Thousands of years ago, in all the waters of the Earth, microscopic one-celled plants called diatoms took the minerals from the water and created protective shells for themselves. Diatoms once lived in quantities far beyond the minds ability to conceive, and as they died, their shells drifted to the bottom of the seabeds. In this manner, vast deposits of diatom shells were laid down. Through the history of man's existence, a wide variety of valuable uses have been found for what has come to be called "Diatomaceous Earth". There are now more than fifteen hundred ways in which man benefits from this incredible material left by diatoms, whose shells are composed largely of silicone and trace minerals.

Diatoms are so exquisite it is hard to believe they are also enormously important. They are, one could argue, the most vital plants on earth. They bob, drift, and sometimes glide through most of the waters of the world in incredible numbers. Just one liter of seawater may contain as many as ten million of these one-celled specks of algae - the primary foodstuff of the sea.

Amazing that the nutrients in each tiny diatom is preserved!

Still, the diatoms' most impressive skills are as shell builders. They are alchemists, changing dissolved silicon into a silica almost identical to the gemstone opal. The glassy shells are of incredibly varied and beautiful architecture; some are riddled with pores, which both lighten the structure and permit the intake of nutrients and the exchange of gases. In their teeming trillions, diatoms produce oxygen far in excess of their own needs, making an enormous contribution to our atmosphere.

They also play a vital role in the food chain.There is probably more available organic matter- in other words ... food -
contained in the world's diatoms than any other living thing!

Sometimes called the grasses of the sea, they are the main fodder for the little vegetarian animals, such as copepods and shrimp-like krill, which make up the zooplankton community. These are typically consumed by small fish such as herring, which in turn become food for larger species.

Diatoms were discovered in 1702 by the early pioneer of microscopy, Anton Van Leeuwenhoek, who thought they were tiny animals. Not until the 19th century did biologists conclude that, since these organisms perform photosynthesis, they are plants. Diatoms can reproduce at phenomenal rates, some even dividing every four to eight hours.

 These organisms are divided into two groups: the animals, or zooplankton and the plants called phytoplankton. The later group is equipped with organelles, known as chloroplast, which contain the green pigment chlorophyll. This allows them to photosynthesize, taking the first step in a long and complex food chain that ultimately ends with man. In fact, they perform 80% of all photosynthesis and are the main replenishers of the earth's oxygen. The largest component of this group is a delicate-shelled creature called the diatom.

"In order to survive this widespread perdition and maintain their numbers, diatoms reproduce at a phenomenal rate, each capable of dividing every 18 to 36 hours. This asexual reproduction is accomplished simply by splitting in half, each part taking with it an equal portion of protoplasm (Le. genetic material). Once separated, the young diatom secretes a new half shell that fits securely inside the old one. By this method of reproduction they can increase their numbers by 10,000-fold in only a fortnight. Diatomaceous Earth is a direct result of the diatom's prolific past.

Medical breakthroughs have brought DE to the foreground of consideration for internal use with human ailments.

DE is an all natural product that has a base ingredient of Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth or fossil shell flour. This natural body-cleansing agent is rich in natural silica and 14 other trace minerals. People with Storage Disease should not take this or any other product containing silica. Storage Disease is a metabolic disorder in which certain cells accumulate excessive amounts of lipids, proteins, or other substances.

The minerals contained in DE include boron, calcium, copper, inositol, iron, magnesium, sodium, sulfate sulfur, titanium, vanadium, zinc and chlorides. Because of its high content of silica (79%), DE helps build healthier skin, hair, nails and cartilage.

MERCURY TOXICITY
Excerpts from the book, "It's All In Your Head: The Link
Between Mercury Amalgams and Illness". By Dr. Hal A. Huggins.

"This question - what is mercury toxicity? - is one of the most difficult to answer, because mercury attacks the body in so many ways. Mercury kills cells by interfering with their ability to exchange oxygen, nutrients, and waste products through the cell membrane. Inside the cell, mercury destroys our genetic code, DNA, leaving us without the ability to reproduce that cell ever again. Chronic fatigue syndrome also has a mercury component.

Amalgam is the generic term for the most commonly used dental filling in the world, silver-mercury amalgam. Amalgam is a mixture of mercury, silver, copper, tin, and zinc. Mercury comprises the largest portion (around 50 percent).

What happens to mercury when it comes out of a filling? Mercury is highly reactive chemically. In the mouth, mercury has the ability to combine with a carbon-hydrogen compound called a methyl group. Methyl mercury is 100 times more toxic than plain, elemental mercury. It is especially toxic to the brain and nerve tissue, which may explain amalgam's relationship to MS, epilepsy, and emotional disturbances.

Mercury does come out of fillings; it does produce a toxic compound that is given off as the fillings corrode; and enough of this substance does form to cause disease. This by itself should make us pretty sure it can cause a health problem. If 100,000 of the 140,000 dentists in the United States place nine fillings per day each - about three hours' worth of work - that is 900,000 mercury fillings per day.

Neurological problems encompass two divisions, motor and sensory. An example of motor problems would be tremors, while sensory might be brainfog (spaciness), short-term memory problems, or depression. The percentages of patients exhibiting these mercury-caused problems are: depression, 73.3 percent; numb fingers or toes, 67.3 percent; memory problems, 58.0 percent; and jitteriness or nervousness, 38.1 percent.

DE has been shown to:

· Helps to control the glucose level

· Aids in the calcification of teeth

· Works with magnesium to prevent muscle cramping

· Aids in the development of the inner and outer ear

· Works with magnesium in the control of hyperkinetic and autistic behavior in children
Aids in nerve impulse transmission

· Helps prevent tingling and numbness in the limbs

· Works with zinc in the prevention of birth defects

· The action of manganese is blocked by mercury

Bladderwrack is high in ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), protein, vitamin A, iodine, bromine and phosphorus. It is very high in magnesium.Traditionally Herbalists  use bladderwrack for weight loss aids and thyroid stimulation. Bladderwrack is also a source of fucoidan, a polysaccharide known to scavenge heavy metals and radioisotopes throughout the body.

Although not a traditional culinary sea veggie, we are offering these certified organic plants for those of you who wish to try them in teas, tinctures, extracts and any other way you choose. We'd love to know how you are using these whole plants. Our bladderwrack is certified organic by OCIA.