geophagia /geo·pha·gia/ (-fa´jah) the habitual eating of earth or clay, a form of pica.
Geophagia
geophagia,
geophagia (gē·ō·fāˑ·zhē·
),
Geophagia
The compulsive eating of earthy substances, including sand, soil, and clay.
Mentioned in: Pica
geophagia,
the practice of eating clay or dirt. A form of pica, the compulsion is thought by some to be associated with disorders of mineral balance. Some patients with pica have been found to suffer from an iron deficiency and respond to iron therapy. Red clay may be so rich in potassium that its ingestion can lead to hyperkalemia in individuals with renal failure.
geophagia (gē·ō·fāˑ·zhē·
),n compulsive drive to eat dirt or clay. A type of pica, believed to be related to a mineral deficiency or imbalance.
geophagia, geophagism
the habit of eating clay or earth (soil); chthonophagia.
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