Geophagy is used to consume cooked clay, this clay is ingested into small pieces or ground in powder, although there is documentation on the consumption of clay in other countries since the 10th century, in Spain this style is much later, becoming fashionable among the ladies of the court of the seventeenth century.
Historian Natacha Sesea, specializing in the ethnographic field of ceramics, points out that this habit came to Spain through the Moors, clay, an intense red color, was cooked and molded into small vases or vessels that the ladies filled with fragrant water and, after consuming the contents, ingested the vase. They are delicacies that were imported from other countries, such as Portugal or Mexico.
- The medicinal practice of eating clay has existed since ancient times.
- But ingesting vases (cooked clay containers) in small pieces or powder is a special topic.
References to the consumption of vases and their properties are continuous in all arts, especially in literature:
In painting, the most significant reference is in the context of “Las Meninas”. In Velázquez. Il shows how baby Margarita is offered a vase that rests on a thin tray, possibly to cool off, responding precisely to the model that at the time was destined for geophagy. Knowing the topic, some researchers interpret the paleness of the baby’s face with the usual behavior of eating cooked clay.
In Golden Age Spain, the prototype beauty required maintaining a whitish complexion, with an almost unhealthy appearance; Ingestion of cooked clay causes chlorosis with the consequent reduction of red blood cells and, therefore, this aspect of intense paleness.
Another property attributed to the ingestion of this ceramic clay was its use as a method of contraception, since obstruction or intestinal logging, decreases or eliminates menstrual flow. The hallucinogenic and narcotic effects of the various components of the vessels led women at the time to rely on these substances, which made it very difficult to abandon this habit of consumption.
Although geophagy, which means the consumption of small clay vessels, has been diluted over time, like so many other fashions, it can be said that today mud consumption has become trend again, administered at the same time internally, that is orally. ingestion or externally in the form of a poultea.
It can be found on the market, ground in powder and free of impurities and sand (because if clay is not previously treated for consumption, it can contain elements such as lead or arsenic, which are very harmful to our health). There are very different opinions among clay consumer advocates and detractors in our society:
In any case, the debate is served. Is clay consumption beneficial or harmful?Body adoration or social media performance? If you are interested in this new trend, it is best to consult your doctor before consuming clay uncontrolled, thus avoiding causing health problems in your body.