In the blink of an eye, 2020 is already more than halfway over. In the past, when people joked about being broke, it was met with knowing smiles. This year, when they talk about being broke, their eyes betray a sense of helplessness. What used to be Lafite and steak has now become nothing but thin air. Many folks haven't escaped this either, tightening their belts to make ends meet.
Nowadays, as soon as paychecks arrive, after covering all sorts of expenses, people immediately prepare to "eat dirt"—a phrase describing extreme frugality—leaving many friends complaining bitterly. Some started Googling "how to creatively eat dirt," only to discover that eating actual dirt might actually help with weight loss? This inevitably raises doubts: what kind of crazy trick is this!
Eating dirt for weight loss: a crazy weight loss trick
>When you say eating dirt can help you lose weight, most people's first reaction is that it's nonsense. In fact, losing weight by eating dirt isn't entirely without basis.
Tahnee Dening, a researcher at the University of South Australia, discovered while studying how clay materials could improve drug delivery that the clay she used had the ability to "absorb" fat droplets in the intestines. The clay traps fat within its granular structure, preventing it from being absorbed by the body. The fat simply passes through the digestive system.
The study examined the effects of montmorillonite clay on mice fed a high-fat diet, comparing it to a placebo group and weight-loss drugs. Results showed the clay outperformed weight-loss medications in promoting weight reduction. Researchers are now exploring synergistic effects between clay materials and weight-loss drugs, offering new avenues for obesity and weight management. The related research paper was published in the Springer journal Pharmaceutical Research.
It seems eating clay for weight loss does have scientific backing. However, while people often joke about "eating dirt," it remains purely figurative. To most, consuming actual soil is utterly novel.
Eating Soil: Not So Novel
Most are familiar with the Compendium of Materia Medica. Its section on "Soil" documents 61 types of medicinal earth, primarily for external use.
As a nation of food enthusiasts, China naturally boasts its own "soil-based delicacies." In the Wangwu Mountain region of Jiyuan, Henan Province, a local pastry called "soil bread" is made by shaping dough with ingredients like flour, eggs, sesame oil, and sesame seeds into thumb-sized portions, then baking them using kaolin clay as the cooking medium.Wangwu Mountain even hosts an annual "Eat Dirt Festival," where thousands consume about a ton of tu mo.
Evidence shows that eating soil has been common practice throughout history. Since it's nothing new, wouldn't eating a bit of dirt daily for weight loss be delightful?
Hold on—eating dirt for weight loss is a bad idea!
The study mentioned at the beginning is currently only in the animal testing phase. Its actual effects on humans remain unknown, so it's not advisable to try it lightly. Additionally, montmorillonite is a layered aluminosilicate mineral that can't be found casually on the roadside.
Furthermore, soil contains numerous microorganisms, bacteria, and pathogens. Consuming raw soil can easily make you sick. Short-term, large-scale ingestion may clog the digestive tract, potentially leading to death in severe cases.
Fellow weight-loss enthusiasts, put down that dirt! Stick to the tried-and-true methods: watch what you eat and get moving.