Ranchi: In a bizarre habit, an octogenarian, Ram Ikbal Choube of Rajdaha village in Pakur district of Jharkhand is eating sand in his daily diet.
He claims to consume around 500 grams of sand per day to keep himself fit. He has taken up the habit of eating sand for the past 40 years.
Skipping sand means his stomach gets upset and hence, he feels the compulsion to go for it without fail. Therefore, sand packed in plastic bags is always kept at his bedside.
Choube who is a retired government servant has an interesting story to tell for eating handful of sand alongside his food intake.
According to him, while he was still working, he suffered from severe stomach upset which lasted for many days.
Medicines just failed to help him and he suffered depression, said Choube.
“One day, I rushed to the bank of a local river, picked up handful of sand, and then consumed them out of extreme frustration. And it worked wonders! I soon experienced relief and in the next few days, I found my problem of upset stomach gone over,” Choube told media with big smile on his face.
Since then, it has become my daily diet.
“The trouble began some 40 years back and since then I have been continuously eating sand. It doesn’t taste good but it has kept me fit all these years,” he claims.
According to Choube, he faces loose motion if he avoids sand consuption. Choube retired from government service with the Public Works Department in December 1993.
Reports said that initially, his family members warned him against eating sand, saying this could cause various health complications. But gradually, they stopped their objections when their advice fell on deaf ears.
Agencies