Beauty lovers are eating dirt, claiming health benefits: ‘No one can make me stop eating’

It is no longer theirs messy little secret

Crunchers, or people with a penchant for partying in the dirt, don’t hide under rocks.

Instead, shameless soil connoisseurs across the internet are proudly promoting the health and beauty benefits of eating soil.

“Want to improve your child’s gut health?” mom Stephanie Adler, a fertility and hormone coach, asked her TikTok followers in the closed caption of a post. “Eat dirt!”

“[One] a teaspoon of organic biodynamic soil has more microorganisms than humans in the soil,” wrote the professional, while a baby chews on dry mud in the background.

Earth foodies with much more discerning palettes, who prefer to eat better with a designer diet instead of handfuls from their backyards, can buy edible soil online through platforms like Amazon and Etsy.

Sachets of surface — usually available in the form of ingestible clay — can range from about $11 to $27, depending on quality and quantity.

@stefanie_adler

How to get the most out of eating dirt without making mud pies! ⬇️ It’s easy for kids (if you let them play outside in nature) to be exposed to the benefits of the earth! They put leaves in their mouths or eat a snack with dirty hands! But what are the other ways to get these benefits? And how can you make it ‘safe’. 1. Don’t wash your organic vegetables. Best if you garden them yourself, second best to get them from a local organic farm you trust! 2. Walk in nature! You know when the light hits in a specific way and you see all the particles floating in the air, walking somewhere that the particles are mostly made from natural sources (a forest, mountains, etc) will infect you just by breathing! Breathe in the diet! When Ojai was 4 months old, we went to Vail and I got “gut rocks” for him to explore by playing with them and putting them in his mouth. A few rocks with dirt on them, but even just breathing that air was amazing for his small intestine and ours. 3. Garden! Get your hands in some dirt. 4. Go to the ocean!! I put ocean water all over Ojai’s hands and face last week so he could benefit from the micro-organisms present there (it’s the same idea) Avoid areas that are sprayed with pesticides and instead look for paths, or your backyard (which hopefully isn’t Don’t spray or use fertilizer)! Do not disinfect your children’s hands if they are dirty from natural spaces! Mud pies aren’t the only way, but a great way

♬ original sound – Fertility + Hormone Coach

An Amazon seller touts their $11.99 Edible Red Clay as an “anti-aging” tool, claiming, “It unclogs pores of sebum, tightens pores [and] it has anti-aging effects.”

“It helps balance the sebum production that causes acne [and] dandruff Thus, we have a healthy face…”

And while the practice of taking the field may sound strange, recent research has found that it can actually be good for the body.

“Soil contributes to the human gut microbiome,” study authors found in a 2019 report. “It was essential in the evolution of the human gut microbiome and is a major inoculator and provider of beneficial gut microorganisms.”

The analysts added that more soil in one’s diet can also reduce the need to eat livestock and dairy products, which can improve the digestive system.

“Since prehistory, humans have willingly consumed soils as a supplement to their nutrient-poor local diet, a habit called ‘geophagy,'” the specialists explained. “They have used certain soils as detoxifying agents necessary to make certain foodstuffs edible and for medicinal purposes.”

Similarly, previous studies have claimed that dirt can absorb body fat and ultimately help fight obesity.

Scientists have also determined that getting down and dirty can improve your skin and immune system.

Direct exposure to natural soil and plant-based materials is a possible approach to alter the skin microbiota,” noted experts from the University of Helsinki. “Using materials … such as soil and plant-based materials . .. may be a more effective approach to increase microbial diversity and therefore to prevent and cure immune system disorders.”

Some blackheads online claim that the stuff has helped reduce acne and wrinkles.

However, other crunchers seem to love the taste of the ground.

“I love eating dirt,” natural influencer @Muthan8ure admitted to her 113,000+ virtual fans.

“I would eat this all day long, I don’t even eat food,” continued the mother of four, who says she ate dirt during each of her pregnancies.

“Red Dirt—I love it,” exclaimed the self-crowned “country girl.” “And I don’t care what anybody says.”

“No one can make me stop eating it.”