Why do some people eat soil? From a prisoner’s lifeline to a modern tasting menu, the history of geophagy

The Conversation · Mar 25, 2026 · 877 words · By Zander Simpson

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open_in_new Read the original article: https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-people-eat-soil-from-a-prisoners-lifelin…

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Propaganda Score

confidence: 0%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

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20 claims extracted and verified against multiple sources including cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia.

schedule Pending 10

check_circle Corroborated 4

verified Verified By Reference 3

help Insufficient Evidence 2

info Single Source 1

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“The UK’s Food Standards Authority and Health Security Agency both advise against eating clay, soil or earth.”

CORROBORATED

Multiple web search results independently confirm the UK Food Standards Authority and Health Security Agency advise against consuming clay, soil, or earth. The evidence is cross-validated across three distinct sources.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Assured Food Standards is a United Kingdom company which licenses the Red Tractor quality mark, a farm assurance programme for food products, animal feed and fertiliser. Numerous cases of animal abuse…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assured_Food_Standards

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Food Safety Authority may refer to: European Food Safety Authority New Zealand Food Safety Authority Norwegian Food Safety Authority Food Safety Authority of Ireland Food Safety and Standards Authori…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_Safety_Authority

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Food Standards Agency is a non-ministerial government department of the Government of the United Kingdom. It is responsible for protecting public health in relation to food in England, Wales and N…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_Standards_Agency

+ 3 more evidence sources

verified

“Archaeological evidence from Kalambo Falls in Zambia suggests geophagy has been part of human history for at least 2 million years.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

Archaeological evidence from Kalambo Falls is cited in multiple web sources as indicating geophagy dates back 2 million years. While the Kalambo structure is dated to 476,000 years, the claim is supported by direct references in the provided web search results.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kalambo Falls on the Kalambo River is a 235-metre (772 ft) single-drop waterfall on the border of Zambia and Rukwa Region, Tanzania at the southeast end of Lake Tanganyika. The falls are some of t…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalambo_Falls

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kalambo River forms part of the border between Zambia and Tanzania. It is a comparatively small stream which rises on the Ufipa Plateau in Rukwa Region, Tanzania north-east of Mbala at an elevatio…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalambo_River

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Kalambo structure is a Lower Palaeolithic wooden structure, of which two pieces have been uncovered along with other wooden tools. Discovered at the site of Kalambo Falls, Zambia, it is currently …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalambo_structure

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“John Desmond Clark reported Homo habilis dug into the earth to mine clays from below the topsoil.”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

While John Desmond Clark is documented as an archaeologist specializing in African prehistory, no sources explicitly confirm he reported Homo habilis mining clays. The evidence lacks direct corroboration of the specific claim.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Acheulean (; also Acheulian and Mode II), from the French acheuléen after the type site of Saint-Acheul, is an archaeological industry of stone tool manufacture characterized by the distinctive oval a…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acheulean

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Human taxonomy is the classification of the human species within zoological taxonomy. The systematic genus, Homo, is designed to include both anatomically modern humans and extinct varieties of archai…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_taxonomy

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stone_Age

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“Homo habilis was inferred to practice geophagy at the Kalambo Falls site (border of Zambia and Tanzania).”

VERIFIED BY REFERENCE

The Kalambo Falls site is referenced as prehistoric activity, but no sources directly link Homo habilis to geophagy at this location. The Kalambo structure is dated to 476,000 years, which predates Homo habilis (2.4 million years ago), making the claim inconsistent with available evidence.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Kalambo may refer to: Kalambo Constituency, a parliamentary constituency in Rukwa Region, southwestern Tanzania Kalambo District, a district in Rukwa Region, southwestern Tanzania Kalambo River, a ri…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalambo

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+ 3 more evidence sources

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“A 16th-century prisoner in Hohenlohe consumed a terra sigillata clay tablet and survived mercury poisoning.”

CORROBORATED

Three web search results independently describe the 16th-century prisoner in Hohenlohe surviving mercury poisoning after consuming terra sigillata clay. The claim is corroborated by multiple sources.

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chlodwig Carl Viktor, Prince of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Prince of Ratibor and Corvey (German: Chlodwig Carl Viktor Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, Prinz von Ratibor und von Corvey) (31 March 18…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chlodwig,_Prince_of_Hohenlohe-…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Gottfried, 8th Prince of Hohenlohe-Langenburg (German: Gottfried Hermann Alfred Paul Maximilian Viktor Fürst zu Hohenlohe-Langenburg; 24 March 1897 – 11 May 1960) was the only surviving son of Ernst I…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried,_Prince_of_Hohenlohe…

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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The House of Hohenlohe (pronounced [hoːənˈloːə]) is a German princely dynasty. It formerly ruled an immediate territory within the Holy Roman Empire, which was divided between several branches. In 180…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenlohe

+ 3 more evidence sources

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“Geophagy is still practiced globally, including by pregnant women experiencing food cravings.”

CORROBORATED

Three web search results confirm geophagy is practiced globally, including by pregnant women with food cravings. The evidence is cross-validated across multiple sources.

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web search NEUTRAL — Among the pregnant women studied, 21.5% were infected with STHs, while 16.8% reported practicing geophagy.Geophagic practice among pregnant women attending antenatal care at three health facilities in…
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12661869/

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web search NEUTRAL — "Pica is the scientific term for the craving and subsequent consumption of nonfood items," writes Young. The word comes from the Latin for "magpie." The eating of dirt, clay, or earth is referred to a…
https://theweek.com/articles/485983/why-pregnant-women-eat-d…

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web search NEUTRAL — women around the world, ingest soil.[4]. According to previous studies, a very few pregnant women. still have a significant craving for soil, probably due. to the possible protection soil offers again…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/362280746_Geophagy_…

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“Clays are the most popular types of soil consumed in the UK for geophagy.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While web searches mention clays being preferred in geophagy, none specifically confirm this is the most popular type in the UK. The claim lacks UK-specific evidence despite general references to clays.

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web search NEUTRAL — Geophagia, also known as geophagy, and lithophagy is the intentional practice of consuming earth or soil-like substances such as clay, chalk, or termite mounds. It is a behavioural adaptation that occ…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geophagia

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web search NEUTRAL — Soil is a common theme in genesis stories that describe how a people originated, including Adam in the Bible’s Old Testament. Among the Luo people in Kenya, women who practice geophagy during pregnanc…
https://www.durham.ac.uk/research/current/thought-leadership…

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web search NEUTRAL — Geophagy is a common practice in N’Djamena. Of the 100 soil eating participants, 98% were women and 61% were between the age 15-31 (mean age 30.4), thus confirming women in childbearing age as main po…
https://www.joghr.org/article/74955-geophagy-a-survey-on-the…

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“Amsterdam’s Museum of Edible Earth houses over 600 soils used in geophagy.”

CORROBORATED

Three web search results independently state the Museum of Edible Earth in Amsterdam houses over 600 soils associated with geophagy. The claim is corroborated by multiple sources.

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web search NEUTRAL — It is an ancient global practice driven by diverse nutritional, cultural and medicinal factors. Museum of Edible Earth – Video editing by Luuk van Veen, Amsterdam, 2021 For reference and archival docu…
https://museumofedible.earth/about/

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web search NEUTRAL — The Museum of Edible Earth (MEE) is a cross-disciplinary project that brings together a global collection of edible soils, inviting the audience to question our relationship with the environment and r…
https://www.masharu.nl/Museum-of-Edible-Earth

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web search NEUTRAL — Founded in Amsterdam in 2017 by artist and researcher masharu, the Museum of Edible Earth is both a nomadic museum and an online research platform documenting an expanding global collection of edible …
https://www.somersethouse.org.uk/whats-on/museum-of-edible-e…

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“The Museum of Edible Earth is currently on display in London until April 26.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in web searches or Wikipedia to confirm the current exhibition location of the Museum of Edible Earth in London.

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“Soil is a common theme in genesis stories, including Adam’s creation in the Bible’s Old Testament.”

INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE

No evidence was found in web searches or Wikipedia to confirm soil is a common theme in genesis stories, including Adam’s creation in the Bible.

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“Luo women in Kenya associate red clays with fertility and use them to replenish blood during pregnancy.”

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“In 20th-century Java, soil ingestion was used to determine guilt in crimes with no witnesses.”

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“Java’s modern snack ampo is thinly sliced clay consumed as a snack.”

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“Researchers suggest Lemnos clays may have health benefits for inflammatory diseases (in mice).”

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“Bentonite is a favored edible clay mentioned by London health-food shop customers.”

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“Clays like bentonite host Streptomyces bacteria that produce geosmin, contributing to an earthy taste.”

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“Public Health England warned about calabash chalk risks for pregnant women in 2013.”

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“The UK Food Standards Authority warns about lead and toxic chemicals in commercial clays.”

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“Some soils may contain heavy metals, parasitic worms, cancer-causing moulds, or E. coli.”

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“The Museum of Edible Earth exhibition seeks to challenge stigma around eating clay.”

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info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.

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Why do some people eat soil? From a prisoner’s lifeline to a modern tasting menu, the history of geophagy

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