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  Geophagy (Eating Clay) – Why Some Cultures Consume Dirt for Mineral Deficiencies The Curious Case of Dirt-Eating: A Global Phenomenon Picture this: A pregnant woman in rural Africa craves a handful of soft, chalky clay. A farmer in the American South nibbles on white kaolin to soothe an upset stomach. A villager in the Amazon mixes clay into bitter potatoes to neutralize toxins. To the uninitiated, eating dirt sounds bizarre—even dangerous. Yet, for centuries, humans across the globe have practiced  geophagy  (from Greek  geo  "earth" and  phagein  "to eat"), the deliberate consumption of soil, clay, or chalk. Far from being a random act of desperation, this behavior is deeply rooted in culture, tradition, and—most intriguingly—biology. But why? Is it just an odd habit, or is there a hidden nutritional logic behind it? The Hidden Science of Eating Dirt 1. Mineral Supplementation: Nature’s Multivitamin? One of the strongest theories behi...