dirt treat

Any idea what are these, being sold in a Sierra Leone market?

This is another clue:-

Okay... this is a big giveaway :p

Yup... CLAY.

It's not uncommon for women to experience cravings for odd foods while they are pregnant, like Juno's strange craving for blue slushie with chocolate sauce on top. But in Sierra Leone and other parts of Africa, the cravings can be for something most people consider inedible... C-L-A-Y.

Some say clay taste like chocolate; real smooth (obviously not the sandy ones), like a candy. But when I think of clay, I think of MUD and hook worms... Just not my kind of desserts... sorry.

The eating of inappropriate objects and material is known as "pica". In Africa, pregnant and lactating women are able to satisfy the very different nutritional needs of their bodies by eating clay. The clays are eaten as desired and often without water. The "cravings" in pregnancy for a varied nutritional intake (during pregnancy, the body requires 20% more nutrients and 50% more during lactation) are solved by geophagy (earth eating). The clay commonly ingested in Africa contains important nutrients such as: phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese, and iron.

The ingestion of kaolin, also known as "white dirt," "chalk," or "white clay," is a type of pica. Kaolin is a naturally deposited clay used in the manufacture of ceramics as well as in coatings for paper and textiles. It is also a key ingredient used in medicines for diarrhoea. Indeed, Rolaids, Maalox and other medicines recommended for nausea and stomach upset are filled with the same antacid compounds found in white kaolin clays. But if you look at it from another way, kaolin is also capable of causing constipation. Some even suffer ruptured colons. Low blood-hemoglobin levels, a sign of anemia, are common, because the ingestion of kaolin inhibits absorption of iron from foods. Those who eat clay at the expense of healthier foods often develop malnutrition.

However, according to some researchers, by eating dirt, it's possible that the pregnant woman would be strengthening her immune system at the same time she's going to turn antibodies to the child. Another advantage to eating clay during pregnancy may be the calming effect it can have on the mother's gastrointestinal system, which can succumb to bouts of nausea and morning sickness.

Speaking of g-astro, NASA even state that, along with the specific-training regiments, astronauts living in space are required to take calcium rich clay tablets (not just calcium rich tablets) to assist with keeping optimum bone density under conditions of weightlessness. According to doctors, such conditions weaken the body and increase chances that kidney stones may develop during flights lasting months or years. Little or no benefits were noted, when calcium alone was added. This means that the clay supplement contained some factor or factors other than calcium which promoted improved calcium utilisation and bone formation. So clearly it is also possible that this dietary supplement helps against osteoporosis.

To put it simply, many people partake in geophagy, but not in a habitual way. Indeed, taking these supplements can help cure the condition and often iron supplements are prescribed which for some helps relieve cravings.

Dirt anyone?