Being pregnant can totally change everything, bringing physical alterations, mood swings and, in most cases, even really indecent cravings of food. Although it is possible to assume that the most iconic combination in popular culture has been pickles and ice cream, the truth is, that some cravings that can be established during pregnancy are much more diverse, and, to say the least, weird.
Women all the world over have these extreme and unusual cravings to eat non-food products, local delicacies or sometimes elegant mixtures that leave even the most experienced obstetrician to scratch his/her head. Such cravings, however, are not arbitrary as they tend to say something about the bodies of a mother, her cultural upbringing, or her diet. We will discuss in this article some of the weirdest cravings in the case of pregnancy that have been recorded around the world and what they could actually point to.
To get into greater depth as to what pregnancy cravings are and what they mean, take a look at this piece by BabyCenter.
The Science and Mystery to Pregnancy Cravings
We are yet to view the global cravings but before we do so; it would be pertinent to note why those cravings are there. According to the experts they are likely to be the outcome of:
- Due to hormonal changes especially estrogen and progesterone
- Increased sense of perception (taste and smell)
- Nutritional deficiency e.g. iron or calcium
- Psychological comfort, which is based on recollections and cultural familiarity
Dr. Alicia Roberts, a maternal nutritionist, notes: Pregnancy cravings, in particular strange cravings, can become a body plea to supply it with particular nutrients, or it can be merely a reaction to hormonal turmoil.
Nigeria: The ill-earth, Clay (Geophagy)
In Nigeria and other portions of West Africa, some pregnant women develop a desire or craving of clay or soil especially of a baked variety known as nzu.
Possible Meaning:
It is called geophagy, the phenomenon which was a puzzle to scientists during the decades. Others researchers impose that consumption of clay could aid the adsorption of toxins, soothe nausea or restore minerals such as calcium or iron.
According to Dr. Ifeoma Chukwu, a Nigerian expert in public health, there exists evidence that clay acts like a binding element of some of the pathogens in the gastrointestinal tract and could therefore be protective.
Doctors, however, caution that clay may harbor otherwise-dangerous bacteria or chemical heavy metals such as lead, which presents dangers in the case of pregnancy.
Japan: Umeboshi (Pickled Plums)
In Japan, umeboshi also known as salty sour pickled plums is one of the foods that many pregnant women desire to resist but cannot resist the urge.
Possible Meaning:
These plums contain so much citric acid that might help drop morning sickness and tiredness. Its acerbic taste not only wakes up the taste buds but also increases salivation, which alleviates dry mouth – a complain of the common pregnancy.
Umeboshi are treasured in their cleansing effects, culturally, and actually contribute to traditional Japanese medicine.
United States: Freezer and Ice Frost
In the United States, one of the least expected craving during pregnancy is chewing ice or scraping and consuming freezer frost.
Possible Meaning:
This is referred as pagophagia, and which happens to be linked to iron deficiency anemia. A cold crunch may offer a relief or the alertness boost in people with iron deficiency.
The red flag to iron deficiency is pagophagia. As Dr. Natalie Holmes, OB-GYN explains, when a pregnant patient tells her that she has been chewing on ice all the time, it is enough to prescribe her blood tests.
India: Grain, Raw Rice and Starch
Some expectant woman in some areas in India have noted to have cravings of raw rice or corn starch or laundries starch.
Possible Meaning:
These impulses could be associated with pica which is an urge to ingest those things which are not considered as food and are nutritiously insubstantial. Nutrient deficiency e.g. zinc or iron has been associated with pica.
Eating uncooked grains may lead to blockage of the digestive system or infections though it is compatible with the culture of certain regions of rural populations.
Philippine: Green mango with bagoong (Fermented Shrimp paste)
A salty-sour salad makes it to many of the lists of pregnancy cravings in the Philippines: green mangoes in bagoong.
Possible Meaning:
Vitamin C can be found in green mangoes which helps in immune health. But pungent bagoong is high on protein as well as probiotics. In combination they can relieve nausea and appetite.
More than being biological, this couple is also a comforting food, something tender and nostalgic that the Filipinas have been eating since they were little kids.
Tanzania: Charcoal
Pregnant women in Tanzania and other countries bordering it have a tendency of craving charcoal, most especially wood charcoal that is obtained through burning of a cooking fire.
Possible Meaning:
Like geophagy, it is believed that the use of charcoal will assist in the detoxification and nausea control. Certain patterns of research indicate that it neutralizes gas and toxins, which makes digestion easier.
Nevertheless, charcoal has the same ability to bind other nutrients, which are important to good health and absorption and health experts do not recommend that people take charcoal regularly.
Cioppino; Mexico: Chili Peppers
In Mexico, pregnant women have a taste of spicy food, particularly those that contain strong chili peppers.
Possible Meaning:
Other experts reckon that craving of spicy food can alleviate the congestion since in pregnancy you experience swelling around the nose. Some are inclined to attribute it to psychological factors, so a lot of Mexican girls are brought up learning that chili is something that makes them feel warm, energetic and good.
According to nutritionist Camila Lopez, who is working in Mexico City, spicy foods stimulate endorphins, resulting in a natural high which can leave people feeling better.
Seaweed Soup ( Miyeokguk) Of South Korea
South Korea is not the only country where miyeokguk, or seaweed soup, is known as just the post-birth food, but also an often-desired food during pregnancy.
Possible Meaning:
Seaweed is a great source of iodine, iron and omega-3 fatty acid – essential nutrients of pregnancy. The hot soup is comfortable and gentle on the stomach.
Symbolically, is associated with nurturing and caring power, which is a parental quality, making it both physically and spiritually comforting.
France: Butter, Salt and Radish From France
The French pregnant women might have a desire to consume sharp peppery radishes spread with butter and a bit of salt.
Possible Meaning:
This urge may be informed by the fact that the body needs folate and potassium of which radishes have. The butter provides fat to induce satiety and salt may be an indication of an electrolyte imbalance.
There is also a traditional French combination, which is a chic reference to the cultural tastes, simple, sensual and clean.
South Africa: Fate Frayed
A few of the women living in rural areas of South Africa have described cravings of burned matchstick tips, ash or crushed bricks.
Possible Meaning:
Such cravings once again indicate pica which is most probably the result of iron or calcium deficiency. Ash and other inedibles can temporarily alleviate digestive discomfort or nausea but are potentially quite harmful to the body such as inducing poisoning.
Dr. Thandi Mokoena, a Johannesburg area public health official says, “Education is key in making pregnant women realize alternative ways of fulfilling such preferences without using them.”
United Kingdom: Marmite
Marmite A rich, salty yeast extract, Marmite is a craving easy to love, or loathe, among pregnant mums in the UK.
Possible Meaning:
B vitamins can be found plenty in Marmite especially vitamins such as B12 and folic acid which are necessary during fetal development of the brain and spine. The very salted taste may also be a hit to women who have low sodium content in their bodies or those whose tastes change in pregnancies.
Cravings are a Sign that There is a Problem
Most cravings during pregnancy are not dangerous and even funny but there are certain ones that one should watch out. Diseases can be due to craving non-food substances like clay, ash or ice etc. which can be a sign of nutritional deficiency. The following is recommended by doctors:
- Do not ignore weird desires, report them to a medical practitioner.
- In case you desire non-edible materials then, undergo testing of the level of iron, calcium, zinc.
- Take advantage of cravings to correct your diet, to find other safe ways of satisfying your needs.
Conclusions: An Experience which is Common and Individual at the Same Time
All weird as pregnancy cravings are, they provide an intriguing glimpse of innate bodily wisdom and cross-cultural perception by which we can imagine our needs. Whether it is the earthy bit of Nigerian clay to the tangy tang of the green mango in the Philippines, appetites are particular as well as more general than we might have thought.
They unveil hunger itself; they narrate experience of entries, lines, root and survival.
Are you a pregnant woman who needs to know why you now find yourself craving to chomp on chalk, or a cultural observer who takes interest in such oddities, then, these cravings are a reminder to us that just like the world we live in, pregnancy varies in its diversity.
