Eating chalk is not good for health.
Although eating chalk in small amounts is not considered harmful or toxic.
However ingesting too much chalk could be harmful.
Chalk is considered non-toxic in small amounts.
If large amounts are eaten, it can be irritating to the stomach and cause vomiting.
Chalk can be a choking hazard for very young children.
CAUTION: Eating pool or billiard chalk can be different than school and blackboard chalk because it may also contain lead.
The craving for chalk is most likely related to iron deficiency.
The general medical term for craving certain items is "pica."
With iron deficiency, you can have cravings other than chalk, including ice, paper, coffee grains and seeds.
It's not known why iron deficiency causes pica.
In some case studies , supplements that correct a nutritional deficiency are enough treatment to put an end to the behavior and the craving.
If eating chalk is related to another condition, such as obsessive-compulsive disorder, prescription medication and appointments with a therapist might be recommended.
Chalk is composed of the shells of such minute marine organisms as foraminifera, coccoliths, and rhabdoliths.
The purest varieties contain up to 99 percent calcium carbonate in the form of the mineral calcite.