Wild plants have much higher levels of toxins than the domesticated varieties we eat today. This is because we don’t like the taste of toxins, and have selectively bred them out of the food plants we raise. In the ancient days this level of wild plant toxins posed a special threat to a developing fetus, and as a response the protective mechanism of morning sickness evolved. But this created the problem of how women were supposed to eat vegetables back in the old days when they were pregnant.
Geophagy, or dirt eating, explains this because it turns out that the clays people instinctively choose to eat (they taste the best) selectively absorb such toxins. (It is also thought to provide certain needed minerals, and it is often practiced by those who aren’t pregnant.) The practice is very ancient since birds, insects, and mammals all do this. Many traditional societies still follow this custom, and you can buy clays for consumption online at such places as Ediblenature in case you ever want to try it. For further reading y0u can take a look at: A Taste for Clay, Enton’s Earth, and Shirley’s Wellness Cafe.
Tags: Diet, Hunter Gatherer, Morning Sickness, Natural Living, Pregnancy, Primitivism, Rewilding