These substances can contain heavy metals such as lead or mercury, that can be toxic or poisonous in the body. The minerals found in these items are not in a form our bodies can break down into beneficial nutrients, in fact it may be harmful. You would assume that there may be a benefit in consuming these substances if our body is having such strong cravings but, unfortunately that is not the case. Is there any nutrients involved or is this dangerous? If these demands aren’t met through the diet it could cause a decrease in magnesium levels resulting in an additional side effect of sugar cravings.įinally, hypothetically, we've caved and eaten the soil. For example if a person is feeling fatigued around their period, experiencing high stress or anxiety they might have an increased demand for magnesium. It is common however to crave particular foods when deficient in specific nutrients. The most common cravings spoken about in PICA studies seem to be among clay, soil, stone, brick, paper, chalk and soap. Those with PICA experience a range of cravings depending on the individual. ![]() There is no set non-food item a person might crave if they are deficient in a specific nutrient. What other non-food items might people crave if they are deficient in something? She started eating a well balanced diet and sure enough her strange cravings disappeared. It wasn't until the end of high school when she had blood tests done for another reason that she was diagnosed with an iron deficiency. She also experienced a strong desire to eat dirt, while walking home from the bus stop after school- if it hadn't been for the other student walking past she would have! She also used to order icy drinks and cups of ice because of her strong cravings to eat ice. Anushka recalls salivating at the idea of eating clay in her high school crafter class (and sneakily eating a little bit too). At the time she hadn't made a connection, but these nutritional deficiencies had led to clay cravings. In high school she restricted a myriad of foods, consuming a diet of mostly fruit and pasta, lacking essential nutrients and resulting in nutrient deficiencies. Anushka hasn't always known a lot about health, nor has she always had a good relationship with food. Most ingested items pass through the gut with no problem, but occasionally it can cause significant health problems causing blockages in the gut, poisoning, constipation, infections, choking, nutritional and dental problems.Our nutritionist, Anushka has first hand experience with clay cravings. Some children may get a pleasurable feeling or sensory stimulation from eating non-food items. ![]() Nutritional factors such as low levels of iron or zinc may be linked. ![]() It is common in certain groups of the population and occurs more frequently in children with learning difficulties. It is associated with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Common items children with pica eat can include: sand chalk playdoh clothing faeces hair and paper. What would you usually expect for a young child?Ĭ hildren below the age of 18 months explore objects by mouthing and sometimes swallowing, and therefore pica is not diagnosed below the age of 2 years. Some children eat non–edible items, and the medical term for this is pica.
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