Sand tablets

Anyone who has changed a diaper after the kidlet has been in the sandbox knows that sand is a remarkable cathartic. Anyone who has watched raccoons or baboons rummaging about for edibles may have noted that they must be eating a fair amound of dirt and sand as well. There is good evidence that fiber facilitates bowel transit and maintains good intestinal health. However, what if fiber was really only partly mimicking the roughage we really evolved to eat: sand. Consider the wolf - a diet of meat and bugs would have little fiber... except for adherent dirt and sand. Sand has the added benefit of being immune to bacterial digestions, and thus would not produce flatulence as vegetable fiber does.

I propose that clean sand be marketed in tablets, to be used in lieu of current fiber supplements. Like these supplements, sand tabs could also be used to correct constipation. Colored or glittery sand could be provided for the sake of variety, and for people curious about the transit time of their bowels.