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      Geophagic practice in Mashau Village, Limpopo Province, South Africa

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          Abstract

          Large quantities of earth materials are consumed daily in Mashau Village; nonetheless, this practice had not been studied. Furthermore, the motivations for this geophagic behaviour in the study area were unclear. Thus, questionnaires were distributed to 200 participants in the study area with the aim of generating data on the motivations of and potential medical conditions associated to this practice. About 91% of the participants were geophagists, of which 98.5% were female. Craving was found to be the main reason (73.9%) why people of the Mashau communities consume soil. The majority of the geophagists in Mashau craved for the soil upon seeing it (31.2%), during pregnancy (22.5%) and when experiencing sleeplessness (21%). About 60% of the geophagists had chronic illnesses, and they were diagnosed with headaches (31.6%), low haemoglobin level (29.9%), constipation (18.8%), iron deficiency (12.0%) and high blood pressure (7.7%). There is a concern that the soil from the study area may be adversely affecting individuals ingesting these soils. Since females mostly reported practicing geophagia, counselling and education of women and girls would be a useful public health measure. Soil characterisation and beneficiation for healthy geophagic practices should also be carried out at Mashau Village.

          Abstract

          Craving; geophagia; geophagists; Mashau Village; medical conditions.

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          Most cited references49

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          Soils: their implications to human health

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            Stampidine prevents mortality in an experimental mouse model of viral hemorrhagic fever caused by lassa virus

            Background The potential use of microorganisms as agents of biological warfare (BW) is a growing concern. Lassa virus, a member of the Arenavirus class of Hemorrhagic fever (HF) viruses has emerged as a worldwide concern among public health officials. The purpose of the present study was to further elucidate the antiviral activity spectrum of stampidine, a novel nucleoside analog with potent anti-viral activity against the immunodeficiency viruses HIV-1, HIV-2, and FIV, by examining its effects on survival of mice challenged with Lassa virus. Methods We examined the therapeutic effect of Stampidine in CBA mice inoculated with intracerebral injections of the Josiah strain of Lassa virus. Mice were treated either with vehicle or nontoxic doses of stampidine administered intraperitoneally 24 hours prior to, 1 hour prior to, and 24 hours, 48 hours, 72 hours, and 96 hours after virus inoculation. Results The probability of survival following the Lassa challenge was significantly improved for stampidine treated mice (Kaplan Meier, Chi-squared = 11.7, df = 2, Log-Rank p-value = 0.003). Conclusion Therefore, stampidine shows clinical potential as a new agent for treatment of viral hemorrhagic fevers caused by Lassa virus.
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              Pica in pregnancy: new ideas about an old condition.

              Pica, the purposive consumption of nonfood substances, is a millennia-old nutritional enigma. Its worldwide ubiquity, prevalence among pregnant women and children, and association with both positive and negative health outcomes, especially micronutrient deficiencies, underscore the importance of understanding this behavior. Multiple proposed etiologies of pica are reviewed, including cultural expectations, psychological stress, hunger, dyspepsia, micronutrient deficiencies (Fe, Zn, and Ca), and protection against toxins and pathogens. Currently available data, although limited, best support the protection hypothesis as a cause of most types of pica, although some evidence suggests that pagophagy (ice consumption) may occur during iron deficiency. It is possible that the binding capacity of pica substances explains the association with micronutrient deficiencies; earth, starch, etc. may render micronutrients in ingesta unavailable for absorption. Increased research efforts are warranted and must be hypothesis driven, interdisciplinary, and permit the testing of multiple causal inferences.
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                Author and article information

                Contributors
                Journal
                Heliyon
                Heliyon
                Heliyon
                Elsevier
                2405-8440
                17 March 2021
                March 2021
                17 March 2021
                : 7
                : 3
                : e06497
                Affiliations
                [a ]School of Environmental Sciences, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou 0950, Limpopo Province, South Africa
                [b ]Directorate of Research and Innovation, University of Venda, Private Bag X5050, Thohoyandou 0950, Limpopo Province, South Africa
                Author notes
                []Corresponding author. nenitabukalo@ 123456gmail.com
                Article
                S2405-8440(21)00602-2 e06497
                10.1016/j.heliyon.2021.e06497
                8010397
                33817373
                c2e36524-6aa8-4265-a116-4e4229034906
                © 2021 The Author(s)

                This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

                History
                : 15 October 2019
                : 28 August 2020
                : 9 March 2021
                Categories
                Research Article

                craving,geophagia,geophagists,mashau village,medical conditions

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