Armed with the proper information, there's no reason to fear the latest news about toxins and pharmaceutical drugs being found in your water.  Not to say that this news isn't alarming.  Measures must be taken to remove these harmful substances from our eco-system.  But until the day that dream becomes a reality, you can protect yourself and your loved ones with calcium bentonite clay.  Taken internally, calcium bentonite clay safely removes toxins from your system.

What's all the uproar about? 

A recent article in the Washington Post (Area Tap Water Has Traces of Medicines) warned that trace amounts of 6 popular prescription drugs had been found in the area's drinking water, and that these harmful substances could not be filtered out by most treatment systems.  The drugs found included antibiotics, anti-inflammatory drugs, a disinfectant, and even anti-seizure medication -- all found in a water supply that serves more than 1 million people.  And this is not an isolated incident.  According to the article, "Pharmaceuticals, along with trace amounts of caffeine, were found in the drinking water supplies of 24 of 28 metropolitan areas tested."  Nationwide, the AP reported that researchers found anti-depressants, antacids, synthetic hormones from birth control pills, and many other human and animal medicines in the water. In San Francisco, tests found a sex hormone. In New York, the water tested positive for heart medicines and a prescription tranquilizer. The article states that scientists do not know the health effects of long-term exposure to such drugs.  And while some scientist are saying there's nothing to worry about, other's fear chronic exposure could alter immune responses or interfere with adolescents' developing hormone systems.  Although experts agree that aquatic life are most at risk from exposure to the drugs in rivers and streams, researchers are concerned about what they don't know about human health effects.

According to a CBS News article (Probe: Pharmaceuticals in Drinking Water), there's another issue: There's evidence that adding chlorine, a common process in conventional drinking water treatment plants, makes some pharmaceuticals more toxic.  The article went on to say that even users of bottled water and home filtration systems don't necessarily avoid exposure. Bottlers, some of which simply repackage tap water, do not typically treat or test for pharmaceuticals, according to the industry's main trade group. The same goes for the makers of home filtration systems.

For several decades, federal environmental officials and nonprofit watchdog environmental groups have focused on regulated contaminants - pesticides, lead, PCBs - which are present in higher concentrations and clearly pose a health risk.  However, some experts say medications may pose a unique danger because, unlike most pollutants, they were crafted to act on the human body.  "These are chemicals that are designed to have very specific effects at very low concentrations. That's what pharmaceuticals do. So when they get out to the environment, it should not be a shock to people that they have effects," says zoologist John Sumpter at Brunel University in London, who has studied trace hormones, heart medicine and other drugs. 

There is a safe and easy way to protect yourself from these horrifying contaminants -- calcium bentonite clay.  According to Michel Abeshera, author of The Healing Clay, "Clay has a remarkable resistance to chemical agents' as a bacteria-destroying agent it can render contaminated water innocuous."

How does Bentonite clay work?

Bentonite clay carries a uniquely strong negative ionic charge which causes it to "magnetically" attract any substance with a positive ionic charge (i.e., bacteria, toxins, metals, etc.).  These substances are both adsorbed (sticking to the outside like Velcro) and absorbed (drawn inside) by the clay molecules.  Your body doesn't digest clay, so the clay passes through your system, collecting the toxins, and removing them as the clay is eliminated.  It's like a little internal vacuum cleaner.  In his book The Clay Cure, Ran Knishinsky states it this way:

"The clay's immediate action upon the body is directly on the digestive channel.  This involves the clay actually binding with the toxic substances and removing them from the body with the stool.  It performs this job with every kind of toxin, including those from the environment, such as heavy metals, and those that occur naturally as by-products of the body's own health processes, such as metabolic toxins.  It's hard to believe that the body produces its own toxins, but that may happen as a result of stress, inefficient metabolism, or the proliferation of free radicals.  The body has no problem ridding itself of the clay.  Don't worry about a tiny brick house being built in the middle of your colon.  The clay assists the body's eliminatory process by acting as a bulking agent, similar to psyllium fiber, sweeping out the old matter that doesn't need to be there.  It is not digested in the same manner as food as it passes through the alimentary canal.  Instead, it stimulates intestinal peristalsis, the muscular contractions that move food and stool through the bowels.  The clay and the adsorbed toxins are both eliminated together; this keeps the toxins from being reabsorbed into the bloodstream.  Clay works on the entire organism.  No one part of the body is left untouched by its healing energies.  I don't know of another supplement that is quite as capable as clay of producing such a wide range of positive reactions."

How do we use the Bentonite clay?

In this day and age, there's virtually no way to isolate yourself from the toxins that surround us.  In our air, in our food, in the ground beneath our feet, and obviously now in our water, the contaminants abound.  However, with Bentonite clay, you can keep yourself healthy and vibrant. 

Perry A~, author of Calcium Bentonite Clay, Nature's Pathway to Healing, suggests the following protocol to keep yourself internally cleansed.  First, clay must be taken internally.  You can either eat hydrated clay "paste" or drink liquefied clay.  A good Bentonite clay will be very smooth and creamy and have virtually no taste.  One to two tablespoons of hydrated clay daily is the recommend amount for adults.  If you're drinking liquefied clay, start with one to two ounces twice a day made with 1 part of dry powder calcium Bentonite clay to 8 parts of water.   

Perry A~ also recommends taking clay baths twice a week.  Clay baths help keep your body cleansed by pulling toxins through the pores.  To prepare a clay bath, scatter about 2 cups of Bentonite clay powder into the bath water as it's running, and use your hands to swish away any lumps that might form.  Or you can simply add 4 cups or more of liquefied Bentonite clay to your bath.  A clay bath should last ideally between 15-20 minutes in extremely hot water and longer in a less hot bath.  Submerge as much of your body as possible during the bath.  The more clay that is used in the therapy, the more powerful the response.

Which clay should we use?

According to Jason Eaton (www.EytonsEarth.org) the best healing clay is a natural clay that has not been processed (heated or bleached).  The "cleaning" process removes many of the healing qualities of the clay.  You want a raw, clean, natural, swelling clay (one that expands when mixed with water).  Perry A~ recommends using natural calcium Bentonite clay due to its high pH and uniquely strong adsorption and absorption abilities.  It's best to choose a fine-milled clay, preferably one milled to 325 mesh.  This ensures that once the clay is hydrated or liquefied, it will not be gritty.  Also, when choosing a company from which to purchase your clay, make certain they can provide a chemical analysis of their clay, along with lab testing to prove its purity.  If they can't or won't provide such documents, you should look elsewhere.

Cheryl McCoy has been researching and studying the healing benefits of clay since 2003 She has worked extensively with clay expert Perry A~ Arledge, and is the co-owner of the Apex Bentonite Clay company. She can be reached at cheryl@apexclay.com.