The Latest Health Fad Is Eating Dirt?

 It's seeming more and more like wellness influencers are just trying to prank us, but apparently this one is for real. The latest health trend is...eating dirt. There's even a term for people who do it . . . "crunchers."

Remember as child you would make "mud pies" in the yard and occasionally you were tempted to give it a taste just to see what dirt tastes like? You probably didn't eat much before spitting it out and running in the house or grabbing the garden hose to rinse your mouth off.

Now there are people claiming that eating dirt is actually beneficial for your health. Your inner-child might disagree.

They claim it can help with everything under the sun, from improving gut health to reducing wrinkles and curing acne.  The idea is it's loaded with all kinds of minerals that are good for you.  But experts say it could be dangerous.

First off, don't just scoop some dirt out of your yard and chow down . . . that would be nuts.  Normal dirt is often loaded with chemicals, rocks, and rusty nails.  So you need to buy SPECIAL dirt called "biodynamic soil."

Most crunchers prefer it in the form of edible chunks of clay though.  (Here's a video.)  Sites that sell it use flowery language, like saying it has a "medium hard crunch" and a "pleasant earthy taste." 

But is any of this actually good advice?  Someone asked a nutrition expert about it, and their answer was . . . probably not.  And definitely talk to your doctor first.

There's not much scientific evidence to back up the health claims.  And those clays aren't regulated, so there's no telling what's in there.  The biggest concern would be heavy metals like mercury and lead. 

There must be a better way to get all of these nutrients and minerals into your body without having to actually eat dirt.

Who knows, someday there might even be "dirt bars" instead of salad bars? How surprised would you be?

(Daily Mail / NY Post)