Have some dirt!

Don't ask me what search terms I used that ralphed up this 2017 story on the web, because I don't remember. But this headline is hard to forget:

Rise in Dirt-Eating Means Booming Business For Soil-Selling Stands in Zimbabwe

Yes indeed, this story from the Global Press Journal tells us all about Zimbabwe's successful dirt entrepreneurs, selling soil for human consumption to hungry customers. 

For as little as a few cents per packet, Ndlovu saves the women the trouble of collecting the soil themselves. And his stand boasts an enviable assortment. Some options are brown, some are reddish. There is rough and smooth, sour-tasting or rich. The white, creamy soil comes from anthills in Harare, the capital city and the namesake for that variety. Cheaper options are the colored soils that include the Bellevue flavor, which is named after one of the Bulawayo neighborhoods where it’s found. Just 10 cents buys a packet.

 

So... What's with all the dirt eating? Isn't it bad enough that our social and scientific betters want us all to eat bugs, as I noted a couple of weeks ago? Now dirt-eating is the thing to do?

Dig in!

As the story notes:

Dirt consumption is associated with a condition known as pica, doctors say, which causes people, to crave nonfood items. Often, the condition is associated with a nutritional deficiency.

We certainly have heard legends about women, especially pregnant women, craving weird things. I've heard of women devouring jars of giardiniera, or anything from the Chinese restaurant, or even the famous pickles & ice cream. Pica can be a serious problem, especially when people eat nonorganic indigestible matter (plastics, metal, gasoline, Tide pods, etc.). Dirt seems pretty harmless by comparison, but of course dirt can also carry all sorts of harmful microorganisms as well as other nasty stuff. Healthline tells us, "Eating dirt can expose you to parasites, bacteria, and toxic heavy metals. Dirt that contains a lot of potassium could lead to high blood potassium, increasing your risk for cardiac arrhythmia or cardiac arrest." So I wouldn't recommend it. But indeed, the story notes, 

Some people who are anemic also eat dirt, as do some pregnant women worldwide. In fact, many pregnant women often crave dirt, possibly because of the potential protection dirt can provide against some toxins and parasites, according to research.

We also learn that the eating of dirt has a special name: geophagia. While no pregnant woman has ever told me that she fancies a nice bowl of soil, it is a surprisingly common craving: 

Many pregnant women crave dirt or clay. Experts haven’t yet discovered a clear reason why this happens.

One theory links pica cravings to iron deficiencies. Another theory suggests these cravings develop as an adaptive response to the way the immune system changes during pregnancy.

Changes in immune system function could slightly increase your risk of being affected by toxins and foodborne illness, such as listeria. But multiple animal studies have suggested clay consumption offers protection against a range of toxins.

Whatever the cause for dirt cravings during pregnancy, eating dirt can create health risks not only for you, but also the developing fetus.

Even if the dirt you eat is free of toxins and has been baked or prepared safely, it can still bind in your stomach to the nutrients you get from other sources, preventing your body from absorbing them properly. This can put your health at risk.

This could be why, as one of the dirt lovers in Zimbabwe told the GPJ, "It’s not my wish to eat it, but I just find myself wanting to eat it."

I get the feeling that Prince Ndlovu (not an actual prince), the dirt vendor, probably is not able to put his dirt through an autoclave to sanitize it, nor take other steps to get out any potential hazards. Still, his dirt is sold in small portions, so perhaps it is not likely to be harmful for that reason. And it comes with another benefit: 

“By the end of the week, I can make as much as $200, which is more than someone seated jobless at home would make,” Ndlovu says. “It’s definitely better than stealing.”

And I think we can all agree on that. Hats off to you, Mr. Ndlovu! Perhaps one day you will found a chain like Waldirt or McDirtle's or a high-class place like Outback Dirthouse (containing actual outback!) or Top Soil (Try our surf & turf!). It may be a dirty job, but your customers know what they're getting.