“Bentonite?”Here!bentonite clay
Hasn’t appeared in a scanned product yet.
As a supplement
Talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
Roll Call does not check drug interactions or assess personal safety.
A naturally occurring absorbent clay composed mainly of the mineral montmorillonite, mined and processed for various uses including food and supplement applications.
Why it’s used
Used in some supplements as a binding or anti-caking agent, and taken by others in the belief that it can bind unwanted substances in the digestive tract, sometimes marketed under 'detox' framing.
What the evidence says
As a manufacturing aid, bentonite's role is largely mechanical. For oral 'detox' or toxin-binding claims made in some products, rigorous human clinical evidence is lacking, and safety data on regular oral clay consumption in supplement form is limited.
Where we looked
There was no paper to cite here, so this is the search instead — run it yourself and see what we saw.
- PubMed: 556 records · searched September 2026
"Bentonite"[Title/Abstract] AND (review[pt] OR "safety assessment"[Title/Abstract] OR "risk assessment"[Title/Abstract] OR toxicology[Title/Abstract] OR toxicity[Title/Abstract] OR characterization[Title/Abstract] OR characterisation[Title/Abstract]) - PubMed: 0 records · searched September 2026
"Bentonite"[Title/Abstract] AND ("dietary supplements"[MeSH] OR supplementation[Title/Abstract] OR supplement[Title/Abstract] OR supplements[Title/Abstract] OR "oral administration"[Title/Abstract]) AND (randomized controlled trial[pt] OR clinical trial[pt] OR meta-analysis[pt] OR systematic review[pt]) AND humans[MeSH] - PubMed: 3635 records · searched September 2026
"Bentonite"[Title/Abstract]
This says what this database holds under these terms. It is not a finding that no research exists.
Context
Available data are mostly from industrial and veterinary use of clays rather than controlled human trials of oral bentonite supplementation.
Rumors
Bentonite clay taken as a supplement is a natural source of dietary vitamins and minerals.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- draxe.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it
Bentonite clay aids digestion and relieves constipation, nausea and IBS.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- draxe.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it
Bentonite clay taken internally removes heavy metals and toxins from the body.
Unresolvedhealth and safety evidence
Measured as a biomarker.
- Tight sorption of arsenic, cadmium, mercury, and lead by edible activated carbon and acid-processed montmorillonite clay (Peer-reviewed) · Funded by National Institutes of Health (Superfund Hazardous Substance Research and Training Program); United States Department of Agriculture (government) · No conflicts declared
Who’s saying this
- draxe.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it
Bentonite clay kills harmful bacteria and pathogens such as E. coli.
Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence
Studied in: in vitro bacterial cultures (E. coli and other pathogens) exposed to clay mineral suspensions/leachates.
What was measured is not yet noted.
- Broad-spectrum in vitro antibacterial activities of clay minerals against antibiotic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
- Exchangeable Ions Are Responsible for the In Vitro Antibacterial Properties of Natural Clay Mixtures (Peer-reviewed) · Funded by NIH National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine; Science Foundation Arizona (government) · No conflicts declared
Who’s saying this
- draxe.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it
Bentonite clay can contain dangerously high levels of lead.
Sources cited — check not cleared.
Measured as a biomarker.
- Levels of lead, arsenic, mercury and cadmium in clays for oral use on the Dutch market and estimation of associated risks (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
- 'Detox' bentonite clay has high levels of lead, FDA says (Journalism) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- STAT — a publisher: health and life science news; part of Boston Globe Media
How we know who this is
- “At STAT, our mission is to deliver trusted, tough-minded journalism on the business of making medicines, health tech, science, public health, hospitals, and insurance.” (their page)
- “STAT was launched in 2015 by John Henry, the owner of the Boston Globe, and is part of Boston Globe Media.” (their page)