An elderly Lithuanian woman, who claims to be living on a sand-only diet that has drastically improved her health, is sharing her helpful insights with anyone interested in trying this totally inedible fare. Talk about true grit.

Stanislava Monstvilene, 70, from Lithuania claims she has been living for more than a decade consuming nothing but sand. The substance, known to be utterly indigestible, has not only made her healthier but has even cured her brain tumor, she claims.

“I had a late stage brain tumor. They said I wouldn’t last long. My hemoglobin level was 60 [some five times over the normal range],” Monstvilene told Ruptly. “I was passing by and once an idea came to my mind – take the sand and eat it. For the first time I choked but then I got used to it.”

As times passed the woman not only became accustomed to her new diet – she even developed an addiction for it. Although she has since overcome the uncontrollable craving for sand, she still swears by the mineral-rich “food,” claiming she experiences health problems without it.

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Whatever you think of her unique diet, the woman’s health has actually improved, according to therapist Liliana Vaishvilene, who observed Monstvilene for a while. The woman stopped regularly seeing doctors several years ago.

“She has good blood. We examined her a while ago, but for the past few years she has not visited and has not applied for medical help,” Vaishvilene told Ruptly.

Monstvilene is eager to share her dietary advice with other aspiring sand connoisseurs, offering some “helpful” tips on how to ingest the substance properly.

“You should not mix it with food or water. You should not eat anything else, otherwise you will feel sick. And the water should not be drunk. I used to eat wet sand so after it I do not want to drink,” she said.

Various types of sand taste different, she claimed. “Sand can be sour. This one has no taste at all. But the other sand, brown, is sour,” Monstvilene told Ruptly while chugging on a handful of mashed rocks.

DISCLAIMER: Please, avoid eating sand, as any real positive health impacts are yet to be independently and scientifically proven.