Kaolin is a type of mineral that is often used as medicine. Naturally, Kaolin looks like clay. After being washed to remove grit and other debris, this material has been used to treat diarrhea for years. However, dietary supplement kaolin has also been pretty popular now. So, what are the other health benefits you can get from Kaolin besides treating diarrhea? Get the answer here.
Despite being claimed to treat diarrhea for both humans and some animals, medical research states that the effectiveness of Kaolin in treating the condition has not been fully proven. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, the benefits of Kaolin, which has been believed to treat diarrhea, have not been 100% clinically tested. Further research is needed to determine its efficacy. However, diarrhea drugs containing Kaolin are still allowed to be sold in the market and generally consumed as over-the-counter drugs.
What is Kaolin?
As a hydrated aluminum silicate, Kaolin occurs as clay and is prepared for pharmaceutical uses. Before being turned into medicine, kaolin clay is washed with water to clean some sand and other unwanted particles. For centuries, Kaolin has been commercially used to manufacture building materials such as bricks, ceramics, paints, cement, pottery, plaster, insoluble dyes, and insulators.
You will also commonly find Kaolin in paper, toothpaste, rubber, and drugs as a raw material. Kaolin has also been used as a filtering agent to clear up liquids. Other evidence suggested that Kaolin may have been useful in dye wastewater decolorization using the electrocoagulation technique. When applied to the skin, Kaolin serves as a moisturizer and drying agent. Ingested Kaolin can bind GI toxins and take over diarrhea Many may also have no idea that Kaolin is an additive to dusting powders and acts as a tablet excipient.
Kaolin’s chemical formula is H2Al 2Si2O8 (H2O) and appears to be a white powder (or sometimes with a hint of yellow) with a little oily feel. In the environment, kaolin clay has been a benign aluminosilicate mineral insoluble in water. Meanwhile, for any use in pharmaceutical preparation, light Kaolin is chosen to be its material. Last but not least, Kaolin is also finely divided as particles that yield a huge surface that can adsorb many kinds of compounds.
Dietary Supplement Kaolin for Your Health
Kaolin is a type of clay that exists in nature and is intentionally made in a laboratory to treat various diseases such as diarrhea, dysentery, and cholera. In addition, Kaolin can accelerate the healing of bleeding and surgical wounds, soften the skin, and remove toxins. Kaolin can also cure itching and redness of the skin.
In combination with other products, Kaolin is turned into a dietary supplement kaolin that can heal sores and swelling in the mouth caused by radiation treatment. Besides that, it can also overcome gastric and intestinal inflammation. Kaolin can also help detect disease in laboratory tests and as a food additive.
Kaolin is safe when you take it by mouth. However, Kaolin can cause constipation in children and the elderly. Kaolin can also cause lung problems if inhaled. Pregnant women can and are safe when consuming Kaolin in certain amounts. However, for mothers breastfeeding, you should not consume Kaolin for a while, because there is no research proving that breastfeeding mothers are allowed and safe to consume Kaolin.
It would be best to be careful when using Kaolin while taking certain medications, such as digoxin, clindamycin, quinidine, or trimethoprim. The content of Kaolin can affect the performance of these drugs. You also need to be careful if you are taking herbal medicines, other dietary supplements or allergic to certain foods or drugs.
When consuming Kaolin, it is advisable to drink a lot of water. Never forget to take Kaolin according to the dosage listed on the package or as directed by your doctor.
Related: Kaolin Clay: The Good and The Bad of Eating Kaolin
Conclusion
It is not a secret anymore that Kaolin has been stated as a diarrhea treatment for either human beings or several kinds of animals. Nevertheless, the effectiveness remains questionable, and people may have just taken a placebo effect instead. The good news is, Kaolin has some other health benefits as well as a supplement. If combined with other components, The dietary supplement kaolin may be useful to treat other health conditions such as swelling or sores due to radiation and gastric and intestinal inflammation.
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