Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
They are used in a wide range of everyday healthcare products. Common products
such as Kaopectate (kaolin), Tums (calcite), Milk of Magnesia (magnesite), talcum
powder (talc), toothpastes (quartz, rutile), anti-perspirants (bauxite), calcium supple-
ment (ground up coral) all rely on minerals for their benefi cial health properties. In
addition, various clays are used in antacids, gypsum in plaster of paris. Pumice is the
abrasive in natural pumice stone and lava soap, extracts from coal are used in dandruff
shampoos, fl uorine in fl uoridated water and toothpastes, and salt (halite) has been used
as an antibacterial agent and as a food preservative for millennia. Epsom salt (epso-
mite) is found in most every household. Baking soda (trona) is a well-known antacid
and is also used intravenously (Figure 3a-h).
Figure 3.
Minerals in everyday use. (a) milk of magnesia, (b) tums antacid, (c) kaopectate, (d) natural
pumice stone, (e) baby powder, (f) calcium supplement, (g) epsom salt, and (h) baking soda.
**Note
: Illustration
of these products does not constitute an endorsement.
Clays, the mineral group most widely used, and likely the longest used for heath
care by both humans and animals, deserves special recognition (Reinbacher, 2003).
One of the most important life saving uses of clay is its curing effect of buruli ulcers
or fl esh eating disease (De, 2002).
Zeolites have become a valuable medical resource. QuickClot (Figure 4), a product
not available to the public at this point, has saved many lives with its blood coagula-
ting properties. Emergency personnel and the military have it readily available. Heavy
bleeding that occurs when femoral arteries are severed, can be stopped by ground
up and sterilized zeolite (Alam et al., 2004). Furthermore, studies are under way to
confi rm zeolite's affi nity for radionucleides. Zeolites are already being used in low
level nuclear radiation clean ups and are now being tested on humans to counter the
