Contents:
- Medical Video: H.O.P.E. What You Eat Matters (2018) - Full Documentary (Subs: AR/EN/ES/FR/ID/NL/PT/RU/ZH/SI)
- Amylophagia, eating habits of raw wheat flour
- What caused it?
- What are the symptoms?
- What is the effect if pica is not cured?
- When to see a doctor?
- Can this eating disorder be handled?
- Can amylophagia be cured?
- How to prevent it?
Medical Video: H.O.P.E. What You Eat Matters (2018) - Full Documentary (Subs: AR/EN/ES/FR/ID/NL/PT/RU/ZH/SI)
Carbohydrates are substances that the body needs as its main energy source. You can get carbohydrates from various foods, most commonly found in starchy foods - such as rice, bread, and noodles. Eating these three basic types of food is common, in mature form. But for some, they have an irresistible desire to eat flour in its original form: raw flour. Are you one of them?
What is the cause, and is this dangerous?
Amylophagia, eating habits of raw wheat flour
In the medical world, the habit of eating raw wheat flour is called amylophagia which belongs to the eating disorder pica. Pica itself is an improper eating behavior, which is characterized by the desire to eat something that is actually not to be eaten.
In addition to raw flour, someone who has amylophagia can also eat raw rice, raw cassava, raw potatoes, and raw yams. These food sources contain starch, a similar type of water-insoluble carbohydrate found in raw wheat flour.
Eating large amounts of raw flour is not good for your health, it can even be dangerous. Because the flour is produced through a series of chemical processes, and almost zero nutrients. Amylophagia is a rare condition, but is common in pregnant women who crave.
What caused it?
The exact cause of amylophagia is unknown, and is still being investigated further by experts.
In some people, pica can occur because they want to feel a texture of food or objects in their mouth. In addition, pica can also be caused by deficiencies of vitamins, iron, and / or zinc minerals. In adults, pica can be triggered by mental disorders such asobsessive-compulsive disorder(OCD) and schizophrenia.
In children, pica can be caused by a lack of parental attention to the habits of their children. Poor family conditions can trigger the development of abnormal behavior, one of which is pica. Initially this habit can be caused by ignorance of children when eating objects that should not be eaten, but can also continue after the child is prohibited from doing so. If this behavior tends to be consistently seen in children for a long time, it is likely that this is a sign of developmental disorders such as mental retardation, autism, and brain disorders.
What are the symptoms?
Someone who has amylophagia can be seen by the large supply of flour in his home. Often he will consume raw flour clandestinely. But when his desire cannot be detained, he might just ignore flour in public.
The duration of a person experiencing pica can vary, but a person is said to experience pica if he has abnormal eating habits for more than one month.
What is the effect if pica is not cured?
Pica is usually only diagnosed when the patient experiences various health problems caused by eating disorders. Here are some of the health effects that sufferers of Pica might experience:
- Gastrointestinal infections - flour is produced through a series of chemical processes. Various germs are also very likely to reside in raw flour and can enter the body causing infection of the throat to the intestinal tract.
- Tooth decay- carbohydrates are sugar. Left to settle in the mouth, this can lead to tooth decay.
- Intestinal blockage - flour can solidify in the intestine and cause blockages, or known as intestinal obstruction. This is characterized by physical changes such as swelling around the abdomen, as well as symptoms of abdominal cramps and constipation.
- Malnutrition- can occur when pica sufferers only consume objects that are not fair or experience impaired absorption of nutrients as an effect of abnormal eating behavior. Malnutrition can cause iron deficiency anemia.
- Disorders in infants- very likely experienced by pregnant women who experience pica, some disorders including low birth weight, premature babies, abnormal mental and physical development. Pica in pregnant women can poison babies to cause death.
When to see a doctor?
If you or the person closest to you has the following symptoms, it's a good idea to meet a doctor for a better diagnosis and treatment. Without good behavior, various complications can arise such as:
- Iron deficiency anemia
- Intestinal blockage
- Malnutrition
- A hard mass arises in the stomach
Can this eating disorder be handled?
Treatment therapy for amylophagia starts with controlling the main problems, such as those related to problems with medication or lack of nutrition, based on a doctor's recommendation.
In addition to treatment, supervision and minimizing the person's access to sources of trigger pica also need to be done until he can truly control his eating behavior. One trick that is considered effective for controlling the tendency of amylophagia is to apply penalties or consequences to these bad habits. Provision of healthy and varied foods, and supplementation of vitamins containing iron is believed to reduce the desire to consume raw flour.
If amylophagia is suspected to be a sign of mental disorders or mental retardation, then therapy must be adjusted to control his behavior. For example with CBT psychotherapy which can be combined with medical drugs.
Can amylophagia be cured?
With appropriate and routine therapy, the tendency for amylophagia to completely disappear. In childhood, most abnormal eating patterns can disappear on their own. However, some cases of pica that start from childhood can continue into adulthood.
Talk to your doctor to find out more about amylophagia and what to do for the management of amylophagia.
How to prevent it?
Until now there has been no prevention of amylophagia. However, if someone is suspected of having amylophagia, you can limit or close their access to raw flour and other raw carbohydrate foods.
