An alternative term for geophagia; the eating of soil, clay, or earth as a dietary practice or medical condition.
From Greek 'geo-' (earth) and '-phagy' (eating/consumption), an alternate suffix form from 'phagein.' Both geophagia and geophagy coexist in medical and scientific English.
In West African traditions, specific geophagies are so refined that pregnant women prefer clay from particular riverbanks—the variation in mineral composition matters enough that some clays are traded like spice, showing deep chemical knowledge.
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