The scoop on eating dirt.

• Autores: Philip T. B. Starks, Brittany L. Slabach
• Localización: Scientific American, ISSN 0036-8733, Vol. 306, Nº. 6, 2012, págs. 30-32
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The article discusses geophagia, which is the practice of eating dirt. The authors note that geophagia is classified in the fourth edition of the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (DSM-IV)" as an eating disorder subtype, called pica, in which individuals consume things that are not food. Topics include the prevalence of geophagia among animals, such as parrots, deer, and elephants, evolution research investigating whether geophagia is abnormal of adaptive behavior, and the idea that eating dirt may be a way to detoxify the body.