The Dirt on Humic/Fulvic Supplements: A Rewilded Perspective

The Dirt on Humic Supplements: A Rewilded Perspective

Do You Really Need Those Spendy Humic/Fulvic Supplements? My Rewilding Journey

Scrolling through my social media lately, I couldn't help but notice the explosion of trendy humic and fulvic acid supplements promising everything from gut healing to cellular repair. With price tags often starting at $30-40+ per bottle, I had to wonder: are we paying premium prices for something our ancestors got for free?

What Are These Magic Dirt Molecules?

Humic and fulvic acids are complex compounds created when bacteria break down plant matter in soil. They're essentially the "communication network" of healthy soil - helping nutrients move between plants, bacteria, and fungi in that rich underground ecosystem we rarely think about.

Our ancestors consumed these compounds daily through unwashed vegetables, drinking from springs, and their generally closer relationship with the earth. Today, with our filtered water and triple-washed produce, we've largely eliminated these soil-based compounds from our lives.

My Rewilded Approach: Getting Dirty on Purpose

Rather than dropping my hard-earned cash on bottled soil extracts, I've been experimenting with reconnecting to these compounds naturally. Here's my dirt-to-table strategy:

1. Grow My Own
I've started a small organic garden using composted soil enriched with minerals & worm castings. The simple act of gardening without gloves increases my exposure to beneficial soil compounds. When harvesting, I give vegetables a gentle rinse rather than scrubbing them clean.

2. Source Better Water
I  collect water from a local spring known for its mineral content (after testing for safety). This natural filtration through soil layers provides low doses of the very compounds being bottled and sold back to us. My monthly ritual to the spring has become a cherished form of nature connection—both the water and the journey nourish me.

3. My CSA + Foraging Connection
For six months of the year, my local CSA provides me with vegetables pulled straight from living soil. I've gotten to know the farmers who cultivate not just food but the entire ecosystem beneath it. Their minimally washed root vegetables still carry traces of the rich soil they grew in.

The remaining months, I supplement with wild foraging—gathering dandelion greens, nettles, & many other greens, wild mushrooms and berries that grow in untouched soil, providing natural exposure to the full spectrum of soil compounds. There's something deeply satisfying about harvesting food that has never known chemical fertilizers or sterile growing conditions.

4. Creek Wading, Barefoot Walking & Earth Contact
I've made a habit of weekly creek wading sessions, and barefoot walking in the more temperate months of the year- allowing my feet to make direct contact with the living water and sediment. This practice, which my grandmother would have considered simply "playing in the creek," now feels like medicine—connecting my skin microbiome directly with the water, stone, and soil microbiome.

5. Ferment With Tradition
I fermenting vegetables using traditional methods that don't shy away from a little soil contact. My fermented veggies may not be Instagram-perfect, but it connects me to preservation practices humans have used for ages. It's best to use the best produce you can get and leave a little dirt on it. 

The Middle Ground: When Supplements Might Be Appropriate

While my approach emphasizes natural reconnection with soil compounds, I recognize that quality fulvic/humic supplements may serve a purpose for some individuals. Here's where I believe they might be helpful:

1. Transition Support: For those with severe gut dysbiosis or compromised health seeking to rebuild their microbiome, a carefully chosen supplement might provide targeted support during healing phases.

2. Limited Access: Urban dwellers without access to gardens, clean natural water sources, or truly organic produce may benefit from supplementation until they can establish more natural connections.

3. Seasonal Gaps: In harsh winter months when direct earth contact and fresh local produce are limited, supplements could bridge nutritional gaps.

Important Caveats to Consider:

It's crucial to understand that promising cell studies we often see cited don't necessarily translate to real human outcomes. What works in a petri dish often behaves differently in the complex ecosystem of a human body. The marketing around these supplements frequently overstates benefits based on preliminary research.

If you do choose to supplement, start with minimal doses and slowly titrate upward. Some people experience detox reactions or sensitivities to these concentrated compounds. Your body will communicate if the supplement is helping or causing harm—listen carefully to these signals rather than pushing through discomfort.

Remember that our ancestors received these compounds in minute, consistent doses through daily living—not as concentrated extracts taken all at once. The goal should be gentle, sustained exposure rather than overwhelming your system with isolated compounds.

Bottled Compost Tea? Let's Talk About It

I often joke that these trendy humic/fulvic supplements are essentially "bottled compost tea" with fancy marketing. And while I recognize they might serve a purpose for people disconnected from nature and seeking healing, something about this approach feels fundamentally misaligned.

It's like we're extracting one component from a complex system and expecting it to perform miracles in isolation. Meanwhile, we're missing the countless other benefits that come from actual connection to living soil: the sensory experience, the diverse microbes, the physical activity, the relationship with seasons and cycles.

Why aren't we focusing our collective energy on soil regeneration instead? Why extract and bottle what should be freely available in our daily food?

The Bigger Picture: Nutrient Density Revolution

I'm thrilled to be diving deeper into this conversation soon with Dan Kittredge, a lifelong organic farmer whose work with the Bionutrient Food Association is creating a coalition across organic, biodynamic, permaculture, and regenerative farming communities. His focus on nutrient density is exactly what we need—measuring and improving the actual nutritional value of our food by starting with the soil.

As Kittredge points out, when we focus on creating truly living soil, we don't need to isolate and bottle these compounds—they come as an integrated package in foods grown the way nature intended. The solution isn't selling soil components back to us as supplements, but rebuilding our relationship with the earth that feeds us. 

Return to Your Mineral Birthright

Just as plants need mineral-rich soil to thrive, our bodies require proper mineral foundations to build lasting health. Yet our modern world has disconnected us from these fundamental building blocks.

My new Mineral Foundations course is now open for enrollment! This isn't about memorizing endless supplement protocols or chasing quick fixes. It's about establishing the critical base layer that supports everything else in your health journey.

In this comprehensive mini-course, you'll learn:
* Why returning to natural practices creates resilience at the most basic level
* How minerals form the foundation of our physiological needs
* The essentials of proper hydration and water quality as mineral carriers
* How to incorporate ionic minerals into your daily routine
* Ways to align your diet with ancestral wisdom and seasonal rhythms

For as little as $33 (less than many of those trendy humic/fulvic supplements that start at $30+), I'll teach you a foundational approach to restore these elements naturally in your life—a skill set we all deserve to have but were never taught!

After my fall last May, I felt called to go back to the beginning—to shore things up in more ways than one. This course is the result of that journey.

It's what I wish I was taught long ago, what I wish I knew before having kids, and it's rich with a depth that isn't available elsewhere. Join HERE!