Some people actually eat dirt and/or clay. I have personally noticed this phenomenon more so with females than males.
However, I heard most of the accounts of eating both substances from both males and females who were from the South. These Southern folk told me that they'd go out in their backyards and scoop up some clay or dirt and eat it.
Now because I had never heard of doing such while growing up (as a city boy), I was repulsed and revolted at hearing such. It didn't make any sense to me why some people would eat dirt or clay. But as I delved deeper into my health and nutritional studies, I began to uncover some substance-filled reasons why some people actually consumed dirt and/or clay.
For the same reason my childhood dogs would sometimes bite and chew on wood, rocks, wire fences, etc., these individuals who consumed dirt and/or clay suffered from a condition medically known as PICA (also spelled Pica).
PICA is a condition whereby there is a pattern of consuming non -food materials. It is reported that children and adults with PICA may eat animal feces, clay, dirt, hairballs, ice, paint, sand, paper, etc.
I once knew a woman who resided in Hawthorne, California, one of my very first customers after starting my first herbal company (Afiyah Herbaceuticals) back in late 1999 that told me she had a brother who actually ate his own feces and who did so knowingly because of the nutrients he was lacking and therefore supplementing with feces. Boy was I grossed
out at hearing this. That was too much information for me. But the guy evidently suffered from PICA.
PICA is the result of nutritional deficiency, specifically mineral deficiency. Mineral deficiency is very common nowadays due to our mineral-depleted soils our produce (fruits and vegetables) is grown in.
Now, not all people who ate dirt or clay suffered from PICA. I remember my late paternal uncle Arthur Lee Cooper telling me how when he and his brothers, my uncles, were growing up in Mississippi how they some times ate a particular red clay. They consumed the red clay sporadically which is how one can tell if a person suffers from PICA or not.
You see, the pattern of eating (non-foods) should last about a month to fit the diagnosis of PICA.
Statistics show that PICA is seen more in young children than adults. Between 10-32% of children ages 1-6 have this abnormal eating behavior. I remember while attending elementary school how I actually had schoolmates and friends who used to eat glue. I couldn't understand it back then but now I do.
Pregnant women should also know that this condition can also develop during pregnancy due to lack of certain nutrients. In some cases, PICA can result from conditions such as iron deficiency anemia and zinc deficiency, which may trigger the unusual cravings.
Usually, when women (pregnant or otherwise) bite on ice or always feel the need to have ice (in their mouth), they suffer from PICA predicated upon iron deficiency anemia. 
Women and young teenage girls who start consuming dirt or clay shortly before and/or during their menstrual cycle are attempting to supplement their low iron level in their bodies.
Many women lose large amounts of iron due to heavy menses. The more blood they release and lose, the more iron (as well as other minerals) they release and lose; and because most women don't know the right type of iron to supplement with, they end up becoming anemic.
A lot of men and young teenage boys are also anemic despite having no monthly menses. It is reported that more than 90% of Americans are anemic.
Healing From PICA Naturally
PICA can be healed or reversed naturally by simply eating a nutritionally rich and wholesome diet consisting mostly of raw, organic fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts; as well as iron-rich foods.
Iron rich foods include most greens, i.e. Burdock, Dandelion (greens), Mustard and Collard (greens), Parsley, Spinach, Watercress, and Chives to name a few.
Seaweeds such as Irish Moss, Dulse, Kelp, Spirulina, Chlorella, Blue-Gree Algae, Iceland Moss, and Red Marine Algae (to name a few) are very nutritious and contain healthy amounts of organic, digestible and assimilable iron.
Iron-rich and containing herbs include Yellow Dock Root (greatest source), Burdock Root, Dandelion Root, Devil's Claw, Alfalfa, Moringa (whole plant), Cerasee, Nettle, and Red Raspberry Leaf to name a few.
Dherbs.com products that are helpful as nutritional supplements and to correct mineral deficiency include: Electric Greens Cell Food, Vitamin C Formula, Iodine Phosphate, Multi-Vitamins and Minerals; and Khemetian Gold.
Dherbs.com products that are helpful in reversing iron deficiency anemia include: Blood and Lymphatic Formula, Iron Phosphate, Vitamin C Formula, Iodine Phosphate, and Moon Cycle Formula.
By all means, if you have experienced PICA and consumed non-foods, it is imperative that you cleanse and repair your body and you can do so by performing our Full Body Detox(FBD).
The best edible clay for consumption (for health and internal cleansing purposes) is liquid bentonite clay - clay you consume (drink) periodically but not daily.
Thank you for reading!
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