Page "Geophagy" Paragraph 22

The persistence of geophagy within a family or community can also partially be explained by a simple mother / daughter sharing mechanism.

A crucial and sometimes hazardous part of rural communities is the act of giving birth.

Without advanced medical knowledge, local customs become key to a healthy outcome.

Geophagy enters the picture when daughters would " follow the diet of a woman that they knew had been successful at giving birth ". The maternal chain can therefore act as an important vector in the continuance of this act.

The practice, in truth, is important because it does provide much needed minerals to the human body.

Indeed, Western cultures have continued the practice of geophagy, but only under the guise of vitamins and minerals.