Geological Basis of Podoconiosis, Geophagy and other Diseases

The direct entry of soil into the human body, its effects, both biochemical and physiological, is an interesting field of study within medical geology. These processes enable geochemists and human and animal physiologists to study the direct link between soil chemistry, soil mineralogy and health. This chapter deals with two processes-geophagia and podoconiosis that clearly establish such a link. While the health effects of trace elements that enter the human body via food and water have been studied for many decades, the effect of inorganic minerals such as those found in rocks and minerals, on human and animal health is less known and has now aroused considerable scientific interest.