Geophagic earth may protect against toxins and pathogens by (a) strengthening the mucosal layer by binding with mucin/stimulating mucin production, reducing the permeability of the gut wall, and (b) binding to toxins/pathogens directly, rendering them unabsorbable by the gut. Photo insets provided by Evelyne Delbos of the Macaulay Institute. Artwork rendered in Adobe Illustrator. Published in Young (2010) in the Annual Review of Nutrition v30. Keywords: vector, intestine, villi, virus, bacteria
Keywords: Color, Information Graphics, Professional Education, Research, Allergy / Immunology, Gastroenterology, Maternal / Child, Obstetrics / Gynecology, Virology, Pathology
© Annual Reviews
