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Cambridge Study Finds Monkeys 'Eat Soil to Cope with Junk Food'
Researchers recorded 46 soil-eating episodes in 44 macaques, and the behavior was most common near tourists who fed them junk food.
- Macaques on the Rock of Gibraltar are eating soil to soothe stomachs after consuming tourist-provided junk food, a study published Wednesday in Scientific Reports reveals.
- Cambridge University researchers observed 46 dirt-eating events among 44 macaques over 98 observation days between summer 2022 and spring 2024, with higher rates correlating to frequent human contact.
- Dr. Sylvain Lemoine explained that tourist snacks are "extremely rich in calories, sugar, salt and dairy," unlike the herbs and insects macaques typically consume, causing digestive distress.
- Soil acts as a protective barrier in the gut, limiting absorption of harmful compounds and providing bacteria and minerals absent from processed foods, helping animals manage gastrointestinal symptoms.
- This behavior appears culturally learned, as different troops exhibit preferences for specific soil types, prompting researchers to recommend tighter enforcement of rules prohibiting tourist feeding.
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45 Articles
45 Articles
A study links the geophagia of macaques to the consumption of ultraprocessed foods that alter their intestinal microbiome
·Barcelona, Spain
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They live about 230 monkeys in Gibraltar. They receive and sometimes steal a large amount of unhealthy food a day. Researchers claim that animals love Magnum and Cornetto.
·Portugal
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources45
Leaning Left11Leaning Right3Center17Last UpdatedBias Distribution55% Center
Bias Distribution
- 55% of the sources are Center
55% Center
L 35%
C 55%
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