Pica is a condition where a patient eats items that are not food, such as paper, metal, ice, chalk, or even soil.
Why would anyone eat these items? This can actually be caused by a nutritional deficiency, such as lack of iron in the diet, so the patient has unusual cravings.
A man in South African was admitted to the hospital because he was vomiting blood, and was found to have ingested 227 metal objects weighting a total of 4.5 pounds. The items included coins, bolts, wire, and even kitchen forks. The items were removed at surgery and he successfully recovered.
Healthfacts.blog 