Meet the “shredders” who buy “edible” clays, chalks and soils online for a host of supposed health benefits.
Numerous retailers have set up shop on digital marketplaces such as Etsy and eBay to offer rocks and other geological detritus for human consumption, at prices under £10.
The purveyors use descriptive terms you’d recognize in a wine store, touting their product as having “a very pleasant earthy flavor with a medium-chewy crunch.”
Another online retailer sells something called “blue clay” and claims it has a wild herbal aroma followed by a “slightly acidic aftertaste.”
Several accounts of people eating clay and chalk have been created on TikTok, where people sit with a stick and a lump of dirt in a bowl to consume in front of their followers, sometimes racking up millions of views.
Technically called geophagy, the act of eating clays, chalks and soils has been practiced for hundreds of years in some parts of the world.
Traditionally, it has been seen as a way to ingest minerals that may be lacking in people’s diets, such as zinc, or to bulk up food in difficult times.
It also has a reputation for being a cure for digestive problems and for being able to absorb toxins from the body, as claimed by multiple sellers.
One advert seen by MailOnline claims that eating it helps cure acne and combat hunger pangs. Another says it can act as a “mood enhancer”.
Some even label it as being able to relieve allergy symptoms, as well as having “anti-inflammatory” and “anti-aging” properties.
The chalkineurope website describes its Ural clay as a best-seller: “a very pleasant earthy flavour with a medium-hard, crisp crunch all the way through.”
Another seller describes “blue clay” as having a “delicious crunch” with notes of “classic wet cement floor” and wild herb aromas,” followed by a “slightly acidic aftertaste.”
Surprisingly, the claim that clay can relieve problems like diarrhea has some merit.
In the past, the NHS has prescribed a type of white clay called kaolin, a substance that helps absorb toxins and remove them from the body.
However, it has fallen out of favor compared to other over-the-counter remedies.
Some sellers also specifically mention that their clay can help satisfy “pica cravings.”
Pica is a term given to a common type of eating disorder that involves the compulsive consumption of non-edible items, such as hair, paper, and dirt.
Whether pica poses a health risk depends largely on what specific foods a person eats.
Professor Gunter Kuhnle, an expert in nutrition and food science at the University of Reading, said people may be relying on the historical assumption that clay helps remove toxins from the body when they choose to eat it.
However, she warned that ironically these earthy cravings could be increasing exposure to toxins.
“Of course there would be impurities in the soil, but I would be particularly concerned about heavy metals,” he said.
An Etsy retailer selling edible African clay claimed it could help with facial acne and satisfy certain cravings.
Other retailers even claimed that consuming their products could help improve people’s mood.
Professor Kuhnle explained that since soil, clay and chalk are not considered “food” by safety regulators, these products are not subject to any health controls.
She urged anyone interested in eating clay for its health benefits (for example, to address a mineral deficiency or digestive problem) to seek help from a medical professional.
Not only is this because there are often better, safer options available, but sometimes deficiencies and digestive problems can be a symptom of a more serious health problem that needs investigation.
TikTok trends have been shown to be potentially dangerous in the past.
Earlier this month, MailOnline reported how a young boy was left fighting for his life after a dangerous deodorant trend on social media went disastrously wrong, causing him to go into cardiac arrest.
Cesar Watson-King, from Doncaster, allegedly inhaled a can of antiperspirant last month after an older boy showed him the “chrome” trend.
The trend involves inhaling toxic fumes, from cans of deodorant, hairspray and nail polish remover, to achieve a state of euphoria.
Another TikTok trend that recently made headlines was the “viral cucumber trend,” where people created salads with large amounts of the vegetable in plastic containers.
But experts have warned that eating too many cucumbers could lead to unpleasant side effects, including diarrhoea, flatulence and even kidney problems.