Everyone knows that soil is essential for our survival. It is where our food grows, and it is required for things like trees and other plants, which help to provide oxygen and purify the air. While soil is essential, most people aren’t tempted to take a handful of it and eat it.

The key word there, however, is most.

Some people do indeed consume soil, and it is not actually as rare or weird as you might think (which is not to say that it is a good idea!).

Eating soil is something that people have been doing since before modern humans were ever around. It is called geophagy, which comes from the Greek words for Earth and Eating. According to environmental geochemist Peter Abrams in a 2013 paper:

“The oldest evidence of geophagy practiced by humans comes from the prehistoric site at Kalambo Falls on the border between Zambia and Tanzania. Here, a calcium-rich white clay was found alongside the bones of Homo habilis (the immediate predecessor of Homo sapiens).”

So, it is clear that eating soil has been around for quite a while. In some cases, it could even have some benefits.

When people are going through a famine and food is scarce, consuming soil could do more than just give you relief from the feeling of hunger. Soil contains many different nutrients, including zinc, iron, calcium, and more. When there are no other sources of food or supplements, this may be worth a try.

One (of many) problems with using soil as a source of nutrients, however, is that most people have no way to determine what nutrients are in the soil they have access to, or in what quantities. Soil can have a dramatically different makeup from one place to another. Perhaps a bigger concern with eating soil, however, is not the levels of nutrients within the soil, but what else may be there.

Soil can have toxic levels of lead, arsenic, nickel, and more. It is also commonly contaminated with the feces of animals living in the area, which puts anyone consuming it at risk of various illnesses, including salmonella, E. Coli, and more.

Today, most modern countries have all but done away with geophagia because people can get any nutrients that they need from their food and supplements. Those who want extra of a particular nutrient can just go to their local pharmacy and get a specific supplement as needed. Sometimes, pregnant women will find that they have a craving for soil.

Pregnancy cravings are very common (though much less common to crave soil). It is a common belief that pregnant women’s cravings are a way to encourage them to get a specific nutrient that they may be deficient in that is needed for their health and the health of their baby.

Anyone who experiences a craving for soil, however, should first go to their doctor to determine what nutrient they may be lacking.

No matter how tasty a handful of dirt sounds in the moment, it will be much safer and healthier to pinpoint the nutrient that is needed and make a change to your diet (or pick up a dietary supplement) to get what is needed for a healthy baby.

That seems like a no-brainer, right?

If you thought that was interesting, you might like to read about 50 amazing finds on Google Earth.