Most of us never considered eating the mud pies we made as kids, but for many people all over the world, dining on dirt is nothing out of the ordinary. Now an extensive meta-analysis helps explain why ...

Animals eat food because they’re in constant need of nutrition replenishment and energy to survive. On the other hand, some animals resort to eating soil, which lacks the nutritional value needed for ...

Up to 80% of people in Africa, especially women, regularly eat clayey soil – this habit is known as geophagy. A previous study has already shown that it is a form of craving. Now researchers have ...

Background: Geophagy or earth-eating is common amongst some Bangladeshi women, especially those who are pregnant, both in Bangladesh and in the United Kingdom. A large proportion of the population in ...

The practice of geophagy – eating earth – is surprisingly common, and while in some parts of the world it is regarded as an eating disorder, in others it is actively encouraged. But why would people ...

If you crave a snack of dirt and clay, you may be pregnant. New research shows that eating dirt, also called geophagy, is most common during the early stages of pregnancy and in young children, where ...

Hundreds of animal species also seek out and eat earth. In most cases, the earth that is craved is not the dark, humus-rich soil in your garden, but is rather smooth and clay-rich. {mosads}The recent ...

Everyone knows that soil is essential for our survival. It is where our food grows, and it is required for things like trees and other plants, which help to provide oxygen and purify the air. While ...

Oct. 3, 2005 — -- It melts in your mouth like chocolate, says Ruth Anne T. Joiner, describing her favorite treat. "The good stuff is real smooth," she adds. "It's just like a piece of candy." ...

It may be regarded as a strange phenomenon in the developed world, but tucking into a generous helping of mud pie is perhaps the most natural way to protect the stomach against toxins, parasites and ...