Stop eating calabash chalk or Nzu clay it does not prevent nausea and vomiting in pregnancy

 The calabash chalk popularly known in nigeria as Nzu clay  is a geophagy  material mostly consumed in West African countries for pleasure, and by pregnant women as a cure for nausea or vomiting. 

Geophagia is the practice of eating the earth, including soil and chalk. This practice is neither new nor outdated and can be associated with religious beliefs, medication or as part of a regular diet. This act can expose the consumer to toxic substances and parasites found in the ingested earth.

Calabash chalk  or Nzu clay is a naturally occurring,  composed of fossilized sea shells. However it can also be prepared artificially by combining clay, sand and wood ash.

Health risk of eating Nzu clay 

Research has shown that the popularly consume Nzu clay or calabash chalk does not prevent nausea or vomiting as believed by mostly africans women during pregnancy, rather it contains excess lead which causes low potassium or and iron. That Nzu clay or calabash chalk also causes muscle weakness, nerve damage, inflamed stomach, poisoning and low blood level.

When this  geophagy materials are consumed and come in contact with digestive fluids, they have the potential of releasing clinical or sub-clinical toxic effects on an individual. There are several reports regarding the health risks of consuming calabash chalk including; the alteration of the normal concentration of hemoglobin, red blood cell counts and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Another possible side effect of eating this geophagia is the alteration of growth rate and de-mineralization in the femur bone. Other reports suggest that calabash chalk also causes numerous gastrointestinal disorders such as nausea, ulcers and gastritis. This stems from histomorphological changes that calabash chalk causes to the stomach and oesophagus. Source Wikipedia

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