Sinai anthill (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A good friend of mine from Zimbabwe often shares the story of how when she was pregnant with her first child, she asked her husband to stop in an open field so she could collect some soil. Imagine the poor man’s horror when he saw his pregnant wife take fistfuls of the sand, throw it into her mouth and swallow. I always laugh when I visualize this scenario. Soil/clay eating is fairly common in many parts of Africa but can be quite scary for someone not exposed to it. The medical community recognizes clay eating (geophagia) as a medical condition known as pica.
What is pica?
According to the Steadman’s Medical Dictionary, pica is the “appetite for substance not fit as food or of no nutritional value.” The most common items consumed include clay (geophagia), ice (pagophagia) and starch (amylophagia). Although often viewed as non-harmful, pica can have serious consequences such as fecal impaction, bowel obstruction, anemia of the newborn and difficult delivery.
What causes pica?
There is a debate in the medical community. Some professional hypothesize that pica is a symptom of mineral deficiency (iron and/or calcium); while others state that pica causes deficiency of iron and/or calcium. Regardless of whether pica is the cause or effect, it is a symptom of nutrient deficiency and must be treated.
How is pica treated?
Treatment of pica is centered around education and a well balanced diet with food rich in iron and calcium. Education centers upon the dangers of the practice, encouraging behavior change to prevent complications and nutrition education to increase nutrient consumption. Generally speaking, once the body begins receives adequate nutrition, the pica symptoms decrease or resolve.
To get iron in your diet
- Eat at least 2 daily servings of meat, poultry and fish which contain iron in its most absorbable form (Heme- iron).
- Increase intakes of legumes, fruits, vegetables (especially dark green leafy vegetables,) and foods enriched with iron. These contain non-heme iron which is not as readily absorbed as the heme iron.
- Limit your intakes of coffee, tea and bran. They all contain phytates – compounds that prevent your body from absorbing iron.
- Enjoy foods high in vitamin C at each meal. This will help your body absorb more iron. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the best source of Vitamin.
- Take a prenatal vitamin or supplement as recommended by your dietician or healthcare provider. .
To get calcium in your diet
- Add a source of calcium at eat meal. While milk and milk products (cheese, soured milk, milk to drink etc) are the most common sources, they are not the only ones. Other popular and sources include Leafy green vegetables, broccoli , beans and legumes ,sardines and all the fish types that are consumed with their bones , bone marrow , baobab fruit
- Sprinkle powdered milk in porridge, eggs, soups and other dishes
- Ask your dietician or medical provider about the need for a calcium supplement.
Here’s to your health.
Related articles
- “I am addicted to clay eating especially when I am pregnant, should I be worried?” (mhcghana.wordpress.com)
- Pica: The Eating Disorder That’s Not About Food (everydayhealth.com)
