Can I eat chalk

The habit of eating chalk stationery – not that other, as a perverted taste need, caused by a lack in the body of some nutrients. As a rule, is manifested as a deficiency of calcium or iron.

Why is there a need to eat chalk

If a person feels the desire to gnaw on chalk, or is ready to spend hours enjoying the smell of fresh whitewash is quite an alarming signal of the body. It means that you are sorely lacking some trace elements. Food can not be complete. Despite the abundance of products on the shelves, almost impossible to find among them an all natural, no additives, milk, and cheese and cheese. And these dairy products are the main source of calcium for humans. If the body loses it, it "sends a signal" that people can figure out where to get the missing trace mineral: because natural chalk consists of 99% calcium carbonate. Hence, there is this pathological need to be eating chalk.

The second reason painful cravings for chalk is iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, if a person consumes enough dairy products and a craving for chalk does not disappear – it makes sense to take a blood test to check hemoglobin. It may be identified with reduced iron content and, as a consequence, low level of hemoglobin.

Chalk harmful for the human body

The calcium in the chalk is practically not absorbed by the body, and thus no benefit. In the best case the use of chalk as food is to the body neutral, and at worst can cause significant harm. This is possible in two cases.

First, if you eat an excessive amount of chalk. Even the most pure chalk can harm your health if you eat more than 1 piece a day for a long time. If these "overdoses" increases the risk of deposition of calcium salts in the kidneys and walls of blood vessels, creating a life-threatening situation. The calcium in the chalk is almost never used on purpose – not deposited in the bones, as its assimilation requires a variety of acids and in the presence of vitamin D in an accessible form. Much healthier to eat 100 grams of natural cheese, contain calcium and vitamin D, with cream and berries containing acids, the mechanism for assimilation of valuable item will work correctly, and calcium will be in the bones and not in the kidneys.

Second, if Mel contains various impurities. As a rule, even unpainted (white) chalk, called the school or office contains, in addition to calcium salts, a spectrum of substances, harmful to the human body. It can be plaster, glue, impurities and other trace elements. And certainly you should not try colored chalk – dye might be toxic.

A small amount of pure white chalk, without extraneous odours and tastes, will not bring the body neither significant harm nor much good. If there is a real problem of micronutrient deficiency – the correct solution would be the use of pharmaceutical drugs calcium and iron, and optimizing nutrition.