Some humans' urge to consume clay may stem from the activity's protective properties for the digestive system, according to new research to be published in The Quarterly Review of Biology.
After examining 482 cases of human geophagy and 330 records of the practice among animals in a meta-analysis, researchers led by Sera Young of Cornell University discovered that eating dirt had little to do with being hungry or seeking minerals the body might be lacking. Rather, the team found that geophagy may help stave off pathogens in the gut, especially for pregnant women and pre-adolescent children.
Previous theories held that geophagy resulted from hunger or even a lack of nutrients such as iron in a person's diet, but neither seems to be the case.
The research revealed the types of clay consumed have little iron, calcium and zinc, rendering them low in nutritional value. In addition, older individuals with calcium deficiencies do not generally practice geophagy, which weakens the theory that people turn to the practice when their bodies need specific minerals.
Pregnant women and children living in tropical regions of the world, the individuals who consume dirt often, are also the most vulnerable to parasites and pathogens. Practicing geophagy makes sense to these groups, especially if they're experiencing acute digestive illness.
In another study by Young, she found little evidence to support the claim that geophagy actually introduced harmful pathogens into the digestive system, despite other research linking the practice to increased illness in some school children.
Read more at Discovery News
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