What If You Only Ate Human Flesh?

TL;DR

Cannibalism carries high risks of bloodborne diseases, infections, and prion diseases, making it extremely dangerous.

Transcript

We've all had moments where we felt desperate to eat anything But what if your only option was human flesh? Most of us have heard of cannibalism but what happens when you eat humans? If we first look at insects, snails, fish or amphibians, we can see that cannibalism is abundant. For example, crab spider mothers lay unfertilized nurse eggs for her... Read More

Key Insights

• 🚱 Cannibalism is more prevalent in non-mammalian species, while mammalian cannibalism is rare and often occurs in stressful situations.
• 🫤 Human bones from thousands of years ago show evidence of cannibalistic practices, such as marrow extraction and tool cut marks.
• 😒 Medicinal cannibalism involving the use of human blood as a remedy was practiced in Europe during the 20th century.
• 😨 Consuming human flesh without proper care and preparation poses risks of contracting bloodborne diseases and infections.
• ✋ Human flesh is calorically dense, but the high fat content makes it less suitable for those on a diet.
• 😟 Prions, altered proteins that cause disease, can be present in nervous tissues, particularly the brain and spinal cord, making consumption of prion-infected meat dangerous.
• 🇵🇬 The Kuru disease in Papua New Guinea was caused by prion disease contracted through cannibalistic funeral practices.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why is cannibalism more common in insects and amphibians compared to mammals?

Cannibalism in insects and amphibians is often triggered by environmental stressors, whereas mammalian cannibalism is rarer and usually occurs under extreme circumstances.

Q: What are the risks associated with consuming human flesh?

Without proper care and preparation, individuals risk contracting bloodborne diseases, such as Hepatitis and Ebola, as well as infections from the deceased's gut bacteria.

Q: Is human flesh a nutritious food source?

Human flesh is rich in calories, with the thigh containing around 10,000 calories and the entire body totaling approximately 81,000 calories. However, about half of these calories come from fat tissue, making human flesh less suitable for those on a diet.

Q: What are prions, and why are they a concern in cannibalism?

Prions are altered proteins that lose their function and become infectious, causing disease. Consumption of prion-infected meat, especially the brain, increases the risk of prion diseases, which can lead to brain damage and death.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Cannibalism is more common in insects and amphibians, but rare in mammals, typically occurring under environmental stressors.

• Human bones from 100,000 years ago show signs of cannibalism, including marrow extraction and tool cut marks.

• Medicinal cannibalism was practiced in Europe in the 20th century, using human blood as a remedy.