Geophagy (soil consumption) and iron supplementation in Uganda

@article{Abrahams1997GeophagyC,
  title={Geophagy (soil consumption) and iron supplementation in Uganda},
  author={Peter W. Abrahams},
  journal={Tropical Medicine \& International Health},
  year={1997},
  volume={2}
}
  • P. Abrahams
  • Published 1 July 1997
  • Geology
  • Tropical Medicine & International Health
Despite the often limited awareness of geophagy, the deliberate consumption of soil by humans, it is common in certain areas of the world. This paper reports the mineralogical and geochemical composition of geophagical materials collected from Uganda, and indicates the potential of such soils in supplying iron to the geophagist. In countries like Uganda where modern pharmaceuticals are either unobtainable or prohibitively expensive, ingested soils may therefore be very important as a mineral… 
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85 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
10
Background Citations
39
Methods Citations
1

85 Citations

The Potential Impact of Geophagia on the Bioavailability of Iron, Zinc and Calcium in Human Nutrition
Geophagia, the deliberate ingestion of soil, is a complex eating behaviour with obscure aetiology and numerous health/medical problems. It is conventionally assumed that geophagia may help supplement…
The potential impact of soil ingestion on human mineral nutrition.
From source to basin of deposition: influence of transportation and digenesis on geophagic properties of soil
Geophagia – the deliberate consumption of soil – has been practised for many centuries by a range of ethnic, religious and social groups in the world for a number of reasons. They include, but are…
The bioaccessibility of essential and potentially toxic trace elements in tropical soils from Mukono District, Uganda
It has been postulated that endomyocardial fibrosis (EMF), a common cardiac disease in certain tropical communities including parts of Uganda, may be related to the presence of elevated levels of…
Review of the nature of some geophagic materials and their potential health effects on pregnant women: some examples from Africa
TLDR
The voluntary human consumption of soil known as geophagy is a global practice and deep-rooted in many African cultures, but the highest prevalence has been reported in African countries such as Kenya, Ghana, Rwanda, Nigeria, Tanzania, and South Africa.
Clay Mineralogical and Related Characteristics of Geophagic Materials
  • M. Wilson
  • Geology
    Journal of Chemical Ecology
  • 2004
TLDR
It is suggested that total chemical analyses of these materials are of little relevance unless supported by a physiologically based extraction test, this approach being essential in any study seeking to confirm the nutrient supplementation hypothesis.
Geochemical and environmental factors controlling exposure to cerium and magnesium in Uganda
Involuntary soil ingestion and geophagia: A source and sink of mineral nutrients and potentially harmful elements to consumers of earth materials
Human Geophagia, Calabash Chalk and Undongo: Mineral Element Nutritional Implications
TLDR
Investigations indicate that at the reported rates of ingestion, Calabash chalk on the whole is not an important source of mineral nutrients or PHEs to humans, and although Undongo contains elevated pseudo-total concentrations of chromium and nickel, this soil is not a significant source to humans for any of the bioaccessible elements investigated.
Geophagy During Pregnancy in Africa: A Literature Review
TLDR
It is imperative to enquire whether pregnant women are geophagous and discourage geophagy, strengthen and expand the existing supplementation programs, and mandate flour fortification to enhance population-wide iron supply and safer pregnancies.
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