Why do people eat the earth? Interesting Facts

Among the countless edible plants and animals on Earth, some people, without hesitation, can eat the ground under their feet. Deliberate eating of the earth, which is also called geophagia, is a natural instinct that serves healthy purposes.

According to a new study, the desires of some people to eat up the land are explained by the protective properties of the digestive system. After studying the data on 482 cases of geophagy, researchers led by Sera Young from Cornell University found that eating earth has little to do with hunger or with the fact that the body supposedly needs minerals. Most likely, in the opinion of the team, geophagics can help prevent the development of pathogenic microorganisms in the intestine, especially for pregnant women and children of primary school age.

Previous theories have suggested that geophagia develops due to hunger, and also because of a lack of essential elements in the diet, such as iron. However, none of this is true.

The study showed that the earth contains little iron, calcium and zinc, which gives it a low nutritional value. In addition, elderly people with a lack of calcium in the body do not turn to geophagy, which weakens the theory put forward about the search for minerals in the earth. Pregnant women and children living in tropical regions of the world are the most frequent users of the land, also those that are most vulnerable to attack by various parasites and pathogens. The practice of geophage makes sense among these populations, especially if they suffer from acute diseases of the digestive tract.

In another study, Young practically found no evidence in support of the theory that by eating land in the digestive system, harmful pathogens are introduced. Despite the fact that geophagia is most often found among people suffering from gastrointestinal diseases, this does not mean that their development is provoked by eating the ground.

The researchers claim that pathogenic microorganisms are not introduced with the earth, but on the contrary, geophagia is an attempt to calm those who are already actively working in the body. Scientists have reached similar conclusions among primates. It is worth noting that people who practice geophysics, collect land from the depths, and often boil it, before proceeding to a meal.

In the Indonesian village of Taban, the soil under your feet serves not only as a raw material for bricks and ceramic products, but also for preparing snacks. This village is the only one in the world that produces Ampo, food, which is created from pea chernozem from nearby rice paddies. Although there is no medical evidence, residents believe that soil is an effective pain killer and even pregnant women are recommended to eat it, because it is believed that this is very beneficial for the fetal skin.