Clinical Relevance of Type Specific Clays
Journal Title: Biomedical Journal of Scientific & Technical Research (BJSTR) - Year 2017, Vol 1, Issue 5
Abstract
Today’s life style and food habits are aligned to readymade fast food with challenges in human health safety causing ailments and disorders such as blood pressure, blood sugar, constipation, gastric, weight gain, mental strain etc. They are all responsible to imbalance the life styles. As a result, humans are suffering from varying types of health hazards. Type specific clays are tested at different levels for recovery from such ailments. However, many of such tests are not validated medically, but evidences, being the witnesses of truth, necessitate systematic investigations of type specific clays in soils for their clinical relevance for curing of human ailments and disorders. Clay eating followed by detoxifying potential of clays deserves attention for clinical validation. Ethiopian soils are rich resources for type specific clays that could be tested for clinical uses. Clinical approach refers often to the techniques being applied to the ailment, sickness, disorder and problem in human bodies and requires medical interventions for the purpose of elimination of symptoms in order to restore human health and promote body functioning. Clays have been used for cure of skin infections since long past. Recently, Lynda and Shelley (2010) [16] presented a review report in which the clinical use of French green clay (rich in Fe-smectite) for healing Buruli ulcer, a necrotizing fasciitis (‘flesh-eating’ infection) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans is highlighted. The clays are interesting as they may reveal an antibacterial mechanism that could provide an inexpensive treatment for such skin infections (Lynda and Shelley 2010) [16] . A review on Soil Science vs Science for Medicine by Mishra and Richa [1] revealed that clay eating is associated historically with treatment for cholera and bacterial infections. Clay tablets were used widely across the Mediterranean as well as European territories in certain religious cause besides curing the poisoning and the plague. However, the clay tablet was used by Roman Catholic Church and was listed in pharmacopeia as late as 1848. The use of eating clay has been studied in America, Sweden, Africa, Indonesia and Australia. In India and many other countries, however, knowledge on soil and clay eating is scanty. The rates of pregnant women eating soil or clay in African countries range approximately from 28% in Tanzania to 65% in Kenya, where clay is selectively identified and sold in markets. They collect it from termite mounds being rich in minerals and eat at an average of 30g daily. Important contributions as recorded herein include the reports of Lynda and Shelly (2010) [16] , Wiley and Solomon [2] and Wilson [3]. Present paper is an attempt to understand the clinical relevance of type specific clays in different soil groups across the world including India as well as Ethiopia and other African countries.Lynda and Shelley (2010) [16] had arranged type specific clays for clinical uses as follows: 1) Bentonite-type clay has been used to treat infections, indigestion, and other medical problems by both applying clay paste externally to the skin and by ingesting as solution. Bentonite has been prescribed for many dermatologic formulas. Montmorillonite is the main constituent of bentonite. 2) Attapulgite or palygorskite is very absorbent clay, somewhat similar to bentonite. When used in medicine, it physically binds to acids and toxic substances in the stomach and digestive tract. For this reason, it has been used in several anti-diarrheal medications and also as detoxificant. 3) Kaolinite being low activity clay is not as absorbent as most clays used medicinally. It has a low shrink-swell capacity as well as low cation exc hange capacity. It is often called ‘white cosmetic clay’. However, it is used mainly for oily skins. Mishra and Richa Roy [1] reviewed the role of soils and clays in protective medical treatments to restore human health. Type specificclays are often used on the skin to heal eczema, dermatitis and psoriasis, during bath as a soaking liquid to remove toxins, enrich cells to receive more oxygen, facilitates to alkalize the body and gives relief against digestive problems like constipation, promotes immunity by killing harmful bacteria and viruses, improves teeth, purifies water and is useful as a baby powder alternative as well as for cleaning hair and face. Multani Mitti in India is commonly used for cleaning hair. Advancement in transmission electron microscopes (TEM), field emission scanning electron microscopes (FESEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and secondary ion mass spectrometers (SIMS)] have facilitated to undertake investigation on surfaces of clays and similar nano-scale minerals. Efforts are being made to make a clay antibacterial that has not only the potential applications in medicine, but can also contribute to the general understanding of antibacterial mechanisms for permanent cure.
Authors and Affiliations
Bipin B Mishra, Kibebew Kibret, Samuel Feyissa, Richa Roy
Keywords
Related Articles
- EP ID EP581042
- DOI 10.26717/BJSTR.2017.01.000455
- Views 176
- Downloads 0
Understanding the Interactions with Image-Guidance System in Spine Navigated Surgery
Image-guided technology has transformed spinal surgical interventions, in this review article the author attempts to understand the interactions with the most commonly used 3D system with the intraoperative cone beam CT,...
Ashman Phenomenon: Looked but Invisible
The Ashman phenomenon is aberrant ventricular conduction that usually seen in atrial fibrillation. It does not require a specific treatment; it is usually treated according to the underlying cause. Differential diagnosis...
Recurrent Urinary Infections
The aim of this article is to talk about the scientific evidence that exists in relation to the development of vaccines as a strategy for the management of recurrent urinary tract infection (rUTI) in non-pregna...
Perspectives of The Pharmacological Modulation of Ca2+/ Camp Signaling Interaction as a New Neuroprotector Therapeutic Strategy for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurological disease characterised by progressive muscular paralysis reflecting selective degeneration and death of motor neurons in the primary motor cortex, brainste...
Assessing Hidden Hunger in African Countries: Some Preliminary Findings
This commentary reports on the early results of a study designed to assess the scope of hidden hunger in 36 African countries. This paper is based on the assessment of the three countries included in that project, especi...