“Eating dirt may be a response to a perceived shortage of essential minerals in the diet, such as iron or calcium.” - Dr. Lisa M. Heller
Known as geophagy, the act of eating dirt has been common for centuries. It is most common in Africa and still exists there, as well as in the southern parts of the United States today. People that eat dirt do so because they feel the soil has minerals in it that are helpful to their bodies, which in turn keep them healthy. Others, do it simply for the taste, people that engage in geophagy will often eat soil from different areas of land due to the difference in taste and their own preference to alkaline or acidic dirt. Soil can have over 1 billion bacteria contained in it. Consuming it in large amounts can be toxic and deadly. However, people that take part in geophagy, say that if taken in small amounts over time it has the same effects as an Actimel in the morning, in that it regulates their gut biome. Yakult, is a very popular pro-biotic drink that works on this exact premise. Millions of what are known as ‘good bacteria’ are ingested in a small yoghurt like shot in the morning with the intent purpose of building your immunity to harmful bacteria, which will in turn stave off disease and infection. Therefore, keeping you healthier and stronger for a longer period of time. This is similar, to the idea of vaccines, where a tiny amount of a harmful virus such as ‘Covid -19’ is given to you by way of inoculation to strengthen your immune system. Geophagy, utilises this same methodology. However, these days, the act of eating dirt is done so voluntarily for what is seen to be its health benefits. Eating dirt was not always seen as a new age medicine and done by alternative thinking individuals, it was taken part in, out of extreme necessity by enslaved people, which in turn necessitated the invention of a disturbing dirt eating prevention technique, known as the dirt-eater mask, by slave owners in the not so distant past.
Geophagy is a phenomenon that has interested and intrigued historians and anthropologists for centuries. There is ample evidence that African slaves brought the practice of earth eating with them to the colonies. In the United States there have been quite a few newspaper articles describing how the practice still persists, predominantly (though not exclusively) amongst Afro-Americans and in the southern states.
Dr. Dennis Frate of the University of Mississippi wrote:
‘Dirt-eating can be traced to ancient Greece, to Africa. It was a part of European culture and was observed in the American Indians. Practically every culture has had a dirt-eating phase.’ Frate said. ‘But very little is known about why people do it.’ There are, however, some hypotheses.
Dirt eating is documented in historical texts for hundreds of years. It can have benefits, proven by the fact that the practice has been in place for so long and not just isolated to one area or country, it took and still takes place all over the world. Geophagy, derived from the Greek words "geo" (earth) and "phagein" (to eat), refers to the consumption of soil or clay. While it may seem unusual in modern times, this practice has been observed across different cultures throughout history. In some regions, particularly in parts of Africa, Asia, and South America, consuming earth is a traditional practice believed to have medicinal or nutritional benefits. Historically, geophagy was most prevalent in areas where soil consumption was believed to address nutritional deficiencies. For instance, in certain African communities, eating clay or soil was thought to help alleviate gastrointestinal issues or supplement essential minerals that were deficient in the diet, such as iron and calcium. In these cultures, the practice was integrated into social and spiritual life, often accompanied by rituals and beliefs about the soil's health benefits. However, it wasn’t until the transatlantic slave trade that geophagy came to real prominence as the tactic was so widespread amongst slaves. Often, it would make them unwell, naturally, slave owners concerned their property would become sick and die, resulting in a loss of revenue, began to think of ways to prevent this from happening. They made masks that covered the face and mouth to stop slaves from eating soil. These became known as dirt-eater masks and are one of the most haunting images you are likely to endure.
Dr. Frate says nearly every culture has passed through a phase of earth eating, known as geophagy. But it appears to be most prevalent these days among rural black women in the South, some of whom say they eat a handful a day, snacking from bags or jars in which they keep dirt that has been dug from a favourite clay bank, baked and, often, seasoned with vinegar and salt. In addition, families in Leflore County, Mississippi sometimes mail packages full of dirt to relatives who have moved north but still crave the flavour of dirt dug from the clay hills back home. According to Dr. Frate and others, there is no evidence among those who have been surveyed that dirt eating is harmful to their health. Researchers say those who eat dirt do not do so to satisfy hunger or to meet a biochemical urge to acquire certain metals or minerals that might be missing from the diet. Rather, they do so because the practice has been learned culturally. Links Are Traced to West Africa Dr. Frate said dirt eating is one of the few customs surviving among some Southern blacks that can be directly traced to ancestral origins in West Africa. Dirt-eating is common among some tribes in Nigeria today.
During the colonial period, this practice was observed amongst enslaved Africans in the Americas. Enslaved individuals, who were often deprived of a balanced diet, resorted to eating dirt to supplement their intake of crucial minerals and to counteract deficiencies caused by inadequate nutrition. The practice is also thought to be a form of resistance against the harsh conditions imposed upon them, an act of survival in the face of systemic neglect. It is believed, enslaved individuals consumed soil for several reasons. Nutritional deficiencies, exacerbated by a lack of access to varied and nutritious food, were a significant factor. The harsh conditions of the slave trade often led to anaemia and other health issues that soil consumption might have partially alleviated. Moreover, soil-eating was also driven by cultural practices that predated slavery and persisted among enslaved communities. In addition to nutritional needs, soil consumption might have provided a type of comfort or a sense of control in an otherwise oppressive environment. It gave them autonomy, where every over aspect of their lives had none. The practice could be linked to cultural traditions that offered a semblance of familiarity and normalcy in an otherwise dehumanizing situation. Another theory is that it was a method of suicide that slaves undertook to alleviate themselves from their current situation.
It is likely that there are some aspects of all the above theories are true. It is prudent to assume that it wasn’t for just one hard and fast reason that slaves ate soil, or people eat soil in general, but rather a mix of all of the above. Geophagy, still exists as mentioned previously in Africa and the southern states of America. Therefore, is something that has prevailed over hundreds and hundreds of years. Meaning, that as unusual as it sounds, people still believe in its benefits. However, the dirt-eater masks are still one of the most awe inducing images you are likely to set eyes on and a reminder of an incredibly harsh, cruel and different time, but one that is not that far in the rear view mirror.
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