Has anyone tried soil/forest dirt for their microbes?

DonLore

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We as humans used to be exposed to dirt/soil/etc all the time, but now we mostly live in sterile environment. Has anyone tried if daily touching/tasting/eating small amounts of soil and other stuff in nature helps with digestion, mood, autoimmune issues etc?
 

LeeLemonoil

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We as humans used to be exposed to dirt/soil/etc all the time, but now we mostly live in sterile environment. Has anyone tried if daily touching/tasting/eating small amounts of soil and other stuff in nature helps with digestion, mood, autoimmune issues etc?


I eat my garden-grown fruits and vegetables sometimes directly after plucking without cleaning them, deliberately ingesting soil and dirt residues. Neve hurted. Can’t tell if it helps any of the mebtioned conditions though
 
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DonLore

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My reasoning in this is that, so many different kinds of pre- and probiotics are supplemented but since the amount and diversification of bacteria and other organisms are so large, I doubt we could ever know which ones to take and the soil in our forests are probably much safer and also the right kind to diversify our microbiome. Just seems that in all areas of life, the more we go away from our natural state, the more health problems ensues
 

yerrag

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That's a good experiment as long as someone takes the first step and gains positI've results.

Thst idea works for using the very diverse biomedical in a forest floor to make good microbial fertilizers that enrich soil for planting. That soil will be teeming with life that supports the growth and health of the crop that grows on it. That crop will be rich in nutrients as a result.

A Japanese company also developed microbes from soil that is being used in agriculture, fishponds, and even on septic tanks, with the same formulation but labeled differently for different uses. It is called em1 beneficial organism.

I suppose that if it's got diverse uses, what's stopping it from being used for the human gut. I've used that product for my koi pond, and it works so well. I had thought about using it for myself, but when I started using the pond water to water my trees, the leaves grew molds and the palm tree attracted aphids which would destroy the palm leaves.

Needless to say, I no longer entertained that idea.
 
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We as humans used to be exposed to dirt/soil/etc all the time, but now we mostly live in sterile environment. Has anyone tried if daily touching/tasting/eating small amounts of soil and other stuff in nature helps with digestion, mood, autoimmune issues etc?
This sounds like a sure fire way to get C. diff.

 
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DonLore

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This sounds like a sure fire way to get C. diff.

Is there c. Diff in soil? Even so, there is nothing more natural to be exposed to forest bacteria, like touching the nature, eating berries from the ground, swimming in a lake and some water goes into your mouth etc. That kind of exposure cant be harmful
 

AdoTintor

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back when I was into Paleo I assumed that in Paleolithic times all the sweet potatoes would come with a bit of dirt and that this constant exposure to the soil biome would inluence the gut biome. On that basis I took soil samples whilst on holiday in the mountains of Austria and froze them on return - then I used a small pinch of soil to seed the fermentation process whilst making homemade jars of saukraut. If I could find an ancient forest in the UK I may be tempted to do this again. One could use it to try and reset the gut biome with a different and potentially "good" bacteria, assuming one could convince oneself this is the way the gut works and that the risks are low.
 
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DonLore

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back when I was into Paleo I assumed that in Paleolithic times all the sweet potatoes would come with a bit of dirt and that this constant exposure to the soil biome would inluence the gut biome. On that basis I took soil samples whilst on holiday in the mountains of Austria and froze them on return - then I used a small pinch of soil to seed the fermentation process whilst making homemade jars of saukraut. If I could find an ancient forest in the UK I may be tempted to do this again. One could use it to try and reset the gut biome with a different and potentially "good" bacteria, assuming one could convince oneself this is the way the gut works and that the risks are low.
Interesting experiment. I think there are already studies that just getting your hands dirty in the ground makes you healthier, and I cant see the risks in doing that. We dont probably need to eat grams of dirt, just to have some contant with it
 
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Is there c. Diff in soil? Even so, there is nothing more natural to be exposed to forest bacteria, like touching the nature, eating berries from the ground, swimming in a lake and some water goes into your mouth etc. That kind of exposure cant be harmful
According to the study there is. There water bacterias are even worse. It's not like the good old days anymore...

"In 1975, it was the blockbuster Jaws—and the fears that it evoked—that kept droves of people out of the water. Now, it’s not sharks, but rather something nearly invisible that may be having a similar effect. A recent rash of reports about flesh-eating bacteria and dangerous algae blooms have dominated headlines, causing concern for swimmers and fishermen across the nation.

But as physicians know, it’s not just ponds, lakes, rivers, and oceans that bathers need to worry about. Even chlorinated swimming pools, hot tubs, and drinking water can be dangerous. Here are seven pathogens that might keep you company—and possibly come home with you—during your next swim or sip."

 

Matestube

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This sounds like a sure fire way to get C. diff.

Pretty unlikely, the magnitude and diversity of the soil bacteria would balance C Diff out, assuming it would be present in soil in the first place.
99% of the time C Diff is caught after IV antibiotics at the hospital, not after ingesting bacteria. It takes place when there is a lack of bacteria diversity, not when one is overwhelmed with said diversity.
 
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Pretty unlikely, the magnitude and diversity of the soil bacteria would balance C Diff out, assuming it would be present in soil in the first place.
99% of the time C Diff is caught after IV antibiotics at the hospital, not after ingesting bacteria. It takes place when there is a lack of bacteria diversity, not when one is overwhelmed with said diversity.

The PubMed study says otherwise.
 
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"C. difficile was detected in 14.4% of puddle water and in 36.7% of soil samples. Environmental strains displayed antimicrobial resistance patterns comparable to already published data of human and animal isolates. A total of 480 isolates were grouped into 34 different PCR ribotypes."

 
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C Diff is most likely everywhere, at different concentrations. The real question is does it cause harm when ingested along with other bacteria?
Well my husband died from sepsis from a C. Diff infection so I am kinda of biased...

 

Matestube

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Well my husband died from sepsis from a C. Diff infection so I am kinda of biased...

In what context? Hospital?
 
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In what context? Hospital?
Yes, but in that thread there is a study I posted that tested a variety of places and parks had twice the amount of C. Diff spores than hospitals, because animals carry C. Diff and poop everywhere with nobody bleaching after them.
 

Matestube

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Yes, but in that thread there is a study I posted that tested a variety of places and parks had twice the amount of C. Diff spores than hospitals, because animals carry C. Diff and poop everywhere with nobody bleaching after them.
Sorry for your loss. Again, the asceptic environment that is the hospital, coupled with indiscriminate antibiotic use, predisposes a lot of people to a C Diff infection that ends up being fatal.
This outcome is rarely seen in nature eventhough C Diff is present and ingested.
 
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DonLore

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Well my husband died from sepsis from a C. Diff infection so I am kinda of biased...

I am deeply sorry. I think @Matestube has a point in that while soil can probably have some c.diff, it is one of the millions of others and only usually takes control when other bacteria die and nothing keeps the c.diff under control. So its likely that the over-hygienic indoor living increases our risk of lethal infections since the microbiome is not diverse enough?
 
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I am deeply sorry. I think @Matestube has a point in that while soil can probably have some c.diff, it is one of the millions of others and only usually takes control when other bacteria die and nothing keeps the c.diff under control. So its likely that the over-hygienic indoor living increases our risk of lethal infections since the microbiome is not diverse enough?
Thank you for your condolences. That is true that over-hygenic places play a small part in how deadly C. diff has become now, but the bigger reason is the overuse of antibiotics. A big percentage of people are walking around with it and don't even know it. What people don't know is that, though they can be a carrier and have no problem, they are spreaders. It is their loved ones and strangers they come in contact with at stores, church and restaurants, that can get it from those who have it. People also don't realize that this is not just a problem for people in hospitals, it is a problem for anyone who takes antacids/Protonics and painkillers as it leaves their guts wide open for a takeover. Listen I am not gonna tell anybody they can't eat dirt, just thought people thinking this is a good idea, might want to be reminded that the forest grounds are animal's toilets. Carry on :)
 
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"The difficile infects pigs, calves, and humans, and inhabits a natural reservoir of soil, faeces of domestic animals and humans, sewage, the human intestinal tract, and retail meat."

 

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