I’ve gotten a lot of emails and messages from IBIH readers asking for updates on my recent issues with food intolerances. First I want to say thank you so much for your concern and well wishes – it really means a lot to me. I’m so excited to let you know that I can now EAT ALL OF THE THINGS!!!!! Which is both good and bad! ha ha!
I went from being able to eat and drink almost nothing without having a reaction, to now being able to eat and drink pretty much anything. I credit this amazing change to the diatomaceous earth I started taking almost 2 weeks ago. In my desperation to find answers to my sudden onset of intolerance to everything, and in getting no answers from the doctors I tried, I did a ton of research online. I tried all sorts of supplements and enzymes in case it was a Histamine Intolerance and saw no improvement.
Mr. Hungry was also doing research and asked me about parasites, because he read that they could cause a sudden onset of food and chemical intolerances. In our research about that, we found diatomaceous earth (DE) which was supposed to kill parasites with no chemicals or herbs, so it was unlikely that I would have a reaction to it. Since DE was also purported to flush out viral, fungal and bacterial pathogens, heavy metals (especially mercury since I have a few amalgam fillings), yeast (Candida) and pesticide residues (we live in an agricultural area and they spray year round here), I thought it was worth trying since all of those things can also contribute to sudden intolerances.
I ordered the Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade ONLY) online and started taking just a teaspoon a day (mixed into water) on an empty stomach, and worked up to a tablespoon a day within a week.
I don’t know how quickly it actually worked, but my last reaction was on a Sunday evening (it was a bad one) and I started taking the DE the next morning and haven’t had a reaction since. I started testing foods in small amounts that Thursday, and nothing produced a reaction. By this past Sunday I was eating everything, and even drank a beer with no issues.
I deliberately pushed the envelope with sugar, gluten, and high sulfite foods like canned tomatoes and aged cheese, just waiting for a reaction to come out of nowhere and it never did (though I felt bloated and awful from eating all that junk). I still can’t believe it! Now that I can eat anything, I’m going back to my low carb/gluten free way of eating (with the occasional splurge) before I gain all the weight back that I lost since January! I’m also very excited to be back in the kitchen and cooking for the blog again. I have lots of recipes on my list to share with you guys soon, and I’m so looking forward to that!
While I can’t be 100% sure that it was the DE that fixed my problem, in my gut I feel strongly that it was no coincidence that my issues went away when I started taking it. I don’t know if it was parasites, or pathogens, or yeast, or built up toxins that were causing my intolerances – maybe it was a combination of things, but I can tell you that in the first week of taking it I saw some very disturbing things getting “flushed” out. That’s all I’m going to say about it, and no I did not take pictures, but I feel a lot better knowing that stuff is gone – whether it was causing my food intolerances or not!
Diatomaceous Earth isn’t just for parasites and all of the other stuff I mentioned, though that alone is more than enough reason for me to keep taking it! There are many, many other health benefits that come from taking DE – including lowering blood pressure and cholesterol! DE is also made up of mostly silica which is crucial for the production of collagen which improves skin tone and the health of your joints and tendons – not to mention gorgeous hair and nails!
I read so many testimonials about DE improving people’s arthritis and joint pain that I told my mother in law about it and she started taking it too. Mr. Hungry is also a believer and has been taking it for over a week, and I’ll be starting our son on it in small doses soon. DE is also used for livestock and pets to control worms and parasites. All of our cats will be starting the DE as well, since that is likely ground zero for a lot of potential parasites that the rest of our family might come in contact with.
There are so many uses for DE that I can’t possibly write about all of them here so I’m going to give you a few great links on it’s many uses, how to use it, where to get it, etc.
FAQ & other DE uses – for pets, livestock, gardens, bedbugs, etc.
Diatomaceous Earth Testimonials 1
Diatomaceous Earth Testimonials 2
Sources to purchase DE online (you can also find it at some health food stores to avoid shipping charges):
To take the DE, stir one tablespoon (you can work up to that amount if you’d like) into about 4 ounces of water. Be very careful not to inhale the dust from it when stirring. Once it’s fully incorporated, drink it down quickly and chase with some more water or your drink of choice. It’s best taken on an empty stomach in the morning or evening before bed (or both if you’re hard core!)
Drink lots of water throughout the day or you may get “bound up” as they say. You may experience some mild stomach discomfort and strange sensations in your abdomen in the first few days (things dying?!?!? Ewww!) which Mr. Hungry and I both did.
It’s also possible to have a Herxheimer Reaction, which is a normal part of detoxing, during which you may experience flu-like symptoms for a few days. This is a result of the toxins being released from the parasites, fungus, viruses, bacteria or other pathogens being killed off. Our family already had a bad cold the week we started taking it so it’s hard to say if we experienced that or not. But if you do, stay the course – it’s a good thing!
If you have food intolerances that randomly just popped up like I did (or even if you’ve had them for awhile), don’t just accept that they are simply there for life like most allergists will tell you. Try the DE – it’s cheap and has many other health benefits so you have nothing to lose! I can’t say enough how glad I am that I found and ordered this amazing product! I’m a believer for life!
If you’ve used DE before with great results (or not) we’d love to hear from you! And if you haven’t yet, but are inspired to research it and try it out for yourself, please do let me know about your experiences with it! I feel like I want to bag it up and hand it out to everyone I know! Hmmm…maybe there is a DE giveaway in the near future – I’ll get on that! ;)
UPDATE 2: I received an email from Larry Smith, the President of Earthworks, who wanted to clear up the misconception about any dangers of inhaling food grade diatomaceous earth – here’s what he wrote: “This is a misunderstanding about food grade DE. There are 2 kinds of DE—food grade and filter grade (used in swimming pool and other filters) Only the filter grade is dangerous to breathe. The “dangerous” part of DE is the amount of crystalline silica that is in it. Filter grade is 65% crystalline silica while food grade is less than 1/10 of 1%! The world health org. has said that diatomaceous earth is safe to breathe as long as the crystalline content is under 2%. Food grade is 20X lower than even that level!!”
So no need to be concerned about any danger associated with using DE for pets, bedding, consumption or anything else – as long as it’s FOOD GRADE! Thanks so much for clearing that up Larry!!! It’s a huge relief to know that I don’t have to worry about that anymore!
Necessary internet disclaimer: I am not a doctor, nor do I have any medical training – I’m just sharing what worked for me. Use this product at your own risk. Also, this is not a sponsored or for profit post, and I have no affiliation with any of the companies that produce this product.
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Roz says
Today you shared this older post and I was surprised to see DE mentioned. I have a lot of health issues and found out about DE in thyroid groups. I felt that I probably had Candida. I ate tons of sugar all the time. I joined a FB group that was about DE and decided to finally start about 15 months ago. For the most part I’ve stuck to the routine, and I never stick to anything. I only started with 1/4 tsp and while many here seem to have done OK starting with more, I suggest starting slowly. I had to also increase slowly, and maybe that’s because of my poor diet and cancer treatment. I had a decrease in my appetite almost immediately. I was off sugar very quickly. I’ve been able to (mostly) stick to a LCHF way of eating. I’ve lost some weight, hair and nails grow, and I have energy. I am only up to 2 tsps daily and still get the benefits. For those worried about it interfering with medications, I have no thyroid and will die (literally) without my medication. I’m doing great, I just space DE the same way I would with anything else, at least an hour after my medication. I’m going to share this post with my DE group. I think DE can be very helpful for those trying to cut out sugar and carbs. At first I had to hide the DE in something else, but now I mix it right into water and just throw it back.
Christina H says
Binge worthy YouTube videos about a personal experience with DE Diatomaceous Earth Long Term Review: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL2VtvY-qcvAj1q1CeVfMkQVLj5y-j_go9
Susan says
Could you post an update on how you’re doing these days? My experience is extremely similar to yours. Are you still taking DE? Is it still helping you? Have you discovered anything else that has helped you? Did you ever figure out what caused this to happen to you in the first place? I would love a general update. I hope you are doing well. Thanks!
Tim says
Hi, I’ve been taking Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth with meals off and on for a few months and I can definitely feel it first in my stomach then in my intestines. I’m just wondering: why does DE need to be ingested on an empty stomach?
Kelly says
Could you tell me if this is till working for you? I seem to be reacting to EVERYTHING I eat lately! I have been Paleo for nearly four years now, and my reactions seems to be getting worse. Thanks!
Darla says
I just lost 20 pounds on NutriMost, but my stomach seems bloated. I suspected candida and in researching, came across this site and others talking about DE. I decided to try it and for started seven days ago with just a teaspoon. No reaction so I took a tablespoon the next day, and next, then two tablespoons, one in the morning on an empty stomach and one before bed. After that, the next day I had a vague kind of sick feeling after eating, like the beginning of a stomach ache. After the next meal, I noticed the same thing. The sick feeling is hard to pinpoint, just kind of like when you have eaten something that is not going to agree with you. Not an upset stomach though. Lying in bed last night I could still feel kind of sick.
Today I didn’t take anymore DE and have still kind of had a sick pain. It’s not severe but it’s constant. I would think if it is detox it would be more severe, or I would see or feel other signs of it. Instead I’m just wondering if I’ve messed up my liver or anything like that. I was drinking a lot of water, it still constipated me yesterday but I was okay today. No sign of worms or anything. It has so many benefits and I was excited about it -my hands had been scratchy dry with the cold weather and I did see improvement after just two days. But now I’m worried.
Anyway that is my experience so far. Many of the posts here are old but it seems obvious a lot of the symptoms are parasites. There is a show on now called “Monsters Inside Me” about different kinds of parasites that people have gotten. It is really kind of scary. I would never, never eat sushi or any raw food! They can sure cause a lot of different kinds of symptoms.
Also, I was reading recently that sudden allergic or food intolerance reactions can be caused by a new pesticide having been used on a crop. Almonds are the most recent example. People who never had problems with almonds before suddenly develop “allergic” reactions – it’s not the food itself at all. It’s the pesticide. Something to think about.
I hope people will keep posting their experiences. If I find out what this sick feeling is, I will update.
Kelly says
Are you still seeing benefits of DE? I am at the point where I tend to have an IBS-D reaction to everything I eat! I am desperate for a solution. I have been Paleo more than four years now.
treecie says
I don’t get it. Everybody loves this so much, but ever since I took it for a week, more or less, I’ve had GI problems like crazy. I took a teaspoon twice a day, at the most, in water or juice on an empty stomach, and now I get constipation, bloating, and/or diarrhea that my usual natural remedies don’t do much for. It was 100% codex food grade. I have food intolerances, probably candida, and mercury fillings I wanted to prepare to remove, and I heard DE was good for all those things, so I was excited to find such a great supplement. Not. I feel like it threw my gut flora all out of whack or lodged in the crevices of my colon or God knows wbat.
John Watkins says
I have a similar experience to yours, except that for the first 3 months it was wonderful – it got rid of constipation bloating etc. After 3 months, the symptoms came back. I tried to increase the dosage and drink more water but it got worse. I tried to reduce the dosage but it made no difference. And now I don’t know whether to stop it altogether or continue. I wonder if diet has anything to do with it. I follow the scd diet
Kristina Beck says
I think that it has to do with the life cycle of parasites. I would keep taking it and try mixing it with prune juice. I know it is a scary thought but certain parasites are able to migrate to other areas of our body.
Jennifer says
Curious how you are doing. Our 12 year old daughter is down to 10 foods and we are desperate to find a solution.
Mellissa Sevigny says
Most of my food sensitivities are still gone after taking the DE for three months Jennifer! I have retained an allergy to Stevia, Chamomile and sea scallops but everything else I have no trouble with. I do have bad seasonal allergies still, but at least it doesn’t affect my eating anymore! If you haven’t tried the DE yet, it’s worth a shot. Adding probiotics and bone broth to help heal a leaky gut has also helped a lot of people, since leaky gut can cause an onset of crazy food allergies. I’m working on that myself right now to see if it helps my season allergies as well! Hope you figure out a solution that works for her!
Rosamund says
Hi Melissa, I have to say…I’ve had a very similar discovery to you of recent.
It is now the end of April and I started to get noticable hives around november at a time of being really stressed. From then I started to eliminate foods one by one, gluten, lactose, deadly nightshades, but still I was getting this God awful rash on my face. I then realised it was my fabric softener, I changed it went and had an allergy test and true enough, I had a perfume mix allergy. This was discovered in March. From then on I removed all products (cleaning and cosmetic) that contained fragrance, rewashed everything – no small feet! But after that the rash still wouldn’t quite budge. I knew this sudden allergy had to be something else, why did it just appear?! I was also experiencing headaches, my vision seemed off even though the optomotrist said I had excellent vision, and all energy was gone. To top it all I was experiencing a lot of anxiety – more than I had experienced in years.
My reasearch pointed to Candida, something my sister has suffered from for years and has controlled with diet. I went on a serious sugar free, candida diet. Took probiotics, magnesium, vit c, capylic acid, and was pretty strict with the diet overall. Things were slowly improving.
But finally I discovered diatomaceous earth a couple of weeks ago, bought some Food Grade on amazon, took some on the Friday morning (luckily I was home) and proceeded to have severe die off until the evening. But after that, I’ve been taking more and more (heaped teaspoon morning and night) and it’s only been 4 days!
My skin is healing. It’s not reacting like it did. I feel like it is hopefully one of the final solutions to removing this allergy and getting my life back. Good to hear about your journey, makes me feel like I’m truly moving in the right direction! x
Oz says
Hi, I am so grateful to hear how this helped you! Did the reactions come back after you stopped taking it?
Susanna Sheppard says
The bag I bought is in ‘pellet’ form – kind of like kitty litter. Do I crush it up?
Judi says
Are you sure you bought Food Grade DE? Food Grade DE is a powder similar to flour. Hope this helps.
Chanda says
Regarding the DE, I’ve read that it works better somehow if you add a few tablespoons to a large container of water, shake or stir it up, then let it sit overnight so the sediment can settle to the bottom. Then you drink what’s above the sediment, which is slightly translucent water. As your water is used up, you just continue to add more water to your container, shake it up so that the sediment is redistributed, and again let it settle.
I’ve taken DE the way you describe above, just mixing a teaspoon or tablespoon into water or juice and drinking it down, but I’ve found that it’s much more tolerable to take it as saturated water. It’s not gritty, it doesn’t have any taste. I’m curious if anyone else has tried it this way, and what your experience was?