In ancient times, when medicine was rather imperfect, people were treated with improvised means. Often, food products were also used to heal from ailments. Despite the fact that then it was not possible to carry out chemical analysis, their useful properties became known thanks to human observation.
Amazing honey
Beekeeping products have been used by people since time immemorial. Different peoples attributed miraculous properties to honey and used it to treat all kinds of diseases. According to ancient Greek legends, honey was a part of ambrosia, the food of the gods, which made them immortal. Therefore, this product was sacrificed to them along with the fruit.
Many ailments were treated with honey - diseases of the respiratory and digestive, nervous systems, wounds and ulcers, and even cancer. This amazing substance could quickly put a person exhausted by the disease to his feet, restore his blooming appearance and strength. Women also used it to preserve beauty, applying it to the skin. On the basis of honey, medicinal drugs, ointments and pills were prepared, which perfectly helped in many diseases.
Such unique properties of the product are explained by its rich chemical composition, which includes complex organic compounds, minerals and vitamins.
Edible earth
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However, in addition to the usual food products, people are often used for food and unusual, which are not intended for this at all. Thus, various minerals and salts are often used for treatment and nutrition. The most famous of these is table salt, which is a compound of sodium and chlorine. Without this mineral, the normal functioning of the human body is impossible. But its excess can also lead to illness and death.
No less often, clay is used as food, and this is practiced among different peoples of the world. So, they are engaged in geology in New Zealand, Java, India, Iran, China. Moreover, special types of clay are used for food, for example, in China, “diatom earth” was popular, which is a mixture of crushed diatomites - rocks formed from the fossilized remains of diatom algae. This substance was believed to have healing properties, so it was eaten and used as a medicine.
In Iran, some types of clay are sold in the markets along with food. A variety of white clay, oily to the touch, is in particular demand among local residents.
Tribes live in Venezuela who also use clay for food. This happens during periods of famine, when the river on which they live overflows and cuts them off from the outside world. Then people extract clay saturated with silt and feed on it.
There are known cases of geology in our country. So, the hungry 20s of the last century forced people to switch to the use of clay. However, as it turned out, it was not simple, but with a large admixture of sapropels - organic residues that accumulate at the bottom of some water bodies. Such a substance was freely sold in bazaars and allowed many people not to die in a time of famine.
Nowadays, some unscrupulous manufacturers widely use minerals such as barite, chalk, talc to counterfeit flour and add to candy. Therefore, in the diet of a modern person, various minerals are also present in one form or another.
Unusual taste preferences
It also happens when people eat objects and living organisms that are not at all intended for this. For example, a certain A. Peltser, an engineer by training, had long suffered from terrible headaches and other ailments. At the same time, in a dream, he repeatedly saw a woman calling him to eat a spider. This nightmare continued despite all attempts at treatment and visits to a psychiatrist, who confirmed that Pelzer was healthy. As a result, the man followed the advice he received in the dream and swallowed the spider. After that, his health began to gradually improve, and the headaches stopped. The meticulous engineer did not stop there, and found out that in ancient times spiders were used to treat ailments, and they had to be consumed alive.
Often people have other, rather strange taste preferences that do not affect their health. So, a resident of the United States, Camilla Defarque, is distinguished by the fact that she eats raw, uncut fish. Particularly surprising is the fact that she eats fish along with scales and bones. In the course of the study, it became known that her gastric juice is very active and quickly digests bones and scales.
Another American, Amy Wildmar, is also distinguished by her gastronomic preferences. Among them are rubber and plastic products, ranging from tires to disposable cups. Moreover, this addiction does not affect her health in any way. True, this happens only during a woman's pregnancy.
A resident of Egypt, Abdel Kerim Hasanain is able to eat glass, stones, wood. Moreover, this also does not harm his health.
There are plenty of similar examples of strange taste preferences. All of them show that the study of man and his characteristics can shed light on many mysteries.