F.A. Q.’s on TORF
Krasno Products
- Why is your product
better than the dry peat products?
Drying Balneo peat
breaks down cellular structure, which causes reduced ability to dissolve in
water. It sterilizes the peat which reduces its overall effectiveness for
therapy. In order to make dry peat
absorb any water, it has to be ground to very fine dust particles. While drying
(or freeze drying) would reduce the cost of transport
and warehousing, Torf Krasno
opposes such “cost reduction” as it lowers the quality of products and goes
against the tradition of Czech Balneo therapy. Action of Balneo peat is very
complex and more then “some of its parts”. Besides the content of chemical
elements, there are microbiological elements present in the raw peat which would be eliminated with thermal or drying
process.
- What are the plants in your area that are found in the peat?
While the area’s flora
is typical of central Europe (Czech Republic, Austria etc…), the current flora
may not be represented in the peat as thru the times of forming, our peat beds
were covered with fresh water and many of the botanical species may not be in
existence today. Although small in area, the
However, this is only
a part of the story as Torf peat is
harvested in areas saturated with many mineral springs. These minerals penetrate the peat adding to
the therapeutic effect. This explains
the high concentrations of spa resorts developed and used since mid 18th
century.
- Are there any contaminants in the area - is
it tested for contaminants? Are there any industrial facilities nearby?
Torf Balneo peat is
harvested from areas on the border of the national reserve. By default,
this area is free of any industrial activity that could contaminate its
surroundings. Also, as
any product used in Balneo therapy, Balneo peat has to be tested and approved
by appropriate authorities (Czech Ministry of Health – similar to FDA - tests
fall under the Czech norm CSN 465730 [link to page of Ministry of Health with
addresses of involved labs: http://www.mzcr.cz/index.php?clanek=73] – tests for levels
of moisture, bacteria, fungi, yeasts, toxicity, and irritants). The approval consists of absence or
acceptable levels of contaminants, approval of harvesting, handling,
manufacturing and storing methods and peat’s suitability for therapy – chemical
& microbiology tests.
- How is it harvested?
Torf peat is harvested
by traditional methods
- Layer of suitable
peat is identified and tested by standard methods for therapeutic peat (see
above)
- Top layer is removed
- Peat is harvested
and sorted
- Mechanically stirred
into consisted paste and filled into plastic tubes.
- What is the best way to store it?
Unopened plastic tube
or bag (depending on the product), in dry and cool place.
- What is the best way
to store your product once it is opened?
Leave rest of peat in
the tube. Seal opened end as much as possible to avoid drying. Store in cool and dry place for no more then
1 month.
- How deep in the
ground is your product?
It depends on the
harvested layer. Again, we emphasize that we do not pretend to have “a magic
location” of unheard of quality as is proclaimed by some companies. When we
locate a source of peat which seems promising for
therapeutic use, it is then tested for stage of decomposition, therapeutic
qualities, and contaminants by appropriate lab if it satisfies the standards
required. Typical layers may start about 1 meter and continue for a few more.
We harvest down to the layers of clay or rock underneath.
- Where does the Saprol
come from? What is different about it
and the Peat?
Main difference is
geological terminology. While both start
under similar circumstances (imperfect decomposition of botanical matter
without or with greatly reduced oxygen presence. Saprols
are found under deep layers of rocks or fresh water
(bottom of lake under sediments). Peats are generally shallower and usually found under soil
and layers of itself. Popular term “moor mud” therefore may refer to any of the
two. Location will determine content and therefore effectiveness of the
particular peloid.
Our Saprol comes from the lake
bed near city of
- Is it best to get
the water as hot as possible in the bath or just a nice temperature?
Recommended water
temperature by Balneo therapists is about 38º C (nicely warm – watch out for
cooling of the bath) as hot water could cause fatigue. Some patients may prefer hotter bath – generally
OK but watch for high blood pressure, heart problems and fatigue factor.
- Is it good to add sea salts to the bath or
does it react with the peat in a negative way?
If desired, salts are
OK. Peat is an excellent absorbent, so some of the additives may be absorbed
and not released, but typically the patient will
experience a higher intensity of the additive, as peat improves efficiency of
delivery. Same is true if peat is used in body pack.
- What are the most successful conditions
treated with peat bath - the most common?
The most common are
conditions related to pain treatment - mobility improvement, sports injuries,
after surgery, etc. Also general heath maintenance –
detoxification, immunity boost etc.
- What are the most unsuccessful conditions
treated?
Difficult to answer
since unsuccessful treatments are usually not repeated, but I guess that
treatment of pain as by-product of certain condition is “less” successful as it
does not remove the cause of pain and therefore the treatment has to be repeated
every time pain returns – gout, some injuries, arthritis etc.
- How long to keep the Saprol
on the feet? Can it stay on all day?
No need to. Use in 10 - 20 minute applications. Prolonged application may cause drying of
skin – not recommended.
- How long to expect the fungus to die and
feet to improve given normal one toe infection of athlete’s foot.
Our tests in medical
practice showed that on average 7 days of daily application is sufficient to
eliminate fungus in foot treatment.
However, some extreme cases required 10 and one even 14 days to heal
completely (case was an old and neglected case of athlete’s foot of ex-military
personnel).
- The face masks -
what are the most successful conditions treated?
Mask is deep cleansing
– absorption of peat helps detoxification, has peeling action, improved blood
circulation and rejuvenates skin. Shown to clear ACNE and some skin imperfections. Also successful in treatment of few cases of psoriasis.
- Is it contraindicated
in any conditions?
High intensity of the
mask may not be suitable for very sensitive skin, although there seems to no
allergies associated with Balneo peat.
- Face
pack and acne - does it make acne better or worse?
Typically improves
ACNE condition very quickly
- is anything added to
the product in packaging?
In Balneo peat bath, no. The single-foment
pads have small percentage of bentonite added to
improve density and to manage the release of peat water from the pack