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News Feature
Nature 444, 543-544 (30 November 2006) | doi:10.1038/444543a; Published online 29 November 2006
The earth-eaters
Trevor Stokes1
- Trevor Stokes is a freelance writer in New York City.
Abstract
Research suggests that consuming soil may have more health implications than one might expect. Trevor Stokes sieves through the reasons why people include dirt in their diet.
At Calabash, a West African speciality grocery store in Newark, New Jersey, plastic containers line the impulse-purchase aisle next to the cash register. Hungry shoppers can choose from a wide range of traditional edible offerings, including sacks of caffeine-rich kola nuts, packets of vanilla sugar — and thumb-sized rolls of chalky clay.
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