Diotamaceous earth - What are your opinions of it?

[dawg53]

This is the best article I have found for DE. http://www.richsoil.com/diatomaceous-earth.jsp I use it more for pest control in/around my coop then for the health of my birds but I use it in my house for myself (yep eat it) and my dogs (flea control). ONLY GET FOOD GRADE no matter what.

I'll stick to the coop reason. I live in Pensacola, FL in the city limits but here is the kicker I have a wooded lot. That means bugs and lots of them. I went into my coop back during the summer in middle of the night (i forget why) and was shocked to see how invested the coop was. No wonder my girls didn't wanna go to bed at night! So after I clean the coop, I "powder" it down. This is usually in the early morning before work so the dust has a chance to settle before the girls go in for laying.

I tried powdering them with it but didn't see a need as, Knock on wood, mites are one of the few bugs I don't have.

DE is cheap and 100% natural! so I guess it all depends on what your trying to accomplish with it for it to work. Just remember it won't kill anything squishy! LOL but it will do the trick on some crunchy critters!

You live near the beach. You'd be better off using sand than DE. DE is useless when wet until it dries...that's if it doesnt wash away in a thunderstorm. Sand wont wash away and dries quickly, think beach. If you think DE is okay to eat...make sure you tell that to the doctor at your next ER visit.

 

[loveourbirds]

Quote: you know those little packages that come in some electronic products that say "do not eat". those are basically the same thing. i read somewhere (not sure how reliable the source is) that people who eat DE had in increase in stomach ulcers and other colon/intestinal issues. it only makes since, your basically eating finely broken glass.

 

[Primo]

My memory is a little foggy on this but I do seem to remember reading studies years ago where diatomaceous earth was dangerous and potentially cancer causing (respritory issues) similar to long term exposure to asbestos. Since it is microscopic and has sharp edges it lodges in the lungs. It was enough for me to decide to quit using it (at the time I was using it in fish tank filters and bug control)
Take what I have said with a grain of salt as I am not going to scour the internet fact checking at the moment. Just throwing this out there.

 

[Jaxemae]

You live near the beach. You'd be better off using sand than DE. DE is useless when wet until it dries...that's if it doesnt wash away in a thunderstorm. Sand wont wash away and dries quickly, think beach. If you think DE is okay to eat...make sure you tell that to the doctor at your next ER visit.

Well Dawg53 yes I live by the beach but A) I hate sand B) sand will not kill roaches or fleas C) I am using it IN the coop on wood where it doesn't wash away in a thunderstorm or um get wet. As I said WOODED LOT.

There is no need to be rude thank you very much on my health choices. I haven't been sick in any fashion in the last 15 years and it wasn't by accident.

 

[dawg53]

There is no need to be rude thank you very much on my health choices. I haven't been sick in any fashion in the last 15 years and it wasn't by accident.

I'm not being rude, quite the contrary. I'm looking out for your health. One of these days you'll have to see a doctor, if anything...an annual checkup. They always want to know what you're taking; over the counter meds, vitamins, prescription meds etc....make sure you tell them that you're eating DE.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: None of it actually touches the lining of the stomach or intestines.
It passes through unchanged, and does nothing while inside

 

[TXchickmum]

I don't care for DE. -don't use it. The chickens dust themselves in the soil of a nice garden bed and haven't been plagued by mites. I don't want the stuff stirred around in the air when I'm cleaning their coop/run. -don't want to inhale it. -just my opinion.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: Telling you the truth isn't "rude"
DE has nothing to do with your health


Quote: It's more like luck.
There's no LOGICAL reason why eatiing powdered rock would make any difference

 

[loveourbirds]

Quote:

None of it actually touches the lining of the stomach or intestines.
It passes through unchanged, and does nothing while inside

i cant find that information now, not sure where i read it. but here is a quote (link below):

"Vitamin Deficiency

Medline Plus indicates that long-term silica use may result in loss of other essential vitamins from the body. For instance, silica supplements contain an enzyme called thiaminese, which destroys the vitamin thiamine or vitamin B1 in the body. After long-term use, you may discover that you are now thiamine deficient, which can lead to loss of muscle control and eventual paralysis. Medline Plus also warns that supplements labeled thiaminase-free have not been validated and are not guaranteed to be safe since the U.S. Food and Drug Administration does not regulate supplement companies.

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Excessive Urination

Vital Health Zone says that silica supplements may cause excessive urination that is counteracted in people that have edema. Also, it recommends that you consume plenty of water while taking silica in order to prevent dehydration and subsequent ill effects. Traditional suggestions of eight glasses of water a day would be a bare minimum while taking this supplement. The need to overhydrate may also lead to low potassium levels since potassium is flushed out of your system.
Kidney Function

The University of Maryland Medical Center says that prolonged use of silica supplements in any form is not recommended. Severe kidney trouble may occur after prolonged use. Kidney stones have been reported in people taking silica supplements, which may be due to a buildup of silica in the body since only a small amount is needed for the body to function properly. Also, general kidney deterioration, which is irreversible, will eventually occur with excess silica in your system."
http://www.livestrong.com/article/288425-side-effects-of-silica-supplements/

if you eat it, it will touch your stomach lining and intestines. as small glass-like particles. in moderation it probably wouldnt hurt you, but over a few years using it every day - it could be dangerous.
when your looking at a product like this, and you look at the "research" be careful of these words: sources say (state), may (instead of does), can be linked, or anything from a third party source such as "many people state" these are all ways of avoiding legal issues from claims made by manufactures. ive seen research saying it cures cancer, garlic has also been reported to cure cancer. also look for what isnt stated, especially where statistics are shown. one small detail will really change a statistic.
another way to think about all of this: if you give a lab rat an injection of 1 liter of distilled water, it will probably have some adverse side effects. give another lab rat warfarin (used in rat poison) mixed with corn at 1ppm it wouldnt have any side effects.
edited to add: "and thats all i got to say about that" - Forrest Gump

 

[Sandstorm495]

Thankyou all for you input. I would like to add that I was not asking whether I should use it, I was asking whether others would use it. So I would say the majority of you on here would not use DE?