The ingestion of dried clay minerals or a clay suspension is commonly used as a source of dietary elements, as a detoxifying agent, and as an allopathic treatment of gastrointestinal illnesses and acute and chronic diarrhea (Carretero, 2002). For example in Ghana, the iron, copper, calcium, zinc, and manganese consumed in clays were in the range of 2 to 15 percent of recommended dietary allowances (Hunter, 1973) and it was concluded that moderate ingestion of clays lacking high cation-exchange capacities could serve as a nutritional supplement for these essential elements. In the acidic environment of the stomach, the clay minerals could bind to positively charged toxins and serve as detoxifying agents to reduce bioavailability interfering with gastrointestinal absorption of the toxin (Hladik and Gueguen, 1974; Johns and Duquette, 1991; Mahaney et al., 1996; Phillips, 1999; Phillips et al., 1995). Over-the-counter pharmaceuticals that originally contained kaolinite, attapulgite, or clay-like substances (i.e. Kaopectate?) represent classic examples of the use of clay minerals by human populations to treat diarrhea and intestinal illnesses (Vermeer and Ferrell, 1985) and soothe gastrointestinal ailments. (Note: Kaopectate was reformulated in 2002 and now contains bismuth subsalicylate instead of kaolinite or attapugite.) Kaolinite has many medically beneficial attributes primarily related to its ability to adsorb lipids, proteins, bacteria, and viruses (Adamis and Timar, 1980; Lipson and Stotzky, 1983; Schiffenbauer and Stotzky, 1982; Steel and Anderson, 1972; Wallace et al., 1975).
