Peloid
Spa & Balneology Terms
Also: peloid, therapeutic mud, healing mud, Heilschlamm
A natural material — mud, peat, clay, or volcanic sediment — mixed with water and used therapeutically. The term was coined in 1933 by the International Society of Medical Hydrology and Climatology (ISMH), from the Greek “pelos” meaning mud.
Types of Peloid
- Peat (organic peloid) — Decomposed plant matter from bogs. Highest organic content. Used in Central/Northern Europe.
- Fango (volcanic peloid) — Clay matured in thermal mineral water. Used in Italy (Abano Terme).
- Sapropel (lake peloid) — Organic sediment from lake bottoms. Used in Latvia, Russia.
- Marine mud — Sea-bottom sediment. Used in Dead Sea region, Black Sea coast.
- Thermal mud — Mineral clay from thermal springs. Used in Hungary, Turkey.
What Makes Peat Different
Peat is the most organic of all peloids — up to 95%+ organic matter vs 10-50% for clay-based peloids. This gives peat uniquely high concentrations of humic substances, which drive its anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antioxidant effects. Other peloids rely more on mineral content and thermal properties.