3 replies to this topic

[StevesPetRat]

Some of the vegetables I buy are hydroponically grown, "still living", individually packaged with dirt around their roots. With all the hoopla about soil based organisms (SBOs), I was curious whether the dirt could be eaten or otherwise used to provide beneficial bacteria that were wiped out by antibiotics used in youth and teenage years (in retrospect, acne would've been better than dysbiosis and brain damage). Perhaps added to sauerkraut and allowed to ferment? Any thoughts?

[xEva]

It's very dangerous to eat dirt. It may contain spores of pathogenic bacteria or fungi or equally invisible to the naked eye eggs of parasitic worms or even worms themselves (like strongyloids, which are about 1-2 mm long and so thin that they are translucent -- you won't see them). Cooking food and thus decontaminating it from potential pathogens is what gave humans out special edge. Don't waste your energy and vitality on the constant state of inflammatory fight of various intruders.

[Chupo]

You might want to consider vermicomposting, which is composting with earthworms. When I was doing that several years ago, there were reports of people improving autoimmune diseases after they'd started their worm bins. RA was the most common to improve as I recall. Worms foster the growth of the beneficial soil bacteria but you don't have to eat the dirt. Simply taking care of the bins seems to be enough exposure.

[Gerrans]

I presume that since fruit, vegetables, and mushrooms grow out of the ground (and edible roots underground), they will contain nutrients extracted from the soil. So there is no need to eat the dirt, surely.