MRSA-killing mud pie? Yes, please

Do you remember being told not to play in the dirt when you were a kid because of the “germs?” Well, there’s some dirt in Canada that we all may want to make mud pies with soon. That’s because something about the dirt — clay, to be exact — kills some of the most resistant pathogens known to man.

Around the globe, clay has been a staple in some of the oldest traditional healing practices, as both an internal and external therapy. In modern times, clay has been relegated to spas and mud baths as a detoxifier and skin-tightener. But the healing power of certain clays goes way beyond those uses — and may save us from the growing threat of antibiotic resistance.

Recent research into bacteria-fighting clay found in Canada has even prompted one of the study authors, University of British Columbia microbiologist Julian Davis, to state, “After 50 years of over-using and misusing antibiotics, ancient medicinals and other natural mineral-based agents may provide new weapons in the battle against multidrug-resistant pathogens.”

This particular clay has long been used by the Heiltsuk First Nation — an indigenous Indian peoples — for its therapeutic properties. Anecdotal reports cite its effectiveness for ulcerative colitis, duodenal ulcer, arthritis, neuritis, phlebitis, skin irritation, and burns.

Now, modern science has validated its medicinal use, finding that the Canadian clay effectively killed 16 strains of some of the most dangerous antibiotic-resistant pathogens plaguing hospitals today, including Enterobacter — the species responsible for the surge in difficult-to-treat urinary tract infections.

How does the clay kill bacteria?

In this particular study mineralogical testing and chemical analyses are yet to be done. But another powerful antibiotic clay, found in Oregon has already given up the ghost on how it may work…

Near the Crater Lake region in Oregon, clay samples that were shown to eliminate methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), along with several other bacteria, lowered pH range in wounds. One of the researchers for that particular clump of clay speculated, “The clays may shift the wound environment to a pH range that favors healing, while killing invading bacteria.”

But before you plan a trip to Canada or Crater Lake to dig up a bucket or two, consider Bentonite clay. Found in various places around the world, the largest stash of this potent, aged volcanic ash exists in Fort Benton, Wyoming. A quick online search should yield much information on how to use it.