Diatomaceous Earth (Food Grade) for Antimicrobial Properties

Research suggests that diatomaceous earth may possess some antimicrobial properties, though the evidence is limited and largely preliminary. The stronger of the two available studies — a 2021 laboratory investigation — found that a composite of diatomaceous earth and zinc oxide showed meaningful activity against a pathogenic fungus and two bacterial strains, with researchers attributing this effect to the material's porous surface area and its ability to generate reactive oxygen species that disrupt microbial structures; notably, however, this activity was tested as a composite rather than diatomaceous earth alone, making it difficult to isolate DE's independent contribution. The second study, a 2016 in vitro ruminant fermentation trial, found that diatomaceous earth did not produce meaningful effects on microbial activity in that context, representing a null or mixed result. Overall, the current body of evidence consists only of laboratory studies with no human or animal clinical trials, and the findings are too early-stage and methodologically distinct to draw broad conclusions about diatomaceous earth's antimicrobial potential on its own.