Q. I am addicted to radishes. My mom doesn’t want me to eat them but I can’t go without having at least 10 a day.
My mom stopped buying them so I would stop eating them. Before this, I just liked them, but now I feel like I am already addicted. What can I do?
A. Ask your mom to take you to the doctor. Cravings like yours can be a consequence of an iron or zinc deficiency, and the doctor can do a test to find out if you are deficient.
We have heard from other people who craved carrots, tomatoes, popcorn or orange peels to an unusual extent, just as you do with radishes. When people crave things that are not food, like clay, laundry starch or ice, it is called pica. This condition usually goes away once the underlying deficiency is corrected.
