The dirt on...eating dirt
How many wellness trends do we have to endure?
We’ve hit dirt bottom.
Of course, I thought that before. You just never know how low junk science can go.
Apparently, below your feet low. Grounding is no longer enough. Now you need to dig beneath your naked feet, scoop up a bit of soil, and put it in your mouth. And yes, swallow.
I know, I know—despite the headlines about this being a “hot trend,” there are relatively few videos on the topic, although there are comments supporting them.
Once again, the naturalistic fallacy descends in full force, and so this phenomenon deserves at least one post’s worth of attention, especially for someone in danger of actually—intentionally—letting their child eat dirt.
That qualifier is important because, sure, lots of children shove lots of things into their mouths. A small amount of dirt is unlikely to do any damage. And yes, Hippocrates mentions geophagia, dirt-eating. He mentions a lot of things—crude methods of treating fractures; regular use of purgatives, which leads to dehydration and electrolyte imbalances; the idea that the womb can move around a woman’s body—we shouldn’t recommend because the science of 2,500 years ago no longer holds.
Yet wellness influencers like to rummage through antiquated catalogs, as if sagely advice sits on every page. An element of magical thinking is often involved. Compare this statement from the woman above:
[One] teaspoon of organic biodynamic soil has more microorganisms than humans on earth.
With this recent statement from Zach Bush about the “vibrations” of the universe:
It's not like it ever stopped, but it's currently in a vibration that it's been in since its origin 15 billion years ago, maybe, and so billions and billions and billions of years of a single vibration and now it's about to switch into this 13th dimensional thing and depending on where we strike the chord with the heart chakra our planet may be sitting very uniquely at a distance from the core of the universe to set up a vibrational frequency within a chakra center or energy center within our galaxy, and so is it possible that we're here to trigger this cataclysmic shift within a universe that needs to connect the multiverse. And so maybe we're actually being nurse mated by all these intelligent species around them the angels and the rest as we might call them is it possible that we're surrounded by intelligence of nature intelligence of these cosmos intelligence of whatever we call God or the Divine.
Bush, whose anti-vax rhetoric (and germ theory denialism) is usually coupled with a call to reform our relationship with the soil as a means of healing, likes to use giant numbers, as if stating billions or trillions of something, by default, means it’s both ancient wisdom and beneficial. Neither is true, though this is a common tactic that wellness folk use to support outlandish claims: old and a lot = good.
Which is a similar tactic being employed in this ode to geophagia: return us to a simpler time when we could drink freely from streams, bathe endlessly in as much sunscreen-free sunbeams as possible, get all our required nutrition from scooping up a handful of dirt.
None of which makes sense from a modern understanding of chemistry. What we don’t have is a list of all the people that died from drinking bacterially-rich lake water or throwing the wrong plants into a stew. Our ancestors didn’t necessarily live long enough to die by skin cancer, and if they did, the historical record more likely shows their death to be from an irate deity.
That’s what happens when you enjoy the benefits of centuries of science and public health development without having to think too hard about it, and can afford all the wellness accoutrements that you blast out on social media (and, when needed, afford all the actual health care you need).
But, while we’re here, in case you see someone about to let their young one shovel handfuls of backyard into their mouth, a few of the very real dangers of putting dirt in your mouth:
Parasites and bacterial infections: Eating dirt can expose you to parasites and harmful bacteria.
Heavy metal poisoning: Soil may contain elevated levels of toxic heavy metals like lead, mercury, or arsenic.
Gastrointestinal problems: It can cause upset stomach, constipation, intestinal obstruction, or perforation.
Nutritional deficiencies: Eating dirt may replace nutritious foods in the diet, leading to deficiencies.
Anemia: Chronic dirt consumption can interfere with iron absorption and lead to anemia.
Lead poisoning: Especially a risk for children eating contaminated soils.
Hyperkalemia: Consuming soil with high potassium content can lead to high blood potassium levels, risking cardiac arrhythmia.
Toxicity from industrial pollutants: Soils contaminated by industrial waste or untreated sewage pose serious health threats.
Pregnancy complications: Eating dirt during pregnancy may pose risks to the developing fetus.
Tetanus: There's a possibility of contracting tetanus from soil bacteria.
Reduced absorption of medications: Soil consumption may interfere with proper absorption of some medications.
Dental damage: Chewing on soil particles can damage tooth enamel over time.
And if you really care about this person, show your love by buying them a salad spinner.