More recently, it has appeared on the market as a dietary supplement, advertised as having multiple health benefits.
It consists of the microscopic skeletons of algae, called diatoms, that have been fossilized over millions of years (1).
There are two main types of diatomaceous earth: food grade which is suitable for consumption and filter grade which is not edible but has many industrial uses.
Silica is ubiquitous in nature and is a component of everything from sand and rocks to plants and humans.However, diatomaceous earth is a concentrated source of silica, which makes it unique (2).
Commercially available diatomaceous earth is said to contain 80-90% silica, several other trace minerals, and small amounts of iron oxide (rust) (1).
Diatomaceous earth is a type of sand composed of fossilized algae.It is rich in silica, a substance with various industrial uses.
The sharp crystalline form looks like glass under a microscope.It has properties that make it suitable for many industrial applications.
Food-grade diatomite is low in crystalline silica and is considered safe for humans.Filter grade types of crystalline silica have a high content and are toxic to humans.
When it comes into contact with the insect, the silica removes the waxy outer coating of the insect’s exoskeleton.
Some farmers believe that adding diatomaceous earth to livestock feed can kill worms and parasites in the body through a similar mechanism, but this use remains unproven (7).
Diatomaceous earth is used as an insecticide to remove the waxy outer coating of insect exoskeletons.Some believe it also kills parasites, but this needs further research.
However, there aren’t many high-quality human studies on diatomaceous earth as a supplement, so these claims are mostly theoretical and anecdotal.
Supplement manufacturers claim that diatomaceous earth has many health benefits, but these have not been proven in research.
Its exact role is unknown, but it appears to be important for bone health and the structural integrity of nails, hair, and skin (8, 9, 10).
Due to its silica content, some people claim that ingesting diatomaceous earth helps increase your silica content.
However, since this type of silica doesn’t mix with liquids, it doesn’t absorb well – if at all.
Some researchers have speculated that silica may release a small but meaningful amount of silicon that your body can absorb, but this is unproven and unlikely (8).
There are claims that the silica in diatomaceous earth increases silicon in the body and strengthens bones, but this has not been proven.
A major health claim of diatomaceous earth is that it can help you detoxify by cleaning your digestive tract.
This claim is based on its ability to remove heavy metals from water, a property that makes diatomaceous earth a popular industrial-grade filter (11).
However, there is no scientific evidence that this mechanism can be applied to human digestion — or that it has any meaningful effect on your digestive system.
What’s more, there is no evidence to support the idea that people’s bodies are full of toxins that must be removed.
To date, only one small human study — in 19 people with a history of high cholesterol — has investigated the role of diatomaceous earth as a dietary supplement.
Participants took the supplement 3 times a day for 8 weeks.At the end of the study, total cholesterol decreased by 13.2%, “bad” LDL cholesterol and triglycerides decreased slightly, and “good” HDL cholesterol increased (12).
However, since the trial did not include a control group, it could not prove that diatomaceous earth was responsible for lowering cholesterol.
A small study found that diatomaceous earth can lower cholesterol and triglycerides.The study design is very weak and further research is needed.
Food grade diatomaceous earth is safe to eat.It passes through your digestive system unchanged and does not enter the bloodstream.
Doing so can irritate your lungs like inhaling dust — but silica can make it especially harmful.
This is most common among miners, causing about 46,000 deaths in 2013 alone (13, 14).
Because food-grade diatomaceous earth has less than 2% crystalline silica, you might consider it safe.However, prolonged inhalation can still damage your lungs (15).
Food-grade diatomaceous earth is safe to eat, but do not inhale.It causes inflammation and scarring of the lungs.
However, while some supplements can boost your health, there is absolutely no evidence that diatomaceous earth is one of them.
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