formats
photo gallery
historical renovations
Home › culture: well
being
Well being
CLAY:
IT IS NATURE THAT HEALS. There are countless beneficial properties
of clay, used as remedy against various pathologies from the most
ancient times. The therapeutic effects of clay were already known
to the Egyptians 4000 years ago when they used mud in body hygiene
and in cosmetics. In ancient Rome it was the custom to wash and disinfect
clothes by soaking them in a mixture of clay and water. Clay also
regenerates organic activity and stimulates the energetic potential,
thanks to its capacity to release extremely weak doses of electromagnetic
energy.
Clay can be taken internally or used externally. Internally it acts,
first of all, on the digestive system with which it comes into direct
contact. It has a remineralizing and antianemic action thanks to the
oligoelements mentioned above. It is taken in the form of clay water
prepared simply by diluting one or two teaspoons of clay in a glass
of water.
It is then left to settle for 8-12 hours. Once the clay has settled
out, the water that remains above is drunk. Externally it can be applied
directly on the skin in the cases of acne, dermatitis, burns, sprains,
contusions and fractures.
Animals too have always used clay for their personal hygiene and to
treat skin diseases.
Today clay is often added to spa waters to obtain spa muds, widely
used to alleviate dermatitis, rheumatic diseases and other pathologies.
Clay is important in its functions for the human organism. It is composed
principally of silica, aluminum, titanium, iron, calcium, magnesium,
sodium, potassium and other oligoelements, and possesses truly unique
therapeutic properties.
The properties of clay
Clay
serves to:
1. alkalize and disinfect tissues (epidermis and epithelia)
2. is analgesic and anti-inflammatory
3. re-mineralizes, re-equilibrates and reduces edema. In other words
it reduces the retention of water thanks to an osmotic mechanism,
absorbing the liquids and the waste products of metabolism. The mineral
salts it contains attract water and other solutes by osmosis, just
as salt is humidified by absorbing the water in the environment. In
this way clay functions as a catalyst of the biological processes.
Clay is also a heat absorbing material.
Here is how to prepare the clay pack: put 2-3 cm. of clay in a bowl
and cover with water to a depth of half a centimeter above the level
surface of the clay. Let it rest for a few hours without mixing: the
clay gradually absorbs all the water, creating a soft, homogeneous,
smooth and fluid paste. It is then ready to apply for at least an
hour over the painful part (the skin must be intact). Cover with a
cotton cloth or wrapping paper kept in place by a strip of gauze.