Dirt has specific healing properties for wounds, new research from the University of British Columbia has found. The study published in Blood Advances reported that the presence of soil in wounds helps activate a blood protein known as coagulation factor XII that kicks off a rapid chain reaction helping trigger the formation of a plug, sealing the wound and limiting blood loss. “Excessive bleeding is responsible for up to 40 percent of mortality in trauma patients. In extreme cases and in remote areas without access to health care and wound-sealing products like sponges and sealants, sterilized soil could potentially be used to stem deadly bleeding following injuries,” says senior author Dr. Christian Kastrup. The study was done with sterilized dirt; unsterilized dirt poses a risk of infection.