Medical experts, like Dr Takang Bisong and Dr Theopile Nana of the Buea Regional Hospital, when interviewed, spoke on the risk involved in eating calabar chalk: It causes kidney stones, appendicitis and extracts blood from the body which can lead to anaemia a deficiency in the number of red blood cells, which can also cause people to run short of energy and to have 15. Calabash chalk is a naturally occurring mineral consumed by members of some Nigerian communities for pleasure and by pregnant women as a remedy for morning sickness. The consumption of this geophagic material motivated our interest on the effect of the chalk on the histomorphology of the gastro-oesophageal tract. Introduction. @article{Moses2012EffectOC, title={Effect of calabash chalk on the histomorphology of the gastro-oesophageal tract of growing wistar rats. Nausea and abdominal aches are frequent. Disadvantages of licking Nzu. show, Whats Eating You and The Dr. Phil Show struggles with an addiction to eating chalk. The yearning for substances like calabash chalk during pregnancy is a sign of deficiency of certain minerals and vitamins in the body which is better referred to as pica syndrome- a medical condition that makes people yearn to consume irrelevant substances. Geophagia (synonymous geophagy, geophagism, and geotragia), the deliberate consumption or crave for eating earth, soil, chalk, or clay is an ancient practice common to both animals and humans. Sad, gloomy and depressed demeanor. First, calabash is rich of both soluble and non-soluble fiber and second, most of calabash is made of water. Loss of essential micronutrients in the body. When such substances are consumed, they create worse health issues. Although nzu is predominantly eaten by pregnant women as a cure for nausea. Many other people consume it for eating pleasure. This act is known as geophagia (eating of chalk, clay or soil). Calabash chalk is also consumed outside Nigeria and Africa. Yes, calabash is plant based since it is a vegetable. This study is designed to evaluate the effects The combination of health benefits of fiber and water is great to fight constipation and other stomach problems. Calabash chalk could cause histological changes in the uterus. It is necessary to avoid the consumption of edible chalk due to the possible side effect of nzu for pregnant ladies and women who are breastfeeding their babies. Eating chalk often, though, Following are the symptoms: The desperate urge to continue eating chalk. Calabash chalk is a geophagic material popularly consumed in] West African countries for pleasure, and by pregnant women as a cure for nausea. Calabash chalk contains lead (Pb) and arsenic which are believed to be harmful to the brain and responsible for cognitive dysfunction. Anaemia. The intake of calabash chalk has been associated with negative effects such as nervous and brain damages in humans and animals [11]. Extensive weakness. The Food Standards Agency's Dr Diane Benford said: "We are strongly advising that people stop eating calabash chalk, particularly pregnant women and breast feeding mums, who appear to be its main consumers. Written by: Puru Bansal Published at: Dec 25, 2021 Updated at: Dec 25, 2021 SHARE Facebook Twitter Whatsapp Koo hi there, am i right when Other reports suggest that calabash chalk also causes numerous gastrointestinal disorders such as nausea, ulcers and gastritis . Empty nutrition. Despite serious safety concerns, calabash chalk is used for morning sickness, nausea and In pregnant women, morning sickness can be reduced by eating nzu or calabash chalk. But calabash chalk contains heavy metals like arsenic and lead, which can be dangerous. Calabash chalk (CC) is consumed mostly by pregnant women in the tropics to reduce salivation and by some other persons for pleasure. Complications of eating chalk consistently may include: tooth damage or cavities digestive difficulties constipation or obstructions in the bowels lead poisoning parasites difficulty eating typical foods loss of appetite
Tests of Calabash Chalk previously taken by the FSA have shown high levels of lead. What may be the side effects of eating one piece of chalk daily? 1. Thirty (30) female and ten (10) male rats weighing 150-230g were used for this study. Another possible side effect of eating this geophagia is the alteration of growth rate and de-mineralization in the femur bone. animals in the test groups following chronic consumption of calabash chalk diet. While not much is known about the effect of nzu edible clay for short-term usage, this product can easily lead to high blood pressure risks and make the woman swell really badly. If it appears that a pattern of eating chalk is present, your doctor may conduct a blood test to check for lead poisoning, anemia, and other conditions that have been linked to pica. If someone has been eating dirt, a stool sample may also be requested to check for parasites. What are the risks of eating chalk? Following vaginal smear, they were mated at proestrous with the Geophagia is the practice of eating the earth, including soil and chalk. It may be packaged in a clear plastic bag Symptoms and complications that are commonly linked with pica can include: Eating sand or soil, this potentially leads to gastric pain and bleeding. And also when a pregnant woman take calabash chalk, it affect their babies because lead is very harmful to babies and it can cause lead poisoning. Disadvantages of consumption of edible clay. Their body weights were measured on a weekly basis throughout the experimental period. The effect of calabash chalk on histomorphology of the cerebral cortex showed a higher cellular population, hypertrophy and vacuolations in the treated groups, in a dose-dependent manner. It is also known as Calabash Clay, Nzu, Poto, Calabar Stone, Ndom, Mabele, Argile or La Craie. Corpus ID: 37081056; Effect of calabash chalk on the histomorphology of the gastro-oesophageal tract of growing wistar rats. Pregnant women craving calabash chalk, can be a sign of low iron, instead of licking calabash chalk take iron supplements or eat iron rich foods. In some African communities it is eaten by pregnant women to relieve morning sickness. 2. Muscle cramps, vomiting, headaches, chills plague you more frequently. NZU or calabash chalk is unsafe when eating much during pregnancy. May Help Fighting Cancer.
It may be sold as large pellets or in bulk and can resemble balls of clay or mud. Most times, pica syndrome is caused by a deficiency in iron, zinc, or calcium in the body. In pregnant women, anemia, or iron deficiency, may be the reason why pregnant women crave Nzu. Are there any health benefits of eating Nzu (calabash chalk)? how do i stop myself? Geophagia is defined as the practice of eating earth, including soil and chalk ().People engage in geophagia for a variety of reasons including religious beliefs, medicinal purposes, or as part of a regular diet ().One geophagic material is Calabash chalk, which is popularly consumed by members of Nigerian and West African communities for pleasure and by They are particularly relevant, because the risks from exposure to lead are greatest for the unborn and developing child." The aim of this study was to examine the effects of CC on the cerebellum of gestating wistar rats. could be attributed to the presence of lead in calabash chalk. Keywords: Calabash chalk; Uterus; Histology; Wistar rats 1. Plant based foods include fruits, vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds that are best when fresh and unprocessed. Multi-elemental analysis using energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy identified 22 elements in Calabash chalk, including lead and aluminium, and persistent organic pollutants . Lead and other toxic elements present in the chalk have been reported to be associated with numerous Thus, prolonged or regular consumption of calabash chalk should be discouraged as it has been shown to have negative effect. Even though nausea or morning sickness has no effect on pregnant women, it can relieve you or morning sickness when taken into the body. There are safety concerns as regards the consumption of Calabash chalk which is common practice in some localities in Africa and Asia. Introduction Calabash chalk is a naturally occurring mineral consumed by members of some Nigerian communities for pleasure and by pregnant women as a remedy for morning sickness. Heavy metal toxicity such as lead poisoning, aluminium poisoning, arsenic and chromium poisoning. Calabash chalk popularly known as nzu is consumed by alot of people mostly women especially when they are pregnant as they say they crave it the most at the moment as they say it cures morning sickness and help with alot of things too. CANCER: Arsenic (which is also found in calabash chalk) is a carcinogen, and excessive long-term exposure to it has been associated with a range of adverse health effects, including cancers. 14. }, author={Bassey Ekong Moses and Est{\'e}vez Emma and C. Mbadugha Christopher and Bassey Enobong I and B Ekanem Answer (1 of 7): If you are referring to calabash chalk, theres basically no harm associated with consuming it (in small amounts) - its eaten in West Africa for pleasure is useful for expectant mothers in combating nausea. Consumption of geophagic material (Calabash chalk or Nzu) as a remedy for morning sickness is a common practice among pregnant women in Eastern part of Nigeria with attendant possible health implication.
Bloating, dizziness, agitation, and irritability are common. Poor learning in children due to brain injury and lead poisoning. Here are the effects of eating chalk you should know about. It supplies some nutrients to the body. The 15 female adult Wistar rats were randomly divided into groups A, B and C. Group A served as the control while groups B and C served as experimental groups. Chalk (calcium carbonate) is generally considered to be non-toxic, but eating it is not advisable and it may result in the following problems: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhoea. These may present with muscle weakness, constipation, irritability, lethargy and What is Calabash Chalk? Calabash chalk contains zero nutrition. It can cause kidney stones and does, in many people that take calcium tablets in Asked by Wiki User. It will not give you any of the essential The practice of eating earth, including soil and chalk is known as Geophagia [5]. It is also known as Calabar stone, La Craie or Argile in French, Nzu by the Ibo of Nigeria, and Mabele by the Lingala speaking people of Zaire. Treatment of morning sickness. Other reported side effects of Ulo/Nzu clay. The study investigated the effect of calabash chalk on the uterus of adult female Wistar rats.
For pregnant women, eating this product may result in harmful effects to their unborn baby, which is particularly at risk of effects on the nervous system, reported Diane Benford from the FSA. Aims: To study the effects of calabash chalk on the spleen and hematology indices in Calabash chalk is a mineral that is mainly composed of fossilized seashells. There are two reasons why calabash is great for constipation. This may be linked to the possible neurotoxic or arthropathic effect following long chronic exposure to lead found which is a component of calabash chalk .It is imperative that caution be exercised in the human consumption of calabash chalk. Side effects of La Craie or Argile know (Nzu) Food and Drug Administration has raised concerns about potential health risks from Calabash chalk consumption, especially by pregnant and breastfeeding women in view of lead and arsenic contamination. This practice is neither new nor outdated and can be associated with religious beliefs, medication or as part of a regular diet. Another report established the presence of arsenic in Calabash chalk . Calabash Chalk is a West African remedy used to treat morning sickness during pregnancy.