A Complete Guide to Zeolite Detox, Benefits, and Usage
There are many reasons why someone may start a zeolite detox. While some individuals choose to begin a detox because they are experiencing tell-tale symptoms like brain fog and fatigue, others may incorporate a detox into their wellness regimens to improve their quality of life. Whatever the inspiration, knowing what detox supplements are scientifically proven to help the body’s natural processes is imperative. While there are tons of detox supplements available on the market, there are few that are as impactful as liquid zeolite clinoptilolite.
If you’re wondering how you can detox with zeolite, this guide will outline everything you need to know about this natural mineral, the types of zeolite supplements, and zeolite’s many benefits.
What is Zeolite?
Zeolite, particularly clinoptilolite, is a rare natural mineral formed by the chemical reaction between volcanic ash and seawater. Zeolite’s benefits themselves are due to their crystalline structure; zeolites are porous and negatively-charged, allowing for the selective removal of toxins, especially heavy metals, which are positively-charged. Simply speaking, a zeolite detox involves this mineral acting as a detoxification filter by targeting heavy metals, trapping them within its structure and passing them through the body via the excretory system.
How does Zeolite Detox the Body?
Numerous scientific studies attest to the selective nature of the zeolite clinoptilolite’s ability to remove toxins. By taking a liquid zeolite supplement that is sized for absorption through the digestive tract, this beneficial mineral absorbs toxins in the body. Imagine that zeolite is like a magnet with a negative charge, most harmful toxins have a positive charge and opposites attract. The zeolite attracts and traps positively-charged toxins such as lead, mercury, arsenic, cadmium and many more, and carries them out of the body through the excretory system.
Zeolite’s Crystalline Structure
A key factor in the efficacy of zeolite is the mineral’s crystalline structure. The mineral itself is a grid of tetrahedrons joined by oxygen atoms that comprise a net-like structure. Picture a honeycomb but on a microscopic scale. This net-like structure of each zeolite particle is made of pores or channels with a uniform shape in which substances can be absorbed. As liquid passes into these pores, the channels act as sieves or a filter for molecules, allowing the zeolites to “capture” positively-charged toxins in what is referred to as a cationic exchange.
The unique structure and charge of clinoptilolite zeolite provides detoxification in two ways. The first as mentioned above is absorption, or capturing toxins inside the zeolite. The second method is via adsorption, where toxins stick to the outside of the zeolite particle. In this way, zeolite acts as one of the most effective natural detoxifiers on the planet.
The Benefits of Zeolite Detox
There are many types of zeolites found in nature, but zeolite clinoptilolite is the most suited for therapeutic applications. Through scientific research, zeolite has been assessed for the removal of environmental toxins, shown to promote health and well-being in numerous animal studies, and demonstrated benefits for detoxification, immune health, antioxidant support and gut health in humans.
The remarkable detoxifying effects of zeolite clinoptilolite was observed in research performed on rodents. In this trial, lead poisoned mice were treated with zeolite clinoptilolite and showed a 89% reduction in the accumulation of lead in their liver, 91% reduction of lead in their kidneys and 77% reduction of lead in their bones.
Given the well-known damaging health effects of lead, including its impact on brain development in children, zeolite clinoptilolite may be a welcome natural way to help detoxify lead and other heavy metals from the body.
A wide-range of clinical and preclinical trials on live subjects as well as in-vitro, or petri dish lab settings, show promise for zeolite’s many benefits. Recent research points to many potential beneficial applications of zeolite clinoptilolite, in particular its ability to absorb heavy metals, provide immune support by capturing free radicals, as well as support the gut microbiome.
Zeolite Clinoptilolite and Heavy Metals
Zeolite clinoptilolite is widely recognized as a heavy metal detoxifier. Today, many people turn to micronized zeolite to aid in removing harmful and toxic substances from the gastrointestinal tract, including heavy metals, as well as nitrosamines, ammonia, mycotoxins, radioactive materials, and pesticides.
- In clinical research using rats as subjects, researchers found that natural clinoptilolite zeolite efficiently removed aluminum from the plasma, liver and bones of aluminum chloride-intoxicated rats.
- A clinical study evaluated human subjects and found statistically significant improvements in blood arsenic levels after twelve weeks of treatment with zeolite.
- A further clinical study evaluating the ability of micronized (small particle) clinoptilolite zeolite to remove heavy metals from humans showed that the zeolite increased heavy metal excretion via urine without any loss of beneficial electrolyte minerals.
Immune Support & Gut Health
The body’s immune system is influenced by both external and internal systems. When it comes to the gut’s role in immune function, zeolite has been shown to help improve the integrity of the intestinal barrier causing a positive impact on the intestinal ecosystem, thus supporting the immune system.
- In a randomized, double-blinded, placebo controlled trial, 52 endurance trained men and women ages 20–50 years old were placed on a regimen of zeolite for 12 weeks. The conclusion showed beneficial effects on the integrity of the intestinal wall indicated by decreased concentrations of zonulin, a protein that increases the permeability of tight junctions between cells of the wall of the digestive tract, otherwise known as “leaky gut.”
Supports Overall Well-Being
In terms of our overall well-being and quality of life, researchers have hypothesized that due to zeolite’s positive impacts on the gut microbiome, it indirectly benefits the gut-brain connection at the level of the central nervous system. For example, in one study, zeolite clinoptilolite is shown to reduce stress and improve sleep, though more research is needed to better understand the connection between zeolite supplementation and overall mood in humans.
By helping the body remove heavy metals and encouraging balance in the gut, zeolite clinoptilolite promotes overall homeostasis. Overall, research shows that zeolite clinoptilolite is a highly effective detoxifier, supports the immune system, demonstrates antioxidant effects, and supports overall well-being.
What to Expect During a Zeolite Detox
The body’s main detoxification organs are the liver and kidneys. Additionally, the lymphatic system, digestive tract, skin, and lungs also play a role in how the body detoxes. When we are discussing detox, we’re referring to the release of “toxicants”, defined as harmful compounds made by humans or compounds introduced into the environment by human activities. Humans are exposed to toxicants via the air, drinking water, foods, and other products such as cosmetics.
Although the body has strong natural defenses against toxins, these systems can become overwhelmed due to the accumulation of toxins, causing them to be stored in tissues, organs and bones. Additionally, human-made toxicants are typically stored in fat cells and these lipid-soluble molecules are difficult for the body to naturally excrete. With the help of supplements like zeolite clinoptilolite that support detox, the body’s complex detoxification systems are able to function at optimal levels as toxins are removed.
While the body is going through detoxification, it’s essential to support your immune system by nourishing your body with antioxidant-rich fruits and vegetables and exercise. Typically, with detoxification protocols it can be expected to experience a Herxheimer reaction or “healing crisis” whereby you may experience worsening symptoms for a short period before feeling relief. Herxheimer symptoms may include:
- Headache
- Nausea
- Upset stomach
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
However, because the zeolite clinoptilolite captures and holds heavy metals and toxins within its crystalline structure, a detox reaction is less likely to occur, since the toxins do not come in contact with the body’s systems as they are removed. This makes zeolite a far more gentle and preferred detoxification method compared to any other method.
How to Choose a Quality Zeolite Supplement
There are tons of detox supplements on the market today making it difficult to know which to choose. When you’re looking for a zeolite supplement, it’s best to do your research. The highest quality supplements will be lab-tested, making sure to remove any pre-existing contaminants or pollutants. Furthermore, it’s best to avoid zeolite supplements that include synthetic vitamins or other substances that can carry a positive charge, which can cause the zeolite to trap those molecules rather than the problematic heavy metals you are trying to target. Products containing pure natural zeolite clinoptilolite are best. Additionally, particle size is a critical factor, since it determines whether the zeolite will detoxify beyond the gut.
The Impact of Zeolite Particle Size on Detoxification
Most zeolite supplements feature zeolite particles that are sized in the micrometer-range (micronized). That is small: a micron is one millionth of a meter. This size of zeolite particle is effective at absorbing toxins in the gut, especially in helping to prevent the uptake of toxins from the food that we eat.
However, for a zeolite to be effective at detoxifying to a cellular level, the zeolite particles must be much smaller than a micron. The most effective zeolite supplement will be sized in the nanometer-range (under 100 nanometers). A nanometer is one thousand times smaller than a micron. Particles in the nanometer-range can be absorbed through the tiny junctures in the gut, so they can reach the areas where toxins are stored by the body.
And, the smaller the zeolite particle, the greater the collective surface area of the zeolites. For example, if you compare the same amount of zeolite in two supplements where one has micron-sized and the other has nano-sized particles, the nanometer solution will have a surface area up to 1,000 times greater than the micron solution – which means there is a much larger area of zeolite that can trap toxins, making it much more effective for detox.
Liquid Zeolite or Powdered Zeolite
The various zeolite supplements available today include both powdered and liquid supplements. Although it may seem that it simply comes down to preference, there are actual substantial differences between the two. Firstly, powdered zeolite is often a raw substance that contains toxins naturally occurring in the environment during mining. It’s necessary for the zeolite to go through a liquid purification process to remove any toxins so it can effectively detoxify once ingested.
Secondly, purified liquid zeolite can be reduced down to the nanometer particle size so it can be absorbed on a cellular level, since non-micronized zeolite cannot be absorbed through water or fats. These nanometer particles are stored in liquid suspension since that is the preferred medium for zeolite and ensure that the zeolite can travel throughout the body for whole-body detox.
Lastly, most zeolites aren’t lab tested, preventing the consumer from truly understanding what’s in their products. Lab testing is the best way to know that the product is free of existing toxins so it can work the way as a detoxified in the body.
Pure Body Extra Liquid Zeolite
If you’re searching for a liquid zeolite product, start with Pure Body Extra. Our liquid zeolite is a nano-sized formula, and tested by an independent lab showing it is free of existing pollutants so it can safely trap any toxins in the body. A unique cleansing process for the zeolite removes any existing toxins, and adds in beneficial minerals such as calcium, optimizing the cationic exchange process for detox.
PBX zeolite is in an easy-to-use liquid spray, where the nanosized particles are placed within water molecule clusters, optimized for an advanced daily cellular detox. For a gut detox, add in Pure Body liquid zeolite drops, which is similarly pure, but sized in the micron range for a digestive detox.
How to Use Liquid Zeolite
Pure Body Extra liquid zeolite is easy to use: for adults, simply take four sprays by mouth, three times a day for a cellular detox. For a digestive detox, add four Pure Body drops to water three times a day. Together, Pure Body Extra liquid zeolite spray and Pure Body liquid zeolite drops add up to a whole-body detox.
Because the zeolite is not stored in the body, taking it morning, noon and night helps to ensure a continuous detox. Zeolite is also safe for all ages. Just reduce the serving size appropriately based on the age of the child. For example, for a school-aged child, take two sprays of Pure Body Extra, and two drops of Pure Body, three times a day. For a toddler, take one spray of Pure Body Extra, and one drop of Pure Body, three times a day. As always, if you have questions about your medical care, check with your health care practitioner.
The Bottom Line
Zeolite, specifically clinoptilolite, is a remarkable mineral with exceptional detoxifying properties. Its unique porous and negatively charged structure enables the selective removal of positively charged toxins, particularly heavy metals, from the body. Scientific research affirms zeolite’s power to detoxify, and emphasizes its capacity to absorb harmful substances, aiding in the elimination of these substances through the excretory system.
The mineral’s chemical composition is characterized by a net-like framework, making the mineral particularly suited for capturing toxins through cationic exchange. Besides detoxification, zeolite helps the body by embracing immune support, improved gut health, and overall well-being. Clinical studies demonstrate its ability to reduce concentrations of toxicants such as mercury, cadmium, lead, and arsenic in both animals and humans, as well as its positive influence on the gut’s integrity.
Choosing a quality zeolite supplement is crucial. When selecting a zeolite supplement, look out for lab-tested, pure zeolite clinoptilolite in liquid form to ensure its effectiveness. In a world laden with toxins, zeolite’s role as a natural ally in promoting health by aiding the body’s natural detoxification processes can help us reach a truly balanced and revitalized state of being.
