Why Dirt is Good

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Janelle Sorensen

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

I don’t know how to say this without sounding crazy, so I’m just going to be blunt. When I was a child, I liked to eat pebbles and stones. Well, technically I didn’t eat them, just sucked on them. Yes, I was a closet rock sucker. Away from the judging eyes of friends and family, I secretly relished their earthy, mineral flavor.

I’m sure, like any mother, my own mom would have been considerably horrified at the idea of her small child sucking on dirty rocks from God knows where. And, while my strange appetite persisted from about ages 4-7, almost all parents have witnessed their younger babies or toddlers shove an ample handful of dirt or sand into their mouths. Probably on more than one occasion.

What is it about kids and dirt? Why the deep mysterious magnetism? According to Mary Ruebush, PhD, author of Why Dirt is Good: 5 Ways to Make Germs Your Friends, the attraction is based on millions of years of evolution. And, the good news is, it’s a match made in heaven. Just like any other muscle in our body, the immune system needs to be exercised in order to fully develop and become strong enough to resist illness and disease. Eating dirt as a child turns out to be the ideal training to build your immune system’s overall fitness.

We’ve written about the Hygiene Hypothesis and the overuse of antimicrobials in the past, but Ruebush, professor of microbiology and immunology for Kaplan Medical, really brings it home. Her detailed description of the immune system is not only extremely informative, it’s also surprisingly entertaining. Really! She has these delightfully silly pictures of blood cells and bacteria that had my kids peering over my shoulder, giggling, and asking what the book was about. And, the writing is equally as comedic and engaging. She writes about viruses gettin’ busy making baby viruses, macrophages burping up crumbs of their meals, and T-cells going to school and taking final exams.

The main points of the book are simple: let kids eat dirt and don’t overuse antibiotics. According to Ruebush, “Mother Nature has given you the elements to build a strong immune system, but you have to put it into action and take care of it. A strong immune system gets built up by plenty of exercise – that’s why you need a lifetime exposure to plenty of dirt. Your healthy immune system is your savings account for a healthy retirement. If you constantly make withdrawals and live with a negative health balance due to too much stress, too little rest, and too many chemicals, you will arrive at a point where you have no reserves for any catastrophic illness that might lurk in your future. A lifestyle that gives you the food, rest, exercise, and other elements you need for basic good health contributes to a healthy immune response and increases the likelihood of a long, productive life.”

Sounds like the perfect prescription to me! So, relax. Let your kids get dirty. Stop trying to sanitize every square inch of your home. And, unwind with a good book (like “Why Dirt is Good”). It’ll make your whole family healthier and happier.

(p.s. My childhood affinity for sucking rocks was likely pica, a medical disorder that can make people hungry for non-food items. Turns out, I’m slightly anemic, so my body was craving iron and hoping to get it from the mineral content of rocks. Pica is not uncommon in children and pregnant women. If you or your child are craving non-food items, talk to your doctor.)

Posted by Tiffany Ellman on 08/27/2011 at 08:11 PM

My Dad freaked because he caught my 2 year old eating potting soil once. It ended in a big argument!!
My theory was that she is more then capable of fighting off anything she {probably wouldn’t} catch. His was that it was disgusting and I was crazy for letting her do it.
She recently had pink eye and I withheld antibiotic drops. I asked the Dr if it was necessary and he said the best route was letting it run it’s course. 3 weeks later and she’s non the worse for wear.
One thing I always do give antibiotics for is Strep Throat. It can be deadly if left untreated~ I just don’t mess with that!! Plus, it really hurts!!

Posted by bukmacherzy on 08/17/2011 at 04:53 AM

let kids eat dirt and don’t overuse antibiotics. According to Ruebush, “Mother Nature has given you the elements to build a strong immune system, but you have to put it into action and take care of it. A strong immune system gets built up by plenty of exercise—that’s why you need a lifetime exposure to plenty of dirt.

Posted by jimmy92 on 08/09/2011 at 04:48 AM

Posted by web design on 07/29/2011 at 12:24 AM

In humans, exposure to bacteria causes the immune system to react, making people sluggish and melancholy. This happens so the system will rest and heal faster.

Posted by lex lobivia on 07/03/2011 at 01:02 AM

Im all for kids eating dirt, licking windows, picking their noses and eating it… whatever, it IS great for their immune system - but as far as dirt goes, i would want to know a bit about the dirt, not for germ/bacteria content, but for pesticide and other chemical content. Thats what worries me. This world is pretty toxic, and almost nowhere is free from the pollution our species has wraught on this earth.

Posted by Stacey N. Luke on 12/20/2010 at 01:20 PM

“...So, relax. Let your kids get dirty. Stop trying to sanitize every square inch of your home.”

Amen! It’s about time someone said it. I am a mother of two and worked as a preschool teacher for 13 years before recently switching jobs. In that amount of time I have seen a considerable shift in how parents view their kids health and safety. Now a days, it’s all antibacterial this . . .and don’t even think of touching that. To be perfectly honest, I feel sorry for the children. They will most likely grow up with an underdeveloped immune system, and suffer for it in the long run. That’s not to say that we shouldn’t do our best to keep our kids safe. There are a lot of toxic things out there we should be leery of. Rocks are probably the least of our childrens worries. My advice echo’s yours Janelle. RELAX. Let your kids be kids.

Posted by Leta on 07/16/2010 at 07:15 AM

Homeostatic soil organisms weren’t mentioned here. Staying away from chemicals won’t expose your child to HSO’s. They are probiotics that clean AND populate the gut. Dirt is important.

Posted by Liev Black on 07/14/2010 at 08:24 PM

“Just like any other muscle in our body, the immune system needs to be exercised in order to fully develop….” Not true. Think of the heart. Next: it’s not lack of germs that cause kids to develop problems like allergies, asthma, and other illnesses. It’s the fact that they’re living in environments coated with bleach and other hazardous chemicals intended to scrub out the germs.

Being a careful parent and washing things properly, not using *toxins*, does nothing to result in an “unexercised” immune system. These kids have nothing to worry about.

We are exercising our immune systems constantly without having to roll around in, and make a snack of, dirt. Germs are everywhere. “Small” doses are just as good as whole mouthsfull, as bacteria and viruses are obviously tiny enough and fast-reproducing enough to exist by the millions in a droplet.

After a certain age on the part of our children (probably our first-born), many overworked parents just give up. Then they like to reassure themselves with articles like this that negligence is actually *good* for their babies. If we’re tired, let’s just admit that we don’t WANT to do anything better than wipe the dropped spoon on our pants and hand it back to baby. Not *justify* it with the hygiene hypothesis.

Here’s the hygiene hypothesis: “Studies have shown that inner city children, and children without older siblings, are more likely to develop allergies, asthma and autoimmune disorders because their immune systems are less regularly stimulated². (http://healthychild.org/blog/comments/antibacterials_and_disinfectants_are_they_necessary/) The same article that celebrates the hygiene hypothesis also notes the dangers of using toxic chemicals to clean children’s hands and toys, and the environments they live, play and learn in. The hyper-protective parent we all envision with vigorous hygiene standards harms her child not with germlessness, but with toxins. Second, look at the groups being studied: *inner-city children*?? How on earth do the study’s authors figure that these children’s immune systems are UNDER-stimulated, in crowded environments that often never see the light of day, never benefit from the bacteria- and virus-busting effects of UV light? Do the authors think perhaps that these children suffer from asthma (which has nothing to do with the immune system but, rather, inflammation) and allergies (which are the result of a HYPERACTIVE immune system) because they’re exposed to car and bus exhaust every day?? Children without older siblings go to daycare, go to school - heck, they just plain sit around in the living room, sucking up germs that Mom and Dad and Grandma brought in from work, from the Bridge club, from church. Their immune systems are being stimulated just as much as children who have siblings.

Again, germs are EVERYWHERE. No amount of Clorox is going to change that. You don’t need to dose your kids with dirt to expose them to germs. Germs are on your shirt button. Your child has been fighting those for the last four hours. So, relax. That immune system is up, running and fiesty without chewing on dirt. Which is a habit, much like pregnant women’s sometimes harmful cravings for clay, dirt, chalk, and other odd substances, intended by the body to make up for mineral or vitamin deficiencies. Any child found eating dirt should have his or her diet analyzed by a nutritionist or a dietician and provided a more nutrient-dense diet, probably supplemented with a children’s multi-vitamin.

Posted by Katie on 03/09/2010 at 01:25 PM

Sharika: It never hurts to discuss things with your doctor. If you have any concerns, go there. I don’t think anybody here is claiming to be a medical expert, so please talk to one if you’re worried.

Posted by Sharika Phillips on 08/16/2009 at 06:29 PM

I would like to know why my 16 month old son eats dirt and sucks on rocks. Its mainly muddy dirt, or dirt from the flower pot. Is it healthy for him or should I be trying to talk with his doctor? Please some one tell me what is it that I need to do!

Posted by Janelle on 03/04/2009 at 11:34 AM

Excellent point Betsy! All I can say is use your best judgement. Soil near major roadways or near old buildings can be contaminated with lead. Soil at a park could have pesticide residue.

If your child loves to eat dirt, you may want to keep the activity confined to your own yard (where you “know” your dirt) or maybe when you’re camping in the great outdoors. If you are concerned about lead in your soil, contact your local health department to find out how to have it tested.

1 tsp of healthy soil can contain millions of microbes, so your child will benefit from even small exposures. If you’re still worried about chemical or heavy metal contaminants, you can simply limit how much your child is ingesting (you don’t want them eating platefuls anyway).

I know this is terribly unscientific, but there’s currently no “recommended daily allowance” of dirt. Again, you just need to use your best judgement - and given the thoughtfulness of your question, I would assume your judgement is pretty sound.

Thanks again for bringing up this important point!

Posted by Betsy on 03/04/2009 at 10:50 AM

I heartily agree with the premise that eating dirt is good for your immune system, except. . . What about all the unnatural contaminants/chemicals that are bound to also be in the dirt? I don’t worry about bugs and worms and bacteria; I worry about synthetic chemicals from pollution.

In another article from today’s HCHW newsletter it recommends vacuuming out your car with a HEPA filter because “You’ll suck up chemically laden dust, allergens, and the dirt that’s tracked in on your feet (that could have lead, pesticides, or gasoline mixed in).”

I would like someone to address this paradox—how can I get the benefits from the natural stuff in dirt, without the dangerous chemicals. My kid LOVES to eat dirt and sand, and the chemicals are my only concern.

Posted by Janelle on 02/20/2009 at 10:31 AM

Jenni (kindred green mom and another rock sucker de-closeted) thanks for sharing on your blog!

Posted by Jenni at My Web of Life on 02/19/2009 at 08:47 PM

I used to love sucking on quartz rocks. I can still remember that taste…

Thanks for writing a great post! It makes me feel better about my chronic lack of housekeeping! I will be listing this post in my Friday Faves this week.

Posted by Marcia on 02/18/2009 at 03:53 PM

Kids eat dirt, my daughter would eat the dirt out of my plants, her daughter was continually shoving rocks into her mouth. The danger was her swallowing them. But I believe it does help the kids be stronger and healthier. Kids that have continually had their hands disinfected are sicker than kids who eat dirt. Those antimicrobials are a worse danger to them than the dirt.

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