Odd Cravings
Patients with anemia are notorious for having unlikely cravings for food. The medical term for these odd cravings is called pica. There is a desire to eat or gnaw on foods with no nutritional value. Experts say that anemia is frequently associated with the unexplainable wish to chew or eat ice. Some of these weird and unusual cravings can go as far as eating things like clay, sand, dirt, or paper.
To be more particular, the demographic that is best known for having pica as one of their symptoms of anemia are pregnant women. Although heavily associated as a symptom of anemia, no one really knows why people tend to behave this way when diagnosed, or whether there is any rational explanation for any of this is still unknown. The only attempt at explaining this odd behavior is one study that demonstrates that chewing ice may help increase awareness in patients diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia.
