Southerners dirty lil' secrect

[Atlproctor]

Good evening everyone.

How's everybody doing.?

I hope you all are feeling great!

So I wanna change this paradigm a little bit. I wanna put a question out that some of you will know exactly what I am takin' about, others will find gross, and some of y'all will be fascinated.

Let me give you some background I've had a friend for 30 years she lives just outside of Monticello Georgia. She's a very intelligent and caring person. With that said she has a very unusual habit. She eats white dirt.

I have eaten white dirt in the past.

But not as long as she has or to the length that she goes to get it. It's stems from condition called pica. She knows she has it but doesn't care. Every day she eat a little bit. Has anyone else heard of this?

[Royjr]

First I heard of this🤔

[Atlproctor in reply to Royjr]

Its deep. Check it out omline.

TY, for you reply

[greaterexp]

Have you talked with your doctor about it? The practice of eating anything non-food can have some awful effects.

[Atlproctor in reply to greaterexp]

No. I never talked to my doc. I don't snack on it like she does. Her doc diagnosed her w/pica.

I think it a vitamin deficiency.

[RoyceNewton]

never heard of it, which actually means very little., but is white dirt a type of chalk, that would be a base system added to an acidic system I would think makes it more alkaline and less acidic. unless I am completely wrong which I probably am. Thank you for making me think a littke.

[Atlproctor in reply to RoyceNewton]

No...no... . Thank you for your reply. It's actually something to think about. And I will let her see the responses that I've gotten. I have no clue what it is? I mean w/the ingestion. I just know she's been doing it probably for 10 plus years?

[jimeka]

Hi, some ladies have eaten it while pregnant to help sickness and nausea. Maybe she is lacking in a mineral that her body is craving, 🦋

[Atlproctor in reply to jimeka]

I have heard of that. But her baby days are behind her. She tells me she likes the taste. She says it calms her down.

[rjoneslaw]

When I was younger back in the days when there was chalkboards I would run my fingers along the ledge and eat the chalk dust. It was later determined I had an iron deficiency Now when I get the desire I know it’s time to have an iron infusion. My iron was so low that the doctors wondered how I was walking around. My levels were lower than a cancer patients in their final stages. It never affected me. I just have to have bloodwork done every month to check my levels

[rjoneslaw in reply to rjoneslaw]

I’m from Chicago

[guitarguy in reply to rjoneslaw]

I’m in the burbs.

Iron deficiency is consistent with eating “white dirt”. Has she had a full medical workup?

[Atlproctor in reply to guitarguy]

guitarguy thanks for your question. Yes she had a work-up the showed low potassium and low magnesium.

[Atlproctor in reply to rjoneslaw]

You know, I truly believe iron is the key.

Thank you for your response.

How is the weather?

[Atlproctor in reply to rjoneslaw]

She has tried chalk. But always goes back to the WD. She gets the stuff from a seller in south Georgia.

[Raingrrl]

I’ve heard of pica but don’t know anyone that had it. My understanding, like some of the other posts, is that it can indicate a nutritional deficiency. It can also lead to infection if you are taking a drug that compromises your immune system.

[Atlproctor in reply to Raingrrl]

Thank you for your reply. As far as I know she's doesn't really take too many prescription drugs. I do think it's a vitamin deficiency. I think you're right. I'm gonna talk to her more about it. Thank you for your response.

[erash]

Pica is usually due to iron deficiency and should be checked out.

[Atlproctor in reply to erash]

Thank you erash. Thanks, sound advice

[Doubled51]

I’ve been in Ga all my life and the only dirt I’ve eat was as a young kid.😇😇.

I played in the dirt a lot as a kid but sure didn’t eat much.

Donnie

[RoseySawyer in reply to Doubled51]

My mom use to tell me and my siblings when we were kids that if we ever ate dirt that we would have worms in our butts. So No Thank You. Our mud pies were just for decorating our fake resturaunts when we played. Lol 😊❤🌷

[Doubled51 in reply to RoseySawyer]

Mine said the same things.😂😅🤣. And I believed them. I spent a lot of time playing in the dirt but was afraid to eat it. But in north Ga most of our dirt is red clay.😂😅😂🤪

Donnie

[Atlproctor in reply to Doubled51]

I have heard of folks eating the red clay. I never tried it. Thanks for your reply Doubled51

[RoseySawyer in reply to Doubled51]

😂😂😂 I actually witnessed my God Mother pulling worms out of her daughter's butt when I was a little girl because her daughter ate dirt from the play park. So I didn't dare eat dirt. Yucky!!! 😂❤🌷

[Doubled51 in reply to RoseySawyer]

That I can believe.😂😅. I sure wasn’t taking any chances.🤣🤪🤪

Donnie

[Atlproctor in reply to RoseySawyer]

Thank you for your reply. Geez Louise, the things we tell our children. use to tell my daughter if she did not frat enough veggies she would end up with bad skin and hair. I think that's why she's partial vegetarian now. Lol!

[Atlproctor in reply to Doubled51]

Everybody has their thing as a kid. But, I am talking about adults eating white dirt. You may have heard of kaolin? We (georgia) are either 2nd or 1st in world wide production

[Atlproctor in reply to Doubled51]

The things we do as kids

[Doubled51 in reply to Atlproctor]

Dirt, peanuts and peaches. I guess it could be worse.😂😅🤣🤪.

Donnie

[Atlproctor in reply to Doubled51]

O. Man.... . I ate half a bag of Braves peanuts today.

[Doubled51 in reply to Atlproctor]

I’ve been on a boiled peanut kick lately. Found a farmers market in lula with some of the best I’ve eaten in a long time.

Donnie

[kdali]

Yes, pregnant women get pica when their nutrient stores get low. Sometimes they eat paint chips though and that can cause lead poisoning.

[Atlproctor in reply to kdali]

I've always heard of pregnant women in eating all kinds of crazy things. Like you said paint chips, starch, white dirt, chalk and the list goes on from there.

[bxrmom]

I have heard about this in people, but before that, it is mostly in dogs that I have heard about it (I'm in dog rescue). But from what everyone has said here, it sounds like a vitamin deficiency. Has your friend had a medical workup to see if her levels were low on something?

Jessie

[Atlproctor in reply to bxrmom]

Thank you for your response. Actually yes she did have a vitamin deficiency. She was low on magnesium and I want to say potassium? I'm not sure. But without a doubt she still partakes.

[CraigS]

I have never heard of “white dirt”. Gotta look that one up.

[Atlproctor in reply to CraigS]

Please do that. Tell me what you think after you read up on it. There is even a documentary on ut.

[CraigS in reply to Atlproctor]

So that behavior seems odd, but it’s not uncommon. The stuff I’ve been reading talks about vitamin and or mineral deficiency. I think it can also become a habit. Hell, maybe she just likes it.

[Atlproctor in reply to CraigS]

I think its habit

I know she likes the taste of it.

[Jazzihorsecat]

For those who've never heard of it, it's very well explained here!😍👍

npr.org/sections/thesalt/20...

[Atlproctor in reply to Jazzihorsecat]

I am reading the rest of the responses. Thank you Jazinco

[kycmary]

I have heard of this off & on for years

[Atlproctor in reply to kycmary]

GM. How are you?

Yep. It true. In some small towns, here in Georgia, you can find it at the grocery store check outs. It will be in a small plastic bag. There a also sellers online.

[kycmary]

G.M. I am not as up & at em as my hubby but I am catching up!

[Atlproctor]

Happy New Year. Honey, just do what you can. You have to let the rest go.