Geophagy – eating soil for healing or health supplementation

As I screened a journal called Elements for the CAB Abstracts database the other day, I came across an interesting article entitled ‘Bentonite, bandaids and borborygmi’ (1), which is all about  the practice of eating clay for gastrointestinal ailments and applying clay topically as a dressing or bandaids for skin infections. Apparently it is a practice as old as mankind and has been observed in cultures worldwide (2). Could the vast surface area and chemical/physical properties of bentonites provide a natural pharmacy of antibacterial agents? Read on to find out!

The deliberate consumption of soil for medicinal or spiritual healing – Geophagy – is a practice that provides a direct connection between human health and Earth’s rocks and minerals. Intermediates in the food chain are eliminated, thus providing direct access to potentially beneficial or harmful elements and compounds associated with the ingested materials. The article by Williams et al. showed that the healing practices of ancient cultures, as well as of modern society, have depended on clay minerals to treat a variety of topical and internal ailments. High cation exchange capacity and extremely fine particle size explain why these minerals are used topically as bandaids to absorb secretions, toxins and contaminants.

Clays are believed to cleanse and refresh the skin and aid in the healing of blemishes; hence, the natural clays with adsorptive and absorptive properties have been exploited in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. This is based on a simple clay property, i.e. the attractive power of clay-particle surfaces; negatively charged surfaces attract positively charged substances and, like a sponge, clay minerals absorb substances between the layers of their crystal structure. Cation exchange can take up or release toxins or nutrients such as calcium and iron that may be used by bacteria and therefore starve them.

Haydel et al. (3) documented distinct antibacterial properties of iron-rich clays for healing severe skin infections. French green clays, sold as ‘healing clays’ were used to treat a necrotic mycobacterial skin infection called Buruli ulcer. This motivated testing of bentonites from around the world and resulted in the identification of several clays with bactericidal effects on a broad spectrum of human pathogens. The clay penetrates the bacterial cells and either tear them when the clay expands or poisons them. However, Williams et al. 2008 (4) pointed out that while a bactericide that works by physical processes is desirable for applications where contact between a cell and clay is possible, for example air filters, sewage systems, cell lysis (tear) resulting from physical contact with natural or modified clays makes its use on human tissue potentially harmful.

Although the use of clay on the skin as an antibacterial cleanser seems promising and is an acceptable practice, it’s ingestion is not recommended because the consequences for human health can be risky, with the most severe risk of eating clay being a total blockage of the lower intestine, which can only be remedied by surgery (5). Eating clay can also result in nutrient deficiencies. Other complications are detrimental effects on the teeth and gums and the digestive system, nutrient excesses, poisoning, and parasitic invasions. Reports on health effects of Geophagy are conflicting. For example, consumption of some clays causes high levels of potassium in the blood, while others promotes low potassium.

A search on Geophagy in the CAB Abstracts database resulted 97 other abstracts on the subject and not only on the practice by humans but also various animals. I also came across another recent article in Environmental Geochemistry and Health on Geophagy practice by Asian elephants, which found that elephants ate soils mainly not to supplement the mineral contents of their forage but to detoxify unpalatable compounds in their diet.

References

1-     Williams LB, Haydel SE, Ferrell Jr. RE (2009). Bentonite, bandaids, and borborygmi. Elements 5: 99-104.

2-     Ferrell RE, Vermeer DE, LeBlanc WS (1985) Chemical and mineralogical composition of geophagical materials. In: Trace substances in environmental health XIX.  University of Missouri, pp 47-55.

3-     Haydel SE, Remenith CM, Williams LB (2008). Broad-spectrum in vitro antibacterial activities of clay minerals against antibiotic-susceptible and antibiotic-resistant bacterial pathogens. Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy 61: 353-361.

4-     Williams LB, Haydel SE, Glese RF Jr, Eberl DD (2008). Chemical and mineralogical characteristics of French green clays used for healing. Clays and Clay Minerals 56: 437-452.

5-     Padilla FV, de la Torre AM (2006). La pica: retrado de una entidad clinica poco conocida. Nutricion Hospitalaria 21: 557-566.

Comments

[Rosemary Stephen]

Very interesting article and I really enjoy reading it.

It is unfortunate that some population in Africa eat soil because they are too poor to by food. As you mention in your article, they suffer from different ailements because of this practice. It is sad to see young children eating this yeallowish colored dry eart cake that we know is poisonus.

[French Dude]

Very interesting post, enjoyed it. I've never heard of people eating soil before.

[Vera Barbosa]

Thanks for the comment and please continue visiting us here at 'handpicked...' We often post blogs on unusual things we find in the scientific literature.

[Kay]

HI,

I'm wondering about soil and disease. I've always felt that my sister developed leukemia because she literally ate dirt when she was a chid. Have you done any research on this?
Kay
http://www.metaphysicalcrystals.blogspot.com/

Beliefs about New Age Healing Crystals

[Vera Barbosa]

Hi Kay,

No, I haven't done research on links between geophagy and cancer, but the problem with cancer is that so many factors can play a part on its development that it would be speculation to suggest that one thing causes it.

[Online Pharmacy]

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[Sweaty Armpits]

Very interesting article. I would like information about human health, can you public something about sweaty armpits?

[Canada Online Pharmacy]

"The deliberate consumption of soil for medicinal or spiritual healing – Geophagy – is a practice that provides a direct connection between human health and Earth’s rocks and minerals" So interesting...

[Low Testosterone Symptoms]

Can sun or rocks gave to the human some kind of energy?

[Dental Health]

The direct connection between human health and Earth’s rocks and minerals is interesting, Have you some proves?

[Cancer Syndrome]

The rehabilitation of the soil is one of the main challenge to make Africa a worthy place to live

[Jelq]

Eat soil ? what do you mean with that ?

[Edson Valsechi Music]

Why the soil of Africa is so infertile ?

[Hypertension]

Eat clay ? this practice seems to dangerous to anyones health ?

[Caffeine Addiction]

The ancient practice of eat soil is documented since the times of the ancient Sumer

[Home Care]

but, before eat soil it need to be treated someway true ?

[Cheap Pharmacy]

I would like to read that article, I love the elephants.

[Vera Barbosa]

Here is the link to the article on elephants http://www.springerlink.com/content/l52l881151437545/?p=c92a18f3911c4ed9a9a3fe160dfe0948&pi=3

[Viagra]

Eat soil have devastating consequences for health I said it as doctor, definitely a practice of the third world