Are Haitian mud cookies healthy?

Due to their mineral content, mud cookies were traditionally used as a dietary supplement for pregnant women and children. Haitians believe they contain calcium which could be used as an antacid and for nutrition, but this is disputed by doctors who warn of tooth decay, constipation, and worse.

Does mud have nutritional value?

In other words, people eat dirt to ease the pangs of hunger, even though it doesn’t provide any nutritional value. Others have suggested that nutrition is exactly why dirt is consumed; perhaps people crave dirt because it provides nutrients they lack, such as iron, zinc, or calcium.

Why does Haiti eat mud?

In Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere, the scarcity of food have made the Haitians turn to mud platters for their survival. No, not to hold food but to eat them. They have got so used to eating mud platters that now this has become a normal practice for them.

Which soil is good for eating?

Clay can help absorb toxins, so many support earth eating as a way of relieving stomach issues, such as food poisoning. Although geophagia may not begin as a mental health concern, over time, eating dirt could come to resemble an addiction.

Does dirt have nutrients for plants?

Soil is a major source of nutrients for plant growth. Nutrients supplied by the soil are called mineral nutrients. The non-mineral nutrients such as carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) come from air and water during photosynthesis. Soil mineral nutrients are separated into two groups the macro and micronutrients.

Do Haitian people eat mud?

Charlene, 16 with a 1-month-old son, has come to rely on a traditional Haitian remedy for hunger pangs: cookies made of dried yellow dirt from the country’s central plateau. The mud has long been prized by pregnant women and children here as an antacid and source of calcium.