What to do to stop craving for soil? Expert-backed strategies

December 29, 2025 •

4 min read

According to a meta-analysis, people with pica are 2.4 times more likely to be anemic. Craving and consuming soil, a form of pica known as geophagia, should be taken seriously to protect your health. Here's what to do to stop craving for soil safely and effectively.

Quick Summary

The compulsion to eat soil is often linked to underlying health issues like nutritional deficiencies, pregnancy, or mental health conditions. Effective management involves a medical evaluation to determine the root cause, followed by targeted treatment, such as nutritional supplements, medical care for complications, and behavioral therapies to manage the urges.

Key Points

Consult a Doctor: The first and most crucial step is to get a medical evaluation to identify any underlying nutritional deficiencies, like low iron or zinc.
Correct Nutritional Deficiencies: If a deficiency is found, supplements and a nutrient-rich diet can help resolve the craving at its source.
Use Behavioral Therapy: Therapists can help address the psychological aspects of pica and teach coping mechanisms to manage compulsive urges.
Find Safe Substitutes: Chew gum, crunchy foods like carrots, or flavorful options like strong mints to safely replace the sensory aspect of eating soil.
Address Underlying Conditions: Pica can be linked to stress, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. Treating these issues can help eliminate the craving.
Recognize the Dangers: Understand the serious health risks of consuming soil, including poisoning from heavy metals, parasitic infections, and intestinal blockages.

Understanding the Root Cause of Geophagia

Geophagia is the craving and eating of earth, soil, or clay, and it is a specific type of the eating disorder pica. While it may seem like an unusual behavior, it often points to an underlying physiological or psychological need that requires medical attention. The first step in stopping the craving is identifying the cause, which could be a combination of factors.

Potential Causes of Soil Cravings

Nutritional Deficiencies: The most common trigger for pica is an iron deficiency, or anemia. Your body may instinctively crave soil to replenish lost minerals. Deficiencies in other nutrients, such as zinc and calcium, have also been linked to the condition.
Pregnancy: Pica, including geophagia, is a common occurrence during pregnancy, possibly due to hormonal changes or increased nutrient needs. A healthcare provider will typically test for iron and other deficiencies in pregnant patients who report these cravings.
Mental Health Conditions: Pica is often a coping mechanism for individuals dealing with stress, anxiety, or more complex mental health conditions like obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) or schizophrenia. The compulsive behavior may serve as a distraction or a form of self-soothing.
Cultural Practices: In some parts of the world, eating clay or soil is a culturally accepted practice, often believed to have health benefits. However, this carries significant health risks due to potential heavy metal toxicity and parasitic infections.

The Dangers of Eating Soil

Ignoring geophagia can lead to serious health complications. The risks are determined by the amount and content of the soil ingested.

Health Risks of Consuming Soil

Poisoning: Soil can contain toxic substances like lead, arsenic, and mercury, especially in urban or industrially contaminated areas, which can lead to poisoning.
Parasitic Infections: Earth can harbor parasites and bacteria, such as roundworms, that can cause serious gastrointestinal infections.
Digestive Blockages: Ingesting large quantities of soil can cause intestinal obstruction, constipation, or damage to the gastrointestinal tract.
Nutrient Interference: Even if the craving is caused by a deficiency, consuming dirt can make it worse. The clay can bind to essential nutrients like iron and zinc, preventing their absorption.

What to do to stop craving for soil: A Treatment Plan

To effectively and safely manage geophagia, a multi-pronged approach that addresses both medical and behavioral factors is necessary. Always consult a healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan.

Step 1: Medical Evaluation and Nutritional Correction

Your doctor will perform blood tests to check for anemia or other mineral deficiencies. If a deficiency is found, they may recommend:

Iron Supplements: Iron supplementation is a common and often effective treatment for cravings linked to anemia.
Dietary Adjustments: A dietitian may be consulted to help create a meal plan rich in iron and other vital nutrients.
Tests for Contaminants: If there is a risk of lead exposure, a blood test for lead levels may be necessary.

Step 2: Behavioral Interventions and Management Strategies

If the cravings persist after correcting nutritional imbalances, or if they are linked to a mental health condition, behavioral therapy is often the next step.

Behavioral Therapy: A therapist can help identify triggers and develop coping mechanisms to manage the urges.
Redirection: Engaging in distracting activities or using alternative oral stimuli can help redirect the compulsive behavior.
Positive Reinforcement: A system of rewards for avoiding the pica behavior can help reinforce healthy choices.

Step 3: Finding Safe Oral Substitutes

Finding a safe substitute with a similar texture can be a helpful tool. The NHS Sensory Processing Hub offers some safe, edible alternatives.

Crunchy or Chewy Foods: Carrots, celery, apples, roasted chickpeas, or sugarless chewing gum can mimic the desired texture.
Flavorful Options: Strong mints, sour candies, or lemon juice can provide intense oral stimulation.

Comparing Medical and Behavioral Management


Feature	Medical Management	Behavioral Therapy
Primary Goal	Correcting underlying physiological issues (e.g., anemia, deficiencies).	Changing compulsive behaviors and managing urges.
Methods	Blood tests, iron supplements, dietary changes, addressing poisoning.	Identifying triggers, positive reinforcement, habit reversal, redirection.
Expertise	Doctor, dietitian.	Psychologist, therapist.
Effectiveness	Highly effective for deficiency-related pica.	Effective for managing compulsive and psychological aspects.
Focus	Internal, biological causes.	External, environmental, and mental health factors.

Conclusion: Prioritizing Your Health

Craving soil is a red flag that your body is signaling an underlying issue. It is a serious condition that can lead to severe health complications, from parasitic infections and lead poisoning to intestinal blockages. The most important step is to seek medical help for a proper diagnosis. A comprehensive treatment plan that combines nutritional correction and behavioral therapy offers the best path to safely manage and overcome geophagia. By understanding the causes and risks, you can take control of your health and stop the craving for soil for good. For more resources and expert guidance, consult with a mental health professional or your doctor. A great place to learn more about eating disorders, including pica, is from the National Eating Disorders Association.

National Eating Disorders Association

Frequently Asked Questions

The medical term for craving and eating soil is geophagia. It is a specific form of pica, an eating disorder characterized by compulsively eating non-food items.

Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency linked to a craving for soil and other non-food items. Deficiencies in zinc and calcium are also sometimes associated with pica.

Yes, eating soil can be dangerous. Risks include poisoning from heavy metals like lead, parasitic or bacterial infections, dental damage, intestinal blockages, and worsening nutritional deficiencies.

Yes, behavioral therapies, such as positive reinforcement and redirection, can be highly effective in managing and stopping the compulsive urges associated with geophagia, especially when addressing any underlying mental health factors.

While it is a known phenomenon for some pregnant individuals to crave soil, it is not considered healthy or safe. It is important to report any such cravings to your doctor, as it may signal a nutritional deficiency that needs attention.

Safe alternatives can mimic the texture of soil and include crunchy foods like carrots, apples, or roasted chickpeas. Chewing gum or sugarless mints can also provide oral stimulation.

A doctor can diagnose pica based on a medical history and physical examination. They may order blood tests to check for nutritional deficiencies and other health problems.