Geophagy in pregnancy: a test of a hypothesis

Current Anthropology • Vol/Iss. 39(4) • The University of Chicago Press • • Published In • Pages: 532-545 •
By Wiley, Andrea S., Katz, Solomon H.

Abstract

Geophagy during pregnancy has been proposed to fulfill a number of adaptive functions, including relieving gastrointestinal distress, detoxification of the secondary compounds found in plant foods, and providing a supplementary source of minerals such as calcium. Using a sample of 60 African populations, the authors investigate geophagy during pregnancy in a cross-cultural perspective, emphasizing variation between dairying and non-dairying populations.
Documents and Hypotheses Filed By: erik.ringen