Kaolin Clay; Touted for its many uses, craved by many

Packaged kaolin clay ready for sale at a market in Accra.

Kaolin clay, commonly known as ‘ayilo’ in Ga and ‘shere’ in Twi, is one of the over 20 types of clay that can be found in Ghana.

The clay has many uses, including being a reliable material for electro porcelain fabrication and also suitable for making wall and floor tiles.

However, in many of the communities with kaolin clay deposits, the freshly mined clay soil is moulded into lumps, oven-baked and distributed to markets.

Uses

Kaolin clay is patronised by people in most parts of the country, including pregnant women who crave it for its unique smell.

While some use it to manage nausea, others claim it helps in preventing diarrhoea, discomfort and other pregnancy-related conditions.

It is also used for beauty enhancement as well as for traditional and medicinal purposes.

Patronage

Kaolin clay is common in the markets and in some shops and it is highly patronised.

At Darkuman, in Accra, a shop attendant, who spoke on condition of anonymity, explained that he had to add kaolin clay to the list of items on the shelves because of the
high demand for it.

Another shop attendant at Tse Addo, also in Accra, said most consumers of kaolin clay usually sneaked in to buy due to stigmatisation.

Some patrons said they had become so addicted to the clay substance that they found it difficult to quit.

Grace Osei, a mother, also said she ate the substance during pregnancy and that made her baby look pale after delivery.

“When I was pregnant, I ate a lot of ‘shere.’ When I gave birth to Nana Yaa, she looked so white that I became scared,” she recalled.

For her part, Leila, a student, said: “I enjoy the first bite of the clay and so I mostly beg friends to allow me to take it. And after the first bite, I am alright.”

A national service person, Portia Darkoa, also said it helped her whenever she experienced diarrhoea.

Benefits

Experts say kaolin is absorbent so it helps in diarrhoea and has the potential to improve conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and leaky gut.

Pharmaceutical

companies also use it in their medications to make the chemical constituents easier on the stomach and to control absorption rates.

It is also a key ingredient in some cleansers, shampoos, toothpastes and beauty products, as it is claimed to gently cleanse and pull impurities from the pores
without causing redness.

Side effects

According to research,pregnant women who consume much clay rather than nutritious foods could become anaemic and the same could happen to others
who craved it.

Some kaolin clay could also contain eggs of worms and, therefore, when eaten, the eggs could hatch in the body leading to the worms feeding on the red blood cells.

By: Bridget Aazore Yuora