Zeolite (clinoptilolite)

Q: Does zeolite detox heavy metals?

It binds some in the gut. Purified clinoptilolite cut absorption of a lead tracer swallowed at the same time by about 90% in 42 adults; removing metals already in the body was not tested, and FDA has warned sellers that 'detox' disease claims are unapproved drug claims.

Q: Does zeolite help IBS?

Not clearly. In a 30-person IBS-D pilot, 12-week responders were 21% vs 25% on placebo, so the main goal was missed, though some symptoms improved early. In a 41-person pilot, symptoms fell equally with zeolite and placebo; only inflammation markers differed.

Q: Does zeolite lower cholesterol?

An uncontrolled 8-week study reported 20-25% lower lipids on 6-9 g a day, which returned to baseline 6 weeks after stopping. No placebo-controlled lipid trial was found.

Q: Does zeolite help athletes?

In 52 endurance athletes, 1.85 g a day for 12 weeks lowered stool zonulin but did not change VO2max or performance.

Q: Is zeolite safe?

The trials reported good tolerance for up to 12 weeks in adults. Raw zeolite can carry lead above the EU supplement limit, so choose purified, tested products. Longer use, pregnancy and children have not been studied.

Q: Does zeolite help with chemotherapy side effects?

One 120-patient placebo-controlled trial during oxaliplatin chemotherapy found nerve damage in 64.3% on zeolite vs 70.6% on placebo, not a significant difference overall; men did better and patients completed more cycles. We grade it C, as supervised medical use only.

Also called Clinoptilolite, Clinoptilolite-tuff, G-PUR, PMA-zeolite, Activated zeolite.

Best grade C across 7 graded outcomes Mineral Last checked Oct 21, 2026

The short answer

From 12 sources

Human zeolite data are small. Purified clinoptilolite cut lead absorption from a tracer dose by about 90% in 42 healthy adults. IBS trials of 30 and 41 people found no clear symptom benefit over placebo. An uncontrolled study reported lower lipids that returned to baseline after stopping. Detox claims beyond gut binding are untested, and raw zeolite can itself contain lead.

Every graded outcome on this page

7 rows · line = participants

Grade CNerve damage from oxaliplatin chemotherapyChemotherapy side effectsn 120
Grade CGut barrier and inflammation markers in endurance athletesGut barriern 52
Grade CAbsorption of lead from the gutHeavy metalsn 42
Grade DStool frequency in chronic diarrhoeaDiarrhoean 100
Grade DBlood lipids in adults with dyslipidemiaCholesteroln 41
Grade DIBS symptoms and gut inflammation markersIBSn 41
Grade DIBS with diarrhea symptom reliefIBSn 30
4 more graded outcomes, in the evidence chapter

Key facts

What it is: A natural aluminosilicate (AlO₄ and SiO₄ network) with cavities that hold water and exchange ions¹
Lead binding: 2 g of purified clinoptilolite taken with a lead tracer cut absorption by about 90% vs placebo in 42 healthy adults³
IBS with diarrhea: 12-week relief responders 21% vs 25% on placebo (primary endpoint not met); some symptoms improved²
Cholesterol: LDL and total cholesterol fell 20-25% over 8 weeks in an uncontrolled study, then returned to baseline after stopping⁵
Regulators: FDA (2022) and FTC (2020) warned zeolite sellers over heavy-metal detox, cancer-related, antiviral and COVID-19 claims^7,8

What it is

Zeolite clinoptilolite is a volcanic aluminosilicate mineral with a cage-like structure that binds ions; it is sold as a powder or capsule.

How it works

Established

Established for binding: clinoptilolite's aluminosilicate cages take up water and exchange ions and other polar molecules, and in people it reduced gut uptake of co-ingested lead. Proposed effects on inflammation, gut barrier or lipids are not established in people.^1,3

Forms, side by side

2 forms named in our sources. The rest show what our data holds, and say plainly where it holds nothing yet.

Zeolite (clinoptilolite) forms compared

2 forms

Zeolite (clinoptilolite) forms compared: 2 forms by 3 attributes. Empty cells are labelled No data yet, or Not graded in the evidence row.
2 forms	Purified clinoptilolite-tuff (e.g. G-PUR)	Mechanically activated or micronized clinoptilolite (TMAZ, PMA)
Absorption in people	Acts in the gut lumen; it reduced uptake of co-ingested lead.³	Processing changes particle size; no head-to-head human absorption data.¹
GI tolerance	Well tolerated in the 42-person tracer study; no serious product-related events in the IBS-D pilot.^3,2	No side effects reported over 8 weeks at 6-9 g a day.⁵
Studied for	Lead binding, IBS-D	Lipids, gut barrier markers

Purified clinoptilolite-tuff (e.g. G-PUR)
Absorption in people
Acts in the gut lumen; it reduced uptake of co-ingested lead.³
GI tolerance
Well tolerated in the 42-person tracer study; no serious product-related events in the IBS-D pilot.^3,2
Studied for
Lead binding, IBS-D
Mechanically activated or micronized clinoptilolite (TMAZ, PMA)
Absorption in people
Processing changes particle size; no head-to-head human absorption data.¹
GI tolerance
No side effects reported over 8 weeks at 6-9 g a day.⁵
Studied for
Lipids, gut barrier markers

What the human research says

Human trials only, one row per outcome. The form line shows what each trial actually tested. Grades follow our evidence-grading policy.

Trial map

7 graded outcomes, largest study first

7 graded outcomes: 3 improved, 3 mixed, 1 no effect. The largest, a 2020 randomized trial of 120 people on nerve damage from oxaliplatin chemotherapy, found mixed results.

By sizeTable

1Nerve damage from oxaliplatin chemotherapy

Mixed · Grade C · RCT, 120 people, 2020

Patients receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy

Dose, result and source

Every graded outcome on this page, largest study first
Outcome	Found	People	Study	Who was studied
Nerve damage from oxaliplatin chemotherapy	Mixed	120	Grade C · RCT, 2020	Patients receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy
Stool frequency in chronic diarrhoea	Improved	100	Grade D · Open-label trial, 2025	Patients with chronic or recurrent diarrhoea not controlled by usual treatment
Gut barrier and inflammation markers in endurance athletes	Mixed	52	Grade C · RCT, 2015	Endurance-trained men and women aged 20-50
Absorption of lead from the gut	Improved	42	Grade C · RCT, 2021	Healthy adults given a stable-isotope lead tracer
IBS symptoms and gut inflammation markers	No effect	41	Grade D · Pilot RCT, 2021	Adults with irritable bowel syndrome
Blood lipids in adults with dyslipidemia	Improved	41	Grade D · Open-label trial, 2017	Adults (mean age 57.6) with lipids above normal limits
IBS with diarrhea symptom relief	Mixed	30	Grade D · Pilot RCT, 2022	Adults with IBS-D (Rome IV)

Every graded row

7 rows

Form tested

Showing 7 of 7 outcomes. Human trials only.

Grade CNerve damage from oxaliplatin chemotherapyChemotherapy side effectsMixedRCT
n 120 · 2020

Mixed Neuropathy developed in 64.3% on zeolite vs 70.6% on placebo, not significant overall (significant only in men, p = 0.047). Patients on zeolite completed more chemotherapy cycles (p = 0.03); severe blood toxicity trended lower (p = 0.09).

Design: RCT, n = 120, 2020
Population: Patients receiving oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy
Form: PMA-zeolite (Multizeo Med)
Dose: Not given in the abstract
Duration: During chemotherapy, with nerve tests at 3 and 6 months
Source: Reference 9 · PubMed 32414185 (opens PubMed)

Grade CGut barrier and inflammation markers in endurance athletesGut barrierOne marker lowerRCT
n 52 · 2015

Mixed Stool zonulin, a gut-permeability marker, fell with zeolite (p < 0.05) and IL-10 trended up; other redox, inflammation and DNA-damage markers, VO2max and performance did not change.

Design: RCT, n = 52, 2015
Population: Endurance-trained men and women aged 20-50
Form: Zeolite vs placebo
Dose: 1.85 g a day
Duration: 12 weeks
Source: Reference 4 · PubMed 26500463 (opens PubMed)

Grade CAbsorption of lead from the gutHeavy metalsAbout 90% less lead absorbedRCT
n 42 · 2021

Improved Peak blood tracer enrichment was 0.505% on placebo vs 0.073% and 0.057% on G-PUR; tracer exposure fell from 86.5 to 11.9 and 8.5%*h, about a 90% cut.

Design: RCT, n = 42, 2021
Population: Healthy adults given a stable-isotope lead tracer
Form: Purified clinoptilolite-tuff (G-PUR) vs placebo
Dose: 2.0 g or 2 x 2.0 g with 2.5 micrograms of lead-204
Duration: Single dosing period, 8 days of sampling
Source: Reference 3 · PubMed 34285282 (opens PubMed)

Grade DStool frequency in chronic diarrhoeaDiarrhoeaImprovedOpen-label trial
n 100 · 2025

Improved The authors report fewer and better-formed stools in most patients and better quality of life, but give no comparison group and few figures.

Design: Open-label trial, n = 100, 2025
Population: Patients with chronic or recurrent diarrhoea not controlled by usual treatment
Form: Zeolite powder (Xeoderm)
Dose: One spoon of powder after lunch and dinner, then once in the evening (dose as reported in the abstract: 15 mg per spoon, which looks implausibly low for a spoonful of powder)
Duration: 8 weeks, then 1 month at the lower dose
Source: Reference 11 · PubMed 39957445 (opens PubMed)

Grade DBlood lipids in adults with dyslipidemiaCholesterolLower lipids while taken (uncontrolled)Open-label trial
n 41 · 2017

Improved All lipid fractions improved 20-25% after 8 weeks (p < 0.001), with LDL down 23% in the 6 g fine-grind group, then returned to baseline 6 weeks after stopping. No side effects were reported.

Design: Open-label trial, n = 41, 2017
Population: Adults (mean age 57.6) with lipids above normal limits
Form: Tribomechanically activated clinoptilolite in three dose and grind groups
Dose: 6 g or 9 g a day
Duration: 8 weeks, 6-week follow-up
Source: Reference 5 · PubMed 28605233 (opens PubMed)

Grade DIBS symptoms and gut inflammation markersIBSNo effectPilot RCT
n 41 · 2021

No effect Symptom scores fell significantly in both groups, which the authors read as a strong placebo effect. Stool alpha-1-antitrypsin fell more with zeolite (p = 0.037) and hsCRP was lower.

Design: Pilot RCT, n = 41, 2021
Population: Adults with irritable bowel syndrome
Form: PMA-zeolite vs microcrystalline cellulose
Dose: 3 g twice a day
Duration: 3 months
Source: Reference 10 · PubMed 33930939 (opens PubMed)

Grade DIBS with diarrhea symptom reliefIBSPrimary endpoint missedPilot RCT
n 30 · 2022

Mixed Responders at 12 weeks were 21% vs 25% (primary endpoint not met). At 4 weeks 36% vs 0% reported considerable relief, diarrhea days fell 2.4 vs 0.3 a week, and fewer needed rescue medicine; no serious product-related events.

Design: Pilot RCT, n = 30, 2022
Population: Adults with IBS-D (Rome IV)
Form: Purified clinoptilolite-tuff (G-PUR) vs placebo
Dose: 2 g three times a day
Duration: 12 weeks
Source: Reference 2 · PubMed 36569277 (opens PubMed)

What the numbers add up to

Each point is worked out from the data and the sources numbered on this page, with the arithmetic shown under it. It adds no new data and is not medical advice.

Sponsor-linked research

Both purified-tuff trials were reimbursed by the product sponsor and include Glock-linked authors.^2,3

Lipid drop did not last

Cholesterol returned to baseline within 6 weeks of stopping in the only lipid study, which had no control group.⁵

Studied doses

Doses used in research, shown against the official limits. They describe the studies, not a recommendation for you.

Studied doses in research, not advice. These are amounts used in research, not personal advice. Your clinician or pharmacist can say what fits you.

Doses studied in human trials

Doses studied in human trials ranged from 1.85 g a day for 12 weeks to 6 g a day (2 g or 3 g twice or three times daily) for 12 weeks and 6-9 g a day for 8 weeks; the lead study gave single 2-4 g doses.^2,3,4,5,10

Interactions and safety

Published interactions only: each row cites a source. No row means none was found in our sources, not that a combination is safe.

Interactions

0 agents

None found in our sources.

Check with what you take

Kept on this device only

Add what you take. We list every interaction our evidence profiles cite between Zeolite and your picks, and between your picks.

Add a supplement or medicine

Most cited:

Add a supplement or medicine you take to check it against Zeolite.

Starting from one medicine? The interaction checker rates how serious each pair is, on a curated list of 19 entries for 11 medicines. This cabinet has no severity rating: it lists every interaction row our supplement pages cite.

Who should be careful

4 groups

Lead in the mineral: Natural zeolites trap metals in the ground. Raw clinoptilolite from three Romanian quarries held 8-23 mg/kg of lead, above the EU limit of 3.0 mg/kg for supplements; two finished supplements tested 2.0-2.6 mg/kg. Levels vary by quarry, so purification and testing matter.⁶
Long-term use: The cited human studies lasted 12 weeks at most, so longer use is unstudied.^2,4,5
Pregnancy and children: All cited trials enrolled adults; there are no data in pregnancy, breastfeeding or children, and LactMed has no zeolite entry. NCCIH notes that many supplements have not been tested in pregnant women, nursing mothers or children.^2,3,4,5,12
People on medicines: No drug-interaction studies or case reports were found for zeolite. NCCIH notes that dietary supplements may interact with medicines, so the lack of data is not evidence of safety.¹²

How to read the label

What to check on the Supplement Facts panel.

How to read the label

4 checks

Purified or raw

The lead and IBS trials used a purified clinoptilolite-tuff; raw or differently processed zeolites were not tested in those trials.^2,3

Binding is not detox

The lead result applies to lead swallowed at the same time as the zeolite, not to lead already stored in the body.³

Look for heavy-metal testing

Ask for a certificate of analysis showing lead below 3.0 mg/kg; unpurified zeolite can exceed it.⁶

Detox and disease claims

FDA warned a seller in 2022 that 'heavy metal detoxifier', cancer-related and antiviral claims made its zeolite an unapproved drug, and FTC warned another in 2020 over unsupported COVID-19 treatment claims.^7,8

Have the bottle? Photograph its Supplement Facts panel and see each line, zeolite (clinoptilolite) included, beside the doses and forms the trials used in Label X-Ray.

Frequently asked questions

Short answers to common questions; the numbers link to the sources below.

Common questions

6 answers

Does zeolite detox heavy metals?

It binds some in the gut. Purified clinoptilolite cut absorption of a lead tracer swallowed at the same time by about 90% in 42 adults; removing metals already in the body was not tested, and FDA has warned sellers that 'detox' disease claims are unapproved drug claims.^3,7

Does zeolite help IBS?

Not clearly. In a 30-person IBS-D pilot, 12-week responders were 21% vs 25% on placebo, so the main goal was missed, though some symptoms improved early. In a 41-person pilot, symptoms fell equally with zeolite and placebo; only inflammation markers differed.^2,10

Does zeolite lower cholesterol?

An uncontrolled 8-week study reported 20-25% lower lipids on 6-9 g a day, which returned to baseline 6 weeks after stopping. No placebo-controlled lipid trial was found.⁵

Does zeolite help athletes?

In 52 endurance athletes, 1.85 g a day for 12 weeks lowered stool zonulin but did not change VO2max or performance.⁴

Is zeolite safe?

The trials reported good tolerance for up to 12 weeks in adults. Raw zeolite can carry lead above the EU supplement limit, so choose purified, tested products. Longer use, pregnancy and children have not been studied.^2,3,6

Does zeolite help with chemotherapy side effects?

One 120-patient placebo-controlled trial during oxaliplatin chemotherapy found nerve damage in 64.3% on zeolite vs 70.6% on placebo, not a significant difference overall; men did better and patients completed more cycles. We grade it C, as supervised medical use only.⁹

Sources

12 sources: trial abstracts, NIH fact sheets and reference databases. Numbers in the text link here.

Sources cited on this page

12 sources

1Zeolite Clinoptilolite: Therapeutic Virtues of an Ancient Mineral.Review Molecules, 2019 · PMID 30999685
2Safety and efficacy of purified clinoptilolite-tuff treatment in patients with irritable bowel syndrome with diarrhea: Randomized controlled trial.Pilot RCT World J Gastroenterol, 2022 · PMID 36569277
3Concomitant oral intake of purified clinoptilolite tuff (G-PUR) reduces enteral lead uptake in healthy humans.RCT Sci Rep, 2021 · PMID 34285282
4Effects of zeolite supplementation on parameters of intestinal barrier integrity, inflammation, redoxbiology and performance in aerobically trained subjects.RCT J Int Soc Sports Nutr, 2015 · PMID 26500463
5Clinoptilolite for Treatment of Dyslipidemia: Preliminary Efficacy Study.Open-label trial J Altern Complement Med, 2017 · PMID 28605233
6Development and Validation of a Spectrometric Method for Cd and Pb Determination in Zeolites and Safety Evaluation.Observational Molecules, 2020 · PMID 32498463
7Warning Letter: Living Foods LLC (MARCS-CMS 622648), July 5, 2022Safety communication U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2022 · fda.gov
8Warning letter to Barry Cohen (zeolite.com): unsubstantiated claims for coronavirus treatment or prevention, April 20, 2020Safety communication Federal Trade Commission, 2020 · ftc.gov
9ZeOxaNMulti Trial: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial of Oral PMA-zeolite to prevent Chemotherapy-Induced Side Effects, in particular, Peripheral Neuropathy.RCT Molecules, 2020 · PMID 32414185
10PMA-zeolite can modulate inflammation associated markers in irritable bowel disease - an explorative randomized, double blinded, controlled pilot trial.Pilot RCT Neuro Endocrinol Lett, 2021 · PMID 33930939
11Clinoptilolite in the drug refractory chronic diarrhoea.Open-label trial Clin Ter, 2025 · PMID 39957445
12Using Dietary Supplements WiselyFact sheet NCCIH, 2019 · nccih.nih.gov

What changed

Every dated change to this page: what changed, who made it and why.

Change log

3 entries

Dated changes to this page
Date	Change	Who and why
Oct 21, 2026evidence, studied doses, summary, who should be careful, FAQ	A–Z audit. Added three graded rows: chemotherapy nerve damage (PMID 32414185, C, supervised use), an IBS pilot (PMID 33930939, D, no symptom difference) and a 2025 uncontrolled chronic-diarrhoea study (PMID 39957445, D). A 2021 osteoporosis trial (PMID 33183068) was left out because its abstract gives no participant numbers. Interaction check: no zeolite entry in LactMed or LiverTox and no interaction studies in PubMed; added a medicines note (NCCIH) and breastfeeding to the pregnancy note. Lipid result now worded as returning to baseline after stopping. Fact-checked against the sources; corrected: the 41-person IBS pilot reported no symptom difference rather than a missed endpoint, and the 15 mg spoon dose in the 2025 diarrhoea study is now shown only as reported in the abstract.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: A–Z page audit
Oct 17, 2026all	Initial editorial evidence review. Every PMID checked against NCBI E-utilities esummary (title, year, journal) and each cited abstract read; numbers taken from the abstracts. Sponsor ties disclosed: G-PUR trials (2021, 2022) reimbursed by the sponsor with Glock-linked authors. The 2021 osteoporosis trial was not cited because its abstract gives no participant numbers. Where to buy: we didn’t list a product; none of the stores we checked sells zeolite.	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: new page
Oct 17, 2026who should avoid	Safety review: added lead content of raw vs purified zeolite (Molecules 2020), FDA 2022 and FTC 2020 warning letters on detox, cancer-related, antiviral and COVID-19 claims, and corrected the IBS-D trial conflict note (two Glock Health employee authors).	Writer: Kymata Health EditorialTrigger: safety review

Supplement & Nutrient Encyclopedia. Educational information only; it is not medical advice and does not replace a clinician. Dietary supplements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Statements about supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA.