研究：食土有益肠胃健康
<p>“食土”在很多国家都被视作异食癖的一种，家长看到孩子食土也会立即制止。不过，最近发表在《生物学季评》杂志上的一篇研究论文指出，食土对人体其实是有益的。研究人员对世界各地有关食土的480多处文献记载进行了分析。他们发现，人类食土并非因为饥荒或者怪癖，而是为保护自身。研究人员分析说，人们食土更多地是为了排除体内毒素、预防疾病和寄生虫。在某些地方，食土者多为刚怀孕的妇女与少儿，因为这两类人对病原体和寄生虫尤其敏感，食土可以为肠胃建起一层保护膜，能够预防病菌，同时还能促进营养物质的吸收。</p><p><span word="Parents">Parents</span> <span word="who">who</span> <span word="have">have</span> <span word="watched">watched</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="horror">horror</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="young">young</span> <span word="children">children</span> <span word="stuff">stuff</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="handful">handful</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="mud">mud</span> <span word="into">into</span> <span word="their">their</span> <span word="mouths">mouths</span> <span word="while">while</span> <span word="playing">playing</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="garden">garden</span> <span word="can">can</span> <span word="relax">relax</span>.</p><p><span word="For">For</span> <span word="research">research</span> <span word="suggests">suggests</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="eating">eating</span> <span word="mud">mud</span> <span word="or">or</span> <span word="clay">clay</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="actually">actually</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="good">good</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="stomach">stomach</span>.</p><p><span word="Dining">Dining</span> <span word="on">on</span> <span word="dirt">dirt</span>, <span word="or">or</span> <span word="geophagy">geophagy</span>, <span word="is">is</span> <span word="common">common</span> <span word="among">among</span> <span word="many">many</span> <span word="cultures">cultures</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="has">has</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="reported">reported</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="almost">almost</span> <span word="every">every</span> <span word="country">country</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="world">world</span>.</p><p><span word="Now">Now</span> <span word="more">more</span> <span word="than">than</span> 480 <span word="cultural">cultural</span> <span word="accounts">accounts</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="practice">practice</span> — <span word="by">by</span> <span word="missionaries">missionaries</span>, <span word="plantation">plantation</span> <span word="doctors">doctors</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="explorers">explorers</span> — <span word="have">have</span> <span word="been">been</span> <span word="analysed">analysed</span> <span word="by">by</span> <span word="researchers">researchers</span> <span word="at">at</span> <span word="Cornell">Cornell</span> <span word="University">University</span> <span word="in">in</span> <span word="New">New</span> <span word="York">York</span>.</p><p><span word="While">While</span> <span word="no">no</span> <span word="one">one</span> <span word="is">is</span> <span word="suggesting">suggesting</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="mud">mud</span> <span word="should">should</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="new">new</span> <span word="fad">fad</span> <span word="diet">diet</span>, <span word="the">the</span> <span word="study">study</span>, <span word="in">in</span> <span word="The">The</span> <span word="Quarterly">Quarterly</span> <span word="Review">Review</span> <span word="of">of</span> <span word="Biology">Biology</span>, <span word="found">found</span> <span word="the">the</span> <span word="most">most</span> <span word="plausible">plausible</span> <span word="explanation">explanation</span> <span word="for">for</span> <span word="geophagy">geophagy</span> <span word="could">could</span> <span word="be">be</span> <span word="that">that</span> <span word="earth">earth</span> <span word="acts">acts</span> <span word="as">as</span> <span word="a">a</span> <span word="shield">shield</span> <span word="against">against</span> <span word="ingested">ingested</span> <span word="parasites">parasites</span> <span word="and">and</span> <span word="plant">plant</span> <span word="toxins">toxins</span>.</p>
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