteria in our intestines does that mean it also destroys the beneficial bacteria we need?

Nope, that's a completely different frequency. Unlike anti-biotics which have no ability to chemically communicate, botanicals and minerals do, thus they are capable of differentiating between "good guys and bad guys".

Did you say you use 10 lbs a day?

Ah...I figured out why you're asking that question. I fixed the poorly written sentence. Thanks for the heads up.

Earlier in this post you say that you add this to your buckets when packing food. So my question is how much do you add to a bucket? Also, the DE that you have added to the bucket, can that be used to filter the water after the bucket has been emptied? Also when giving this to your pets how do you do that or does the package come with instructions on how to do this? I am new to this and Im finding your site very useful for many different things. I enjoy watching DDP every chance I get. I look forward to your response. Thank you very much you have helped out alot!

If you put "diatomaceous earth" in the search bar on this site, you'll get several articles in which I cover the use of DE. It's a GREAT product to have for lots of various reasons.
For a 5 gallon bucket, you can use 1 to 2 tablespoons. for dogs and cats, just a smidge of a sprinkle in their food once a day will make a big difference in their coat, joint health, bowels, etc.
the other articles will give you lots of great information.

Hi, I just started taking DE and wanted to ask if it accumulates in the body. I read somewhere that the intestines are pretty clean and do not need the extra cleaning as they need their mucousy covering? What do you think about this? Would the consumption of this lead to kidney stones? How come it doesn't kill the good bacteria in the gut, sounds too good to be true? Sorry for shooting so many questions, I just read some negative posts about DE and doubt started settling in me. Thanks in advance!

Actually, the intestines do not stay "pretty clean". Compromised digestive tracks are believed to be the #1 cause of the majority of illnesses by many medical professionals in Europe and Asia. In fact they call the digestive track "the 2nd brain" or "the second heart" of the body. A lot of people mistakenly believe that if they are expelling each day that they are clean inside, but it's only a small enth of what needs to be cleaned out. DE is packed full of minerals and beneficial silica. There are constituents in the DE that have long been studied from the medical perspective, though now as much here in the U.S. as parasitic problems are erroneously perceived to be more prevalent outside of the U.S.

There's a myriad of reasons why DE is so great for our bodies and that of our favored pets. I'd suggest reading some of the other articles that I've written about diatomaceous earth on this site for a better understanding. Just put in "diatomaceous earth" in the search bar with the quotation marks.

I love your site. Thank you so much for all your information.
I have had colon cancer and gone through the surgery and take downs and all of it. I wish someone had told me about this years ago. I was only 53 at the time of my surgery. If you can avoid going through colon cancer then by all means eat dirt.. LOL I am on my way to purchase DE for my family I will get into them one way or the other.
How much do you mix in your storage grains? I have 5 and 6 gallon buckets with the oxygen absorbers in the mylar bags of grains but would rather use the DE. I grew up on a farm.. all grain has bugs, its just a fact of life.

I do 1 tablespoon per 2 gallons of grains, seeds, etc. I just sprinkle it on top but my hubby sprinkles a bit when it's half full and then the rest on top.

I just found your site today as I am always looking for more information on diatomaceous earth. I have been taking this now for about 2 months and the difference I feel in myself is the best! Even my moods have finally stabilized to where I can stand myself as well as those around me. Usually what I do is add a tablespoon or 2 to a helping of my yogurt every day. If I have no yogurt on hand, then I just add it to my water and guzzle it down.
I am always recommending this product to people I talk with. Thanks for a great and informative post!!

The indegestion is as a result of your digestive system being off. I suspect that as you use the DE you'll find that dissipating.
I wouldn't put DE in the entire dispenser if it were me, rather, I'd use a T per 8-16 oz glass to start with if it were me.

I am reading all your posts that I found searching for diatomaceous earth. I keep a 1-1/4 gallon dispenser for water in the fridge because it takes so long to get good cold water from our faucet. How much DE should I put in this amount? Is it ok to do it this way or would it sink to the bottom of the dispenser? I have had so called irritable bowel off and on for several years and quit taking the prescribed medication a couple years ago because of the side effects and just deal with the symptoms. I am really hoping this will help me. Also my husband has frequent stomach and bowel problems also. Does DE do anything for chronic heartburn/indigestion?
Thanks for any input you may have.

Any thoughts on if this is a safe daily practice for young children or pregnant women? Would you use the same amount?

Everything I've read is that yes, it's perfectly safe. It's simply a natural form of nutrients, not a chemical. --unless you don't get "food grade" as "pool grade" is most definitely chemicalized.

It absolutely needs to be food grade, in my opinion, even if it's for cattle. I'd start out with 1 T. daily and go up from there to about 3 T.

Hello Professor Kellene:
Your site is a wondrous journey of discovery, and yet I find myself flummoxed! I am trying to make sense of the best way to preserve/store the grains and I am hearing from your posts that: plastic allows oxygen to enter the food, metal (mylar) does not allow oxygen transfer, oxygen absorbers "kill" the grain (so it cannot be used as seed or sprouted), DE does not kill the grain but does repel critters and enhance its health value, storing in a pete bucket with a mylar bag and oxygen absorber is overkill.

All that said, how does storing grain in a bucket with DE prevent oxygen transfer and, thus, spoilage?

Please help me understand the best way to store the grain to keep my family safe and the grain preserved as long as possible. Because I also read a post of yours on FB that said plastic and mylar have all kinds of toxins, and that only glass can really be trusted to keep out oxygen without toxins. Rather than toss my hands up in resignation, I’d like to invest with confidence.
Your help is so appreciated. P.S. Based on your recommendation, I got KR pressure cooker for Christmas, and it is AWESOME! All-day Split Pea Soup w/ ham in 15 min.! Thanks so much!

Oxygen transfer is good when it comes to items that you want to eventually sprout. Grains would be one of those items that I have no problem storing in buckets. I just use DE in each of the buckets. A couple of heaping tablespoons of DE in a 4 gallon bucket will suffice.

I'm so thrilled for you and your new "bling." *grin* I hope you have lots and lots of fun with it!

How much should i give my horse he is about 900# and does it have to be food gread? Thanks.

that depends on the other foods/fiber you consume. Even with harsh medications it can take 3 months. It also depends on how much you're taking, how big the pets are, etc. Just know that you're not only helping what's there get out, you're stopping from compounding the problem. Way to go!

Hi,
I just started taking DE and adding it to my pets water dish. We are all infected with parasites, so how long after we begin taking DE should it take to get the parasites out if our bodies?

Can it be taken with apple

Can it be taken with apple cider vinegar?Also what does it do to the good bacteria?

It doesn't impact bacteria

Preparedness Pro's picture
It doesn't impact bacteria because bacteria doesn't function like insects do.

I found a roundworm in my dog

I found a roundworm in my dog's faeces. How much DE should I giver her? Just sprinkle it on her food? Half a teaspoon?

It depends on the size of the

Preparedness Pro's picture
It depends on the size of the dog. I have little dogs (about 11 pounds each. I put a 1/2 teaspoon of DE in their wet food twice a day.

Hi

Hi
I take a tsp twice a day. I want to start consuming raw Eggs. I purchase them from a small organic farm up the street from me so I am confident the chances I get salmonella are really low. Will DE prevent me from getting salmonella ?

Nope, DE will not mitigate

Preparedness Pro's picture
Nope, DE will not mitigate the consequences of consuming salmonella. But it may help alleviate some digestive symptoms that come with those consequences.

Hey, I was tested for a

Hey, I was tested for a stubborn parastie blastocystis hominus and SIBO, IBS...so 2 years into my healing journey and having tried so many herbs and diets i was very excited to come across all the good reviews on DE. I started taking DE 2 weeks ago, just a teaspoon in water..but started to get really bad die off--headaches, super fatigued, dark circles...etc, although my gas and bloating were better I have stopped and trying to decide whether to go back on. I have just had so much die off over these two years. Did you get any die off? If so,Is it better to just push throught it?

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