What are the benefits of bentonite clay for joint pain? How to use it on the joints? Cataplasm? Gel? How to put it on the knee? Finally, is there any danger in eating this clay (raw)?
I. What are the Joint Problems?
Joints are among the most sensitive parts of the human body. They are areas where two different parts of the body join. The mobility of a joint depends on its role and location.
Joint problems therefore automatically impede the mobility of the sufferer.
There are various reasons for joint pain. Age is the most common cause of joint pain, but other factors can also be involved. Diseases, viruses, overweight, or even trauma can cause joint problems.
The pain can come from a ligament, the cartilage, or the tendon.
Osteoarthritis, for example, is caused by the wear and tear of the cartilage. It is a mechanical pain. In this case, the pain is often reduced with activity.
Arthritis is an ailment in which joint pain is caused by an infection or inflammation. This type of pain can wake up the sufferer during the night. In this case, the joint often looks red and swollen.
Apart from these two common conditions, there are other joint diseases. Hip colds, gonarthrosis, or rheumatoid purpura are just a few of them.
II. What Is Bentonite Clay?
Bentonite clay is a product that comes from volcanic ashes dating back several million years.
Its deposits are found particularly in the United States, in Texas, or Utah.
Bentonite clay is a fine powder that has no particular fragrance. Its color is between beige and light green.
This clay can be used both internally and externally. It also has excellent healing and absorption properties.
If you use bentonite clay, it is not recommended to use metal utensils and to prefer wood or plastic.
III. Benefits of Bentonite Clay for Joint Pain
Bentonite clay is a natural compound that has been used for a long time for various health problems.
Rich in minerals and various trace elements, bentonite clay comes from volcanic rock. It is a natural product that has both anti-inflammatory and remineralizing properties.
Bentonite clay is rich in aluminum silicate. It also contains elements such as magnesium, potassium, sodium, and iron.
Perhaps you know it, especially for its action on beauty. Bentonite clay can also be very useful in cases of joint pain.
On the joints, bentonite clay acts first of all by reducing the feeling of pain. Whether your joint is more or less mobile, putting bentonite clay on it will bring you certain relief.
The minerals, particularly the silica found in bentonite clay, have a particular action on the body. These compounds allow a repair of the bones and the tendons. Silica thus improves the health of the articulation, by reinforcing it.
After any trauma, bentonite clay will help rebuild your bones or heal your tendons.
If you have a swollen joint, bentonite clay will significantly reduce the swelling. This is why it is said to have adsorptive properties. A word meaning that it drains bacteria and liquid from the blood.
It is from this faculty that derives its depurative capacity since once the toxins leave the body it is purified. Even healing is facilitated by bentonite clay.
As age advances, the joints become more fragile. This process is essentially due to a loss of minerals, we speak of demineralization of the joints. These lose fluidity and become painful during movement.
The use of bentonite clay can help you remineralize your joints. Not only is the joint more supple, but bentonite clay also helps slow down the aging process of the joints.
IV. How to Use Bentonite Clay for Joint Pain
1. Bentonite Clay Poultice for Arthritis
Bentonite clay can be used in different ways. The poultice is one of the most common uses.
For this, use 2 teaspoons of clay, which you will have mixed with water to make a homogeneous and not runny paste.
You can add drops of lemon eucalyptus.
It is better to use a hot poultice in the case of osteoarthritis, so heat your preparation in a water bath. Then apply it on a thin cloth, before putting it as a dressing on your joint. Use cling film to hold the poultice in place.
The time to apply a poultice depends on the extent of the pain. Generally, 2 hours are enough to have an effect.
You can also keep it on until the clay dries. One hour is still a reasonable amount of time.
2. Bentonite Clay for Knee Pain
You can also use bentonite clay for knee pain.
Its antiseptic and healing properties allow you to apply it to wounds. While its remineralizing properties will help in case of bone problems.
Without forgetting that it is an anti-inflammatory, which will be able to attenuate your pain.
In a poultice or paste applied directly on the knee, bentonite clay will relieve your knee.
3. Bentonite Clay Poultice for Tendonitis
For tendonitis, you can also apply a clay poultice. The same way as for osteoarthritis, but without the essential oils.
Keep it on for at least an hour and do it for 4 or 5 days in a row, once a day.
4. Bentonite Clay Gel
There are many gels available today in supermarkets that have bentonite clay in their composition.
These products are anti-inflammatory and often combine the soothing action of bentonite clay with other compounds of the same caliber. Essential oils or plants for example.
These bentonite clay gels can be very effective in cases of joint pain.
5. How Long Does It Take for Bentonite Clay to Work?
For joint pain, bentonite clay is used as a poultice. You just need to mix the clay with water and leave it on for a maximum of two hours.
This operation must be repeated several days in a row. However, the first effects on the pain are felt two days at most after the application of the poultice.
But if you notice that there is no improvement, consult a doctor.
6. Can I Use Bentonite Clay Everyday?
For external use, it is quite possible to use bentonite clay. However, in all things, too much is bad. For body and hair care, three uses per week are recommended.
For poultices, one week is sufficient. And finally, for internal use, three-week cures twice a year at most.
If you wish to use bentonite clay for internal and external health issues, do not hesitate to ask your doctor’s advice.
7. How Do You Use Apple Cider Vinegar with Bentonite Clay?
Bentonite clay and apple cider vinegar is an effective mixture as a hair mask and facial.
But considering the many benefits that these two products offer to our body, we can very well use them as a poultice.
You have to mix the two ingredients according to the use you want to make. If necessary, you can add a little water. You have to wait for the foam to subside before applying the clay to the skin.
8. Can You Put Bentonite Clay in a Bath?
The answer is yes! Just run hot water in the bathtub and add a cup of clay. Mix well with a plastic or wooden object.
Once the clay is well dispersed, let the cold water run until it reaches a temperature you are comfortable with.
Relax in the bath for about 15 minutes and rinse thoroughly.
In the end, moisturize with your usual cream or lotion.
9. Can You Mix Bentonite Clay and Epsom Salt?
Yes, it is possible to mix bentonite clay and Epsom salt. This mixture is perfect if you need to take a bath.
In hot water in a bathtub, mix the clay and the Epsom salt. Then add cold water to get an acceptable temperature for your body.
And finally, relax in your bath for an amount of time.
10. Can You Mix Bentonite Clay with Lemon Juice?
It is quite possible to mix lemon juice with bentonite clay. It is a mixture that is very effective for face care.
In a little clay add lemon juice and water until you get a homogeneous paste. But before adding water, wait until the foam caused by the addition of lemon is reduced.
Apply to the face for about ten minutes and then rinse. You can also use it to relieve joint pain by applying it as a poultice.
11. Can I Add Honey to Bentonite Clay?
The benefits of honey on the body are well known. Both internally and externally. Mixed with bentonite clay, its effects on the skin and hair are increased tenfold.
These two ingredients are also very effective if you put them in a poultice to relieve joint pain or to clear the lungs.
In a plastic or wooden bowl, mix your two ingredients. Apply the mixture to the affected area and leave for a maximum of two hours.
12. Can You Take Activated Charcoal and Bentonite Clay Together?
This is a mixture that is particularly useful for horses. These animals consume a mixture of activated charcoal and bentonite clay to relieve stomach aches.
For humans, for external use, yes, you can mix them.
But for internal use, since they play almost the same role on the digestive system, it is better to take them separately.
V. Other Benefits of Bentonite Clay
Bentonite clay is not only useful in case of joint problems; it also has other virtues.
In case of stomach pains, consuming bentonite clay helps to eliminate accumulated toxins. Its faculty of absorption enables it to rid the stomach of its gases. To do this, you must ingest bentonite clay. You can mix it in water.
Bentonite clay is also used in beauty care. Bentonite clay masks are excellent for the skin. Especially oily skin is purified by the action of this natural compound.
If you suffer from rheumatism, bentonite clay can relieve you. Add it to your bathwater and let its benefits work on you. Not only will your skin feel softer after your bath, but you will generally feel better.
In cases of injury, too, clay improves the skin’s ability to heal.
VI. Is It Safe to Eat Bentonite Clay (Raw)
Bentonite clay can be consumed in any way. However, oral cures are not recommended for children under 3 years of age, pregnant women, and people suffering from constipation and hypertension.
Moreover, geophagy, the regular consumption of clay, can have unfortunate consequences. It could cause cardiomyopathy or intestinal problems.
VII. Potential Bentonite Clay Dangers
Internally, if you drink bentonite clay for more than three consecutive weeks and several times a year, you can cause intestinal obstruction or necrotizing enteritis. Both can lead to perforation of the intestine.
When used externally, there is a possibility of developing an allergy. This is why it is recommended to test the clay on a small portion of the skin and observe for a few days.
VIII. Does Bentonite Clay Remove Heavy Metals from the Body?
We do not yet know the full extent of the potential of bentonite clay on our bodies.
Using bentonite clay either internally or externally allows us to rid our body of all sorts of impurities, pollution… This clay is a real trap for poisons and even eliminates heavy metals such as mercury.
IX. What Is the Difference Between Aztec and Bentonite Clay?
Bentonite clay and Aztec clay are very useful for external use, especially for skincare. They help get rid of toxins and soften the skin.
The main difference between the two clays is that bentonite clay can be used internally, which is not the case with Aztec clay.
X. Which Is Better Sodium Bentonite or Calcium Bentonite?
Between the two types of clays, we recommend calcium bentonite clay.
Even if it does not have the same absorption and swelling capacities as sodium clay, it plays a very important role in relieving gastric problems.
It can also be very useful externally as poultices and for body care.
Useful Links:
Bentonite Clay: Benefits, Uses, Side Effects, DIY Masks & More
Bentonite Clay for Scalp [Benefits + Use]
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How to Use Bentonite Clay for Receding Gums and Tooth Decay?