Some cultures incorporate eating non-food items into religious or medical practice for example, pregnant women in Tanzania and Kenya have traditionally consumed a white clay called kaolin because it is believed to absorb dangerous toxins from the body. Pica may also be a symptom of OCD or another underlying mental health irregularity. Some studies suggest that these unusual cravings are linked to a mineral deficiency, most commonly of iron.
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The causes of pica are not well-understood. Pica is a condition that causes you to eat non-food items such as chalk, dirt, feces, ashes, coffee grounds, laundry detergent, clay, and more. If you are craving non-food items during pregnancy, however, you may be suffering from pica. If you feel like your cravings are out of control or are affecting your life in other ways, you may want to check in with your doctor to make sure there’s nothing more serious going on. If your cravings are for regular food items, even food items you don’t normally eat, it’s probably nothing to be concerned about. Are Cravings Dangerous?Īs mentioned above, we don’t really know what causes cravings. Our sense of taste is highly dependent on our sense of smell, so an extra-sensitive nose may lead you to crave certain foods that you wouldn’t otherwise want. That increased sense of smell is believed to be caused by the higher levels of estrogen and other hormones in the body during pregnancy. Some suggest that cravings may be related to the increased sense of smell many people experience during pregnancy. In other words, no one is exactly sure what causes these cravings. However, there haven’t been any rigorous studies linking the foods people crave during pregnancy to any nutritional needs or deficiencies. In certain anecdotal cases, that may make sense - perhaps Phoebe was craving meat because she needed more protein. People often assume that pregnancy cravings are related to something that the baby needs. Pregnancy also can cause taste aversions, the opposite of cravings, where you can’t stand the thought of eating a particular food. Sometimes pregnancy makes you crave foods that you didn’t like before pregnancy and sometimes it makes you crave foods in strange combinations. Cravings aren’t necessarily linked to your non-pregnant tastes. Pregnancy cravings are very common - about half of women experience at least one craving during pregnancy.