Pica (food cravings)
Will You Breathe Easier If You Take Less Iron?
Many people need to take iron supplements because they don't get quite enough of the mineral from their diets. Doctors may recommend supplements for people with restless leg syndrome (RLS) or extreme …
Craving Ice Like an Addict Signals Serious Healt…
When readers report that they are addicted to ice, it sends off alarm signals for us. Craving ice like this (quite different from preferring a little ice in your drinking water) is often linked to min…
Why Ice Craving Is a Serious Danger Signal
Ice cravings can, like the tip of an iceberg, signal a bigger problem. It may take some sleuthing, though. Many people with uncontrollable ice craving may have no idea that they need to be tested for …
How Did Blackstrap Molasses Make Ice Addiction D…
Doctor classify the compulsion to eat anything that isn't food as pica. Some children eat paint, clay or chalk; chewing on old paint chips is a common cause of lead poisoning. Ice addiction may also …
How to Cure an Ice Addiction with Molasses
It is not uncommon for us to hear from people who feel they have an ice addiction. Usually they have no idea why they crave ice so much. Sometimes crunching on ice actually damages their teeth. We s…
Her Sugar Cravings Annoy her Husband
Q. For the past several months I have had severe sugar cravings. I sometimes go through a 5 pound bag of sugar in four days, just eating it by the spoonful. I have been tested for diabetes and don't h…
Anemia Put Ice Addict in the Hospital
Q. I am addicted to ice and eat big cups of it daily at both work and home. I compulsively fill the ice trays when they seem a little low. I am currently being hospitalized for low iron. I just receiv…
Is Popcorn Addiction a Red Flag for Mineral Defi…
Q. I saw an article about ice craving and related vitamin or mineral deficiencies. You said a popcorn addiction could also signal a deficiency in something, but you didn't say what. I eat popcorn ALL …
Ice Addiction Leads to Hospitalization
When a reader shares a story about a common problem, sometimes it saves someone else's life. That is what happened when readers wrote about their compulsion to chew on ice, like an ice addiction. Ice …
Curing Anemia Overcame Cornstarch Craving
Q. I was addicted to eating cornstarch for ten years. Then I was hospitalized for an unrelated problem and got a blood transfusion. My doctor also put me on iron and potassium supplements, and my corn…
Ice Craving Signaled Cancer
Q. In 2001 I had a very strong urge to chew on ice. After reading in your column that this could be a sign of anemia, I told my doctor about it. The blood work showed anemia and I was advised to get a…
Cornstarch Cravings
Q. I have been eating Argo cornstarch since I was 19. It started when I was in my first pregnancy and I've been eating it ever since. I used to eat a box a day and I think it is making me gain weight.…
Radish Addict Is Growing Desperate
Q. I am addicted to radishes. My mom doesn't want me to eat them but I can't go without having at least 10 a day. My mom stopped buying them so I would stop eating them. Before this, I just liked them…
Orange Peel Addiction Could Signal Anemia
Q. Have you ever heard of eating orange peel? After almost every meal I eat, especially after eating something sweet, I get a craving for orange peel. It seems to satisfy some unknown dietary need in …