Some influencers on social media are encouraging people to eat dirt. Yes, you read that right. They claim that consuming dirt offers a wide range of health benefits, from improving gut health and reducing acne to preventing wrinkles, reversing signs of ageing, and even lowering body fat.
An online community known as “crunchers”, particularly in the USA, is advocating for eating dirt as a remedy for various health issues. Fertility and hormone coach Stephanie Adler has fuelled this trend on TikTok, claiming soil is rich in beneficial minerals. Multiple users online are testifying how much they enjoy eating dirt.
But are such claims firmly grounded in scientific evidence? We need to dig deep before jumping on the dirt bandwagon. Proponents of this trend argue that just a teaspoon of organic soil contains more microorganisms than the entire human population on Earth. According to a 2019 publication in the journal Microorganisms, researchers discovered that soil plays a significant role in shaping the human gut microbiome, which comprises trillions of microorganisms essential for our overall well-being.
Additionally, some experts believe that our ancestors may have practiced geophagy (the practice of eating Earth) as a way to supplement their nutrient-poor local diets and detoxify their bodies. Different bacteria play unique roles in the gastrointestinal tract. There is also evidence that human microbiomes have gotten less diverse over the years, potentially due to the consum.