Macroterme Geophagy and Pregnancy Clays in Southern Africa

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Field observations in five countries of southern Africa reveal that geophagy among pregnant women is very widespread in rural areas and that a geophagy trade exists in urban markets. Giant mounds built by the termite genus macrotermes are a major source of pregnancy clay. In terms of supplying essential minerals and trace elements to the fetus, in needy circumstances, it is argued that geophagy is pragmatic folk wisdom and environmentally adaptive behavior.

This publication has 0 references indexed in Scilit: