London - Fad diets with unusual ingredients have long been a feature of human eating habits.
But it seems our chimp cousins can also follow trendy regimes – as they have been spotted drinking water from clay pits.
The apes are thought to use the mineral to rid their bodies of impurities, according to researchers. Their behaviour echoes reports that stars such as model Elle Macpherson and actress Zoe Kravitz have drank clay as part of “cleansing” diets.
Scientists in the forests of Uganda have found that chimps – our closest animal relatives – have started eating and drinking from clay pits and termite mounds. They dip leaves in the muddy water before squeezing it out with their tongues, as well as using their fingers to extract lumps of clay directly from the ground.
Lead scientist Vernon Reynolds, from Oxford University, believes they are using it to help neutralise the high levels of tannins in their diet.
The clay is particularly high in calcium – as well as iron, magnesium and potassium – and appears to have replaced the role of the chimps’ previous favourite snack.
Until a decade ago the chimps ate raffia palms, which were an important source of minerals, but since 2005 the local tobacco industry has been cutting them down and using them in the production process.
Dr Cat Hobaiter from St Andrews University – co-author of the study published in journal PLOS One – added: “The destruction of chimpanzees’ natural feeding species can be problematic. It’s fascinating to see that they may compensate for the loss of one source of minerals by increasing the use of alternatives like clay.”
The supplement has been favoured by celebrities. X-Men star Miss Kravitz, 26, told US Weekly she lost weight eating clay: “I did a cleanse. I ended up drinking clay because it cleans out your body.” According to Grazia magazine, Miss Macpherson drinks a glass of clay “from time to time”.
However in 2012, the Food Standards Agency issued a warning that there were high levels of arsenic and lead in many clay-based drinks sold as “detox” aids, and that they were particularly dangerous to pregnant women and children.
Daily Mail