She said she believed that as long as her ordinary diet remained healthy, she exercised regularly and drank lots of water to flush the dirt from her system she believed she was not doing any harm. She said eating soil had become an addiction for her and now, five years on, she sees nothing wrong with what she is doing and has no intention of trying to break the habit. So I started joining them and I saw my stress easing and my energy coming back,” explained Mkhize. These were worries for me at the time, as I didn’t have much appetite. When I asked them why they were eating dirt, they told me it soothed their morning sickness, boosted their appetite and relieved stress. “I would see a lot of pregnant women coming out of clinic, taking packets of soil from their hand bags and eating it. Some said they started eating soil in their teenage years, while others said they started only after they fell pregnant.īuhle Mkhize (33) of KwaNyuswa west of Durban, said she started eating soil five years ago when she was pregnant with her second son. Health-e spoke to several women about their soil eating habits, known as geophagia, confirming that for many the desire to eat soil can be a stressful addiction. The addiction to soil is said to be a health issue triggered by iron and mineral deficiencies, and it can be treated. And the sellers of packeted soil say their customers “go crazy” without it – getting depressed or angry when stocks run out. ![]() ![]() ![]() The craving for clay is found particularly among pregnant and lactating women, but eating clay is a widespread practice in South Africa and neighbouring countries.
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