Addicted to eating toilet paper, why it isn't safe

Image via WikipediaIf you are addicted to eating toilet paper, you may out of concern for yourself researched a little on the Internet about the safety of this practice. There are many online answer type forums and many answers say it is safe as long as you are eating regular food on a regular basis. This information of course is faulty.
First and foremost, any time you or someone you know is eating non food items it is not "safe". It isn't safe because of many reasons but chiefly because craving any non food item can suggest an underlying health issue that needs to be addressed. Speak to your doctor about your craving non food items like toilet paper and have them give you a blood test to rule out possible deficiencies in your diet. Mineral deficiencies are usually the majority of the reasons for such cravings and in most cases is an easy fix. If there are no underlying deficiencies, you may need to have other therapies to determine where your disorder stems from. People suffering from Pica often crave things like toilet paper, clay, dirt, chalk and even detergents. It is a signal of an underlying problem in most all cases. It may be physical, or psychological. Medical investigation and intervention is necessary to find out which treatment is needed.
It is not safe to ingest toilet paper, in spite of what you may read online. Toilet  paper is manufactured in a facility that does not have regulations needed to make it safe for human consumption. As such it may have trace contaminants that are not edible. This is the typical manufacturing process and ingredients used in making toilet paper.
Toilet paper is generally made from new or "virgin" paper, using a combination of softwood and hardwood trees. Softwood trees such as Southern pines and Douglas firs have long fibers that wrap around each other; this gives paper strength. Hardwood trees like gum, maple and oak have shorter fibers that make a softer paper. Toilet paper is generally a combination of approximately 70% hardwood and 30% softwood.

Other materials used in toilet paper include water, chemicals for breaking down the trees into usable fiber, and bleaches. Companies that make paper from recycled products use oxygen, ozone, sodium hydroxide, or peroxide to whiten the paper. Virgin-paper manufacturers, however, often use chlorine-based bleaches (chlorine dioxide), which have been identified as a threat to the environment. If it is a threat to the environment it is generally not safe for human consumption either. No one can conclusively say that is it safe in the long term effects it may have on the human body. To seek further treatment information please visit: Emedicine treatment for pica