Attapulgite (Palygorskite): What the Sources Say and Safety
Attapulgite (palygorskite) clay: a former US anti-diarrhea ingredient with small, mixed trials, an IARC fiber-length warning, and no sourced support for detox claims.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
What is Attapulgite (Palygorskite) good for?
What the body uses it for, and how strong the evidence is. A normal job in the body is not proof that extra supplements add benefit; each card says which.
Acute diarrhea medicine in adults (activated attapulgite tablets)
Preliminary or mixedSmall trials gave mixed results: one 30-adult placebo-controlled trial favored attapulgite added to oral rehydration, while a larger open-label trial found loperamide worked faster.
Supplements: Applies to the specific medicine products studied; US rules list activated attapulgite among ingredients with inadequate data.
Acute diarrhea in infants and children (medicine, older studies)
Preliminary or mixedA 1992 placebo-controlled trial in 113 children found first normal stools about a day sooner, and a 1993 review pooled 7,616 young patients and supported effectiveness and safety.
Supplements: Medicine given under medical care; not a basis for giving clay to a child at home.
Detox and heavy-metal removal: claim check
Not enough evidenceSellers say clays remove toxins. Proper evidence for attapulgite was not found in the sources we read, and NCCIH reports no compelling research for detox diets.
Supplements: No good evidence of benefit.
Connected topics
Open a group to see how each topic connects and how strong the evidence is.
Health goals (1)
- Digestive SupportPreliminary or mixed
Small trials of attapulgite medicines in acute diarrhea were mixed; it is no longer a recognized US OTC ingredient.
Body systems (1)
- Digestive SystemPreliminary or mixed
Studied as an anti-diarrhea medicine in adults and children.
Body parts (2)
Functional actions (1)
- Digestive SupportPreliminary or mixed
Antidiarrheal use; evidence mixed and mostly older.
Root causes (1)
- Environmental ToxinsDocumented risk
Fiber dust exposure at mining and milling sites was studied by IARC.
Conditions & symptoms (2)
- Acute DiarrheaPreliminary or mixed
Small trials in adults and children, mixed; US OTC status removed for inadequate data.
- DiarrheaPreliminary or mixed
Same trials as acute diarrhea; chronic diarrhea not covered.
Documented risks and interactions (3)
- US regulatory status as an OTC antidiarrheal. FDA lists activated attapulgite among antidiarrheal ingredients with inadequate data for general recognition of safety and effectiveness; products introduced after April 2004 are subject to regulatory action.
- Breathing long attapulgite fibers. IARC rates long fibers (about 5 micrometers or more) as possibly carcinogenic to humans (Group 2B) and short fibers as not classifiable (Group 3); commercial fibers are generally short.
- Swallowing: poison center guidance. The sources we read do not describe attapulgite poison cases. For any swallowed product with symptoms, call Poison Help (US 1-800-222-1222) or local emergency number.
The short answer: attapulgite is a fibrous clay that was once sold in over-the-counter diarrhea medicines, but US rules list "activated attapulgite" among ingredients with inadequate data, and no source we read supports "detox" uses. [1][2] IARC rates long attapulgite fibers (longer than about 5 micrometers) as "possibly carcinogenic to humans" and short fibers as not classifiable. [3] If someone has swallowed a clay product and is unwell, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or use the online tool, and call 911 for collapse, seizure, trouble breathing or if the person cannot be awakened. [9]
This page keeps seller claims, lab findings and human trials apart, and says whether a result is about a medicine, a cosmetic or an industrial product. A result for one does not carry over to another.
What attapulgite is
Attapulgite is another name for palygorskite, a hydrated magnesium aluminium silicate that forms as needle-like (fibrous) crystals in clay deposits. [3] It has been mined since the 1930s and is used mostly as an absorbent for pet waste, oils and greases, and in drilling muds. [3] It was also an ingredient in some anti-diarrhea preparations; IARC lists Kaopectate and Donnagel as synonyms in its record. [3] Pharmaceutical products used a purified, "activated" form. [5] Industrial, pet-litter and pharmaceutical grades are not interchangeable. It is a different clay from bentonite and kaolin, and from the related medical clay diosmectite.Claims and what the sources found
| Claim or use | What the best source found | Evidence label | Route, product and who was studied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Treats acute diarrhea in adults | In a 1990 randomized open-label trial, loperamide reduced stool frequency more than activated attapulgite and shortened time to the last unformed stool (about 14 vs 20 hours); overall relief scores were similar. [4] A 1995 double-blind trial of 30 adults found attapulgite plus oral rehydration beat placebo for stool frequency and consistency. [5] | Mixed | Medicine tablets, swallowed; adults with mild to moderate acute diarrhea |
| Treats acute diarrhea in babies and children | A 1992 French trial of 113 infants and children found first normal stools about a day earlier than placebo. [6] A 1993 review pooled trials in 7,616 young patients, open-label and placebo-controlled, and supported effectiveness and safety. [7] | Promising but limited | Medicine given by doctors; older studies from France and Africa; we read abstracts only |
| Regulatory status for OTC diarrhea products in the US | "Attapulgite, activated" is on FDA's list of antidiarrheal ingredients with inadequate data to establish general recognition of safety and effectiveness; products introduced after April 2004 (April 2005 for small sellers) are subject to regulatory action. [1][2] | Established (as a regulatory fact, not a verdict on every trial) | US over-the-counter medicines |
| "Detox," removes toxins or heavy metals | Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. NCCIH reports a 2015 review that found no compelling research that detox diets remove toxins. [8] | No good evidence of benefit | Seller claim; no attapulgite human study read |
| Skin masks, wound care | Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. | Insufficient evidence | |
| Cancer risk from breathing fibers | IARC: long fibers Group 2B (limited human, sufficient animal evidence); short fibers Group 3. [3] | Lab or animal only (plus one small miner cohort) | Industrial dust exposure |
Limits: the trials were small or open-label, mostly older, and used specific medicine products. We read abstracts, not full papers, and did not find a recent large placebo-controlled trial.
Safety by group
- Swallowing and poisoning. The sources we read do not describe poison-center cases for attapulgite. For any swallowed product with symptoms, call Poison Help (US 1-800-222-1222) or your local emergency number. [9] See Poisoning: urgent help.
- Breathing (dust and fibers). IARC found, in one cohort of miners and millers, small excesses of lung and stomach cancer deaths with no clear link to amount of exposure. Animal studies with long-fiber samples produced tumors, while mostly short-fiber samples did not significantly raise tumor rates. IARC says commercial fibers are generally short. [3] Fiber length varies by source, so dust from a loose clay of unknown origin is not reassuring.
- Contamination (lead, arsenic, aluminum). The sources we read do not describe testing of attapulgite products for metals. Not described is not proof of none. See heavy metals in natural ingredients.
- Medicines. The sources we read do not describe interactions. Clays can bind other substances in the gut, so ask a pharmacist; see medication interactions.
- Skin, wounds, eyes, mouth. The sources we read do not describe these.
- Pregnancy and breastfeeding. The sources we read do not describe them. Ask a clinician.
- Babies and children. The pediatric trials above were of a medicine given on medical advice. [6][7] Diarrhea in a baby can lead to dehydration; this page is not advice on treating it. Keep clay products out of reach of children; see a child swallowed a product.
- Kidney and heart conditions. The sources we read do not describe them.
How it is used and what to look for on a label
- Today attapulgite is mainly an industrial and pet-litter mineral. [3] We did not find a current US over-the-counter diarrhea product that we could verify.
- Grade matters: pharmaceutical, cosmetic and industrial grades are different products. See food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical grade.
- Red flags: "detox," "removes heavy metals," or "safe to eat" on a clay with no named grade or test results.
- Compare with the medical clay diosmectite and the guide clay types at a glance.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
Does attapulgite detox the body?
We found no source showing that it does. NCCIH reports a 2015 review that found no compelling research that detox diets remove toxins from the body. [8]
Did attapulgite work for diarrhea?
Small trials found benefit versus placebo, and a larger trial found loperamide worked faster. [4][5][6] In the US, "activated attapulgite" is on FDA's list of antidiarrheal ingredients with inadequate data. [1]
Is attapulgite dust dangerous?
IARC rates long fibers as possibly carcinogenic to humans and short fibers as not classifiable; commercial fibers are generally short. [3]
Is it safe for children or pregnancy?
Pediatric trials tested a medicine given under medical care, and we found no source on pregnancy. [6][7] Ask a clinician before giving any clay to a child.
What if someone swallowed it?
Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 or use the online tool, and call 911 for collapse, seizure or trouble breathing. [9]
References
- U.S. Government (eCFR). 21 CFR 310.545, Drug products containing certain active ingredients offered over-the-counter. Antidiarrheal list, "Attapulgite, activated". Read 2026-10-24.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Rulemaking history for OTC antidiarrheal drug products. Content current as of 2017. Read 2026-10-24.
- IARC. Palygorskite (attapulgite), IARC Monographs Volume 68, 1997. Read 2026-10-24.
- DuPont HL, et al. A randomized, open-label comparison of nonprescription loperamide and attapulgite in the symptomatic treatment of acute diarrhea. Am J Med. 1990;88(6A):20S-23S. PMID 2192554. Abstract read. Read 2026-10-24.
- Zaid MR, et al. Attapulgite in the treatment of acute diarrhoea: a double-blind placebo-controlled study. J Diarrhoeal Dis Res. 1995;13(1):44-46. PMID 7657965. Abstract read. Read 2026-10-24.
- Charritat JL, et al. Therapeutic evaluation of Mormoiron attapulgite in acute diarrhea in infants and children (in French). Ann Pediatr (Paris). 1992;39(5):326-332. PMID 1616253. Abstract read. Read 2026-10-24.
- Zeller J, Bougneres PF. Use of actapulgite for treating acute diarrhea in infants and children: review of pediatric studies (in French). Ann Pediatr (Paris). 1993;40(4):276-280. PMID 8323203. Abstract read. Read 2026-10-24.
- National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NIH). Detoxes and Cleanses: What You Need To Know. Updated March 2025. Read 2026-10-24.
- Poison Control (America's Poison Centers). Poison Control home page. Read 2026-10-24.