Many health professionals state that the safety of eating soil is questionable at best.Įating “Mati”, a clay type of soil, is commonplace in South Africa but it can be dangerous. If soil is consumed from a very clean area, there aren’t any true health complications or risks, but how can you ever be sure that the soil is clean? Nowadays, predominantly in South Africa, eating soil has become almost an addiction, and it is something which cannot simply be stopped overnight.Ī woman needs to be slowly weaned off the habit, otherwise irrational anger can occur.Īs you can see, it’s very much like a chocolate addiction when you look at it that way! These included binding toxins, helping with diarrhoea issues and also helping with heartburn symptoms during pregnancy.Ī few women also stated that it helped with their morning sickness. Okay, so it’s the same color, but would you take a bowl of dirt over a bar of milk chocolate?Įating soil did have a few advantages, the study found. The study showed that once the women had consumed soil, they became almost addicted, and that it became almost like a chocolate-reward. Now, if you’re reading this and thinking ‘yes, I could really eat some soil right now’, don’t worry!Ī quick visit to your midwife or doctor will right the problem, and it’s simply the case that you need some vitamin replacement to knock this rather strange craving right out of the park.ĭespite that, understanding why some women feel the need to consume soil is quite an interesting thing to learn about.Ī study undertaken by MedUni Vienna showed that the craving to eat soil is down to the detoxifying effect that the soil can have on the body. Of course, supplementation is often prescribed in order to right the issue so there really should be no reason to eat a bowl of dirt, right? We all know that during pregnancy iron deficiency is a common problem. You might be shaking your head and wondering why on earth being pregnant would lead you to the back garden for a nibble of the brown stuff, but these unusual cravings for non food items (known as pica) are often down to a deficiency in certain vitamins and minerals, mostly iron. In Africa, where the habit is most common, around 30% to 80% of women have done it, and some even eat up to 400g of the earthy stuff per day. This eating soil business actually has a medical name – geophagy. Well, it is a craving that is reported, but is it safe?Įating soil is common in some African countries and is mostly done by women who are either currently pregnant or who are breastfeeding. Yes, you did read that title right! There are some women who experience an overwhelming urge to eat soil during their pregnancy.
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