The Correlation Between Moth Balls & Low Iron Levels

The body requires iron to produce hemoglobin, the substance found in red blood cells that binds oxygen and delivers it to the tissues. Insufficient iron causes fatigue, weakness and pallor. It may also cause some people to crave and eat unusual substances, such as mothballs.

Pica

• According to the National Institutes of Health, pica is an eating disorder characterized by compulsive eating of nonfood items. Evelyn Zamula, a writer for FDA Consumer magazine, lists dirt, clay, laundry starch, mothballs, charcoal and hair as some of the items craved and consumed by pica sufferers.

Iron-deficiency Correlation

• According to Zamula, as many as 50 percent of pica sufferers exhibit low iron levels. The substances craved vary among individuals and, ironically, are rarely rich in iron. Some of the materials ingested may actually worsen iron deficiency.

Dangers

• Mothballs contain either naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency considers both toxic substances that when ingested may affect the nervous system, liver and blood.

Treatment

• According to Zamula, the first step in treating pica is to alleviate iron or other nutritional deficiencies. Some individuals continue eating mothballs and other unusual substances despite proper diet and iron supplementation. In such cases, psychiatric counseling to modify behavior is recommended.