earth eating

Eating of clay or dirt, sometimes by children as a form of pica.

References in periodicals archive ?

See, for example, Halsted "Geophagy in Man," and "Earth Eating and Anaemia," Lancet (April 18, 1970): 826.

Earth-eating, addiction, nostalgia: Charles Chesnutt's diasporic regionalism

Yang Liwei was spending some of his time above the Earth eating from a choice of 20 Chinese dishes - including nuggets of spicy shredded pork, diced chicken and fried rice cooked with nuts.

Tucking into world's highest take-away

We think some of the star guests will create quite a stir with their down-to earth eating habits.

IRISH CHEF SERVES UP CELEBRITY MENU

Earth eating, or geophagy, in one form or another, has been widespread since the dawn of humanity because most minerals essential for our lives--calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, iron, selenium, cobalt, sodium, and others-derive from the earth.

Honey, Mud, Maggots, and Other Medical Marvels: The Science Behind Folk Remedies and Old Wives' Tales