Tag: Earth eating

Geophagia, the deliberate consumption of earth, soil, or clay, has been documented across cultures and continents for millennia, noted by figures like Hippocrates as early as the 4th century BC. While sometimes a culturally sanctioned practice, it is medically classified as a form of pica, an eating disorder involving non-nutritive substances.

Reports indicate geophagia is most prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly among pregnant women, but this intentional consumption of earth or soil-like substances occurs globally and is linked to a variety of complex factors. While a global practice, certain geographical areas exhibit significantly higher rates of geophagia due to a complex interplay of environmental, cultural, nutritional, and medicinal factors.