Eating ‘Gülboto’ in Kyrgyzstan
In Kyrgyzstan, soil or clay known as “gülboto” is eaten by many people with the belief that it meets the body’s need for vitamins and minerals. In Kyrgyzstan, some people eat gülboto, especially in rural and mountainous areas, believing it to be a source of vitamins due to iron deficiency, pregnancy, and psychological reasons. This natural mineral clay contains kaolinite and is mostly sold in markets. According to some sources, people eat gülboto to supplement iron deficiency in the body. Experts, however, warn that the habit of eating gülboto poses health risks.
Selling Gülboto in Markets
“There are pistachio-flavored, seed-flavored, oily, and salty types of gülboto.”
Bishkek resident Barchyn Jaynakova has been selling gülboto for many years at Osh Bazaar in Bishkek. Jaynakova said that the most famous gülboto is made in the Osh and Batken regions.
“Gülboto from the Osh region is also well known. For example, this one tastes like pistachio, and the other one has a seed-like flavor. No flavorings are added to them. There are oily, dry, and salty varieties. It is a natural soil created by God. It is found in some mountains in the Batken region. It is collected by digging in cave-like places. When rain touches it, the rocks rust and are cleaned with a knife. Digging it requires effort,” she said.
Jaynakova said that gülboto contains substances such as calcium and magnesium.
“When calcium or iron levels drop in the body, people crave gülboto. If a person does not have a vitamin deficiency, they do not like gülboto,” she said.
Jaynakova noted that her customers include both women and men.
“Children eat it too. Currently, many people have calcium deficiency. Organic products are scarce; even the fruits and vegetables we consume contain chemical substances,” she added.
Medical Warnings from Experts
“Soil provides no health benefit.”
Sherbet Jusupova, Deputy Head of the Oncohematology Department at the National Oncology Center, explained that iron deficiency leads to disturbances in taste and smell.
“When the body tries to compensate for iron deficiency, it may develop abnormal cravings such as eating soil or clay. Iron deficiency occurs in both women and men, but it is more common in women. When the sense of taste is impaired, some women tend to eat gülboto and may find the calcium taste in soil pleasant. However, gülboto does not contain iron; on the contrary, it prevents the absorption of iron in the body. By eating gülboto, a person only temporarily satisfies this craving and gains no health benefit,” she said.
Jusupova noted that taste and smell disorders occur due to a decrease in ferritin, the protein that shows the body’s iron stores.
“Ferritin levels are measured in laboratory conditions. Normally, the average level should be 70. When ferritin levels drop below 70, symptoms such as a desire to eat clay may be observed, especially in women,” she said.
Concerns About Public Awareness
She said that those who sell gülboto in markets are not medical professionals.
“As a hematologist, I personally went to market sellers of gülboto and listened to how they advertise it. These are people without medical education, and they sell gülboto by telling buyers that it is good for the blood,” Jusupova noted.
She added that they always ask patients who apply to the hospital whether they eat meat and whether they consume it daily, noting that they have determined that women, especially in the regions, consume less meat.
According to statistical data, iron deficiency among women in the regions is around 40 percent.
Not Food and Not Medicine
Jusupova stated that soil or clay is not a food product.
“Gülboto should definitely not be eaten. Some substances in soil are absorbed by the body, while the residues are excreted through feces; however, this process exhausts the body. In addition, some harmful substances that the body does not need may also be absorbed,” she said.
Pointing out that gülboto contains calcium, Jusupova added that excessive calcium is also harmful to the body.
“Gülboto is neither a food nor a medicine. Soil consumption does not exist in developed countries. We must properly inform the public about iron deficiency. Women who crave eating gülboto may be given a preliminary assessment for iron deficiency. However, for a definitive diagnosis, ferritin levels must be checked,” she said.
Jusupova concluded by stating that the treatment of iron deficiency is possible through adequate and balanced nutrition, especially by eating red meat, and medication under a doctor’s supervision.