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Geophagia is widespread in rural Ghana and particularly among pregnant and breastfeeding women. The perceptions of the practitioners to ingest the geophagic materials generally are not based on science and data but are hinged often on cultural and traditional beliefs and sometimes thought as substitute to treat some ailments without the use of medicine. The geophagic materials are earth products and could contain essential and harmful elements as well as materials that may have detrimental impact to human health. To assess the health risks accompanying the consumption of geophagic material, twenty geophagic materials were analyzed geochemically using Ultra Trace Aqua Regia ICP-MS analytical technique and with Qualitative X-Ray Diffraction analysis (XRD Qual) for the mineralogical phases. The results revealed quartz as the abundant mineral (average, 54.30%). The chemical analysis also revealed depletions of the analyzed elements. The health risk assessment showed the practitioners risk consuming the geophagic materials because the health risk indices for Pb and Cr were >1. Again, the substantial amount of quartz in the geophagic materials may damage the dental enamel during mastication and as well erode the gastro-intestinal lining and perforate the sigmoid colon of which the outcome will be stomach disorders.

Background & Aims: Gastroparesis can be diabetic or idiopathic, yet little is known about differences in their presentation. We compared clinical characteristics, symptoms, and gastric emptying in patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetic (DG) or idiopathic (IG) gastroparesis. Methods: We analyzed data from 416 patients with gastroparesis who were enrolled in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Gastroparesis Registry; 254 had IG (most were female and white), and 137 had DG (78 had type 1 and 59 had type 2). Registry data included detailed histories, physical examinations, results from gastric emptying scintigraphy, and responses to validated symptom questionnaires. Results: Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) were an average of 13 years older at the onset of symptoms of gastroparesis and heavier than patients with IG. Patients with type 1 DM had more hospitalizations in the past year than patients with IG. Symptoms that prompted evaluation more often included vomiting for DG and abdominal pain for IG. Patients with DG had more severe retching and vomiting than those with IG, whereas patients with IG had more severe early satiety and postprandial fullness subscores. Compared with IG, gastric retention was greater in patients with type 1 DM. More than 50% of patients with type 1 DM had severe retention (>35% at 4 hours); they took prokinetic agents more frequently and were more likely to receive gastric electric stimulation. Conclusions: There are similarities and differences in clinical characteristics of DG and IG. Gastroparesis is a heterogeneous disorder; its etiology affects symptoms and severity. Long-term studies are needed to determine whether the differences in symptoms and gastric emptying affect progression and treatment responses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]