Is there anything medically wrong with eating human flesh.

Coriolanus

Argument ongoing.
I would have thought protein was protein.

thebigbiffo

no.

and i'd be interested to know how you thought there might be?

mfceiling

Go for it hannibal......

TheAnswer

I think I vaguely remember something about the laws of diminishing return, ie, your body will use more energy digesting/processing the stored energy in human flesh than its worth. Weird thread!

Gordon

Yes, you could get laughing disease.

Buceph

Gordon wrote: »

Yes, you could get laughing disease.

Aye. I think it works along the same lines as cattle and BSE and the human version CJD.

thebigbiffo

Gordon wrote: »

Yes, you could get laughing disease.

any animal flesh can carry disease - it doesnt mean human flesh is particularly dangerous.

i cant believe i'm even thinking seriously about this...

Bloody Nipples

Kuru is a type of spongiform encephalopathy, like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), only you get it from eating human rather than beef. To be infected with it you'd have to eat the flesh of someone with Kuru, so while you could theoretically develope CJD or nvCJD, it's like saying beef isn't medically safe to eat because the cow may have BSE.

Bloody Nipples

And I dunno if any of you have ever read the travel writer, Pete McCarthy, but in his second book, he goes to Austrailia and starts learning about an Irish cannibal.

Apparently the upper part of the arm is the best meat :P
If someone turns up eaten in Ballygobackward, Co. Monaghan because I've been helping some cannibal I'll be reaal upset

Gordon

True, not all human meat will give you Kuru, just infected meat.

Mrmoe

So what does it actually taste like? Chicken or bacon? I would say if selected carefully and cooked properly you would be fine.

must ... resist urge.....to post..... your ma joke:pac:

Buceph

Bloody Nipples wrote: »

Kuru is a type of spongiform encephalopathy, like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), only you get it from eating human rather than beef. To be infected with it you'd have to eat the flesh of someone with Kuru, so while you could theoretically develope CJD or nvCJD, it's like saying beef isn't medically safe to eat because the cow may have BSE.

It's more like saying cattle shouldn't eat cattle because of the dangers.

thebigbiffo

Mrmoe wrote: »

So what does it actually taste like?

deer:cool:

theg81der

Who thinks about that, and worse says it aloud!?!

W.Shakes-Beer

May as well crack out the fava beans and the chianti while your at it.

With a side order of "pththththththtfhtfht"

Doublin

Not sure why, but decided to look this up. Some of the finds:

Unless you're eating body builders, human meat is likely to be very fatty, even on a relatively healthy human. The typical human would actually be full of cholesterol and would just have horrible, tender, fat meat on their bones. So it would be quite fattening and there would be little nutrition in the meat. If someone wanted to eat human meat it should be a once-every-few-months sort of thing. Definitely not something to eat everyday.

Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism

In general, cannibalism is a bad idea because whatever killed the person you're eating might also kill you. There are a lot of species-specific parasites and germs, so you're more at risk of these from eating a cow than from eating a human. Apes are actually nearly as dangerous, since they're so similar to us, and a lot of diseases that affect them also affect us.

The story you heard is probably about "kuru", the laughing sickness. It's similar to mad cow disease, and probably has a similar cause. Like mad cow, it mostly concentrates in the brain, so you probably won't get it if you avoid the brain and spinal cord. Besides, kuru is rare out side of certain parts of Africa.

The hamstring muscles are large and obvious, but they're also going to be tough, because they receive so much use. It corresponds to the chuck and rump cuts on a cow. Then again, the cuts corresponding to the tender loin muscles are also going to be tough in a human, since they do all the work of keeping us vertical. (Cows don't work those muscles as hard since they go on all fours.)

So you'd want to go with a braise, which is also better for keeping down parasites. That will tend to kill off whatever bugs were affecting your victim.

It's still not a good idea, for legal reasons if nothing else.

I’m not aware of any general problems associated with eating manflesh, but there was some very interesting work done in Papua New Guinea on a disease called kuru. Apparently, in some tribes it is (or was) the custom for people to routinely eat their dead, and people would bequeath specific parts of their bodies to their particular friends - on a kind of sympathetic magic principle, e.g. leave your testicles to your best mate if you want to enhance his virility. Each sex ate only the bodies of its own sex.

Most of the info out there said it should be ok, same risk's involved with other animals flesh, just avoid eating the brains.

stovelid

Just go ahead and eat them and report back.

bnt

I remember reading years ago that human flesh is salty compared to that of other animals, and that explained why lions in Africa would sometimes target people again, after getting a taste of them for whatever reason.

The thing about Kuru / CJD / BSE etc is that they arise as a result of cannibalism. Feeding cattle remains to cattle is what caused BSE in the first place. So, if you talk about "avoiding infected meat", you're missing the point ... even if you pick your cuts carefully and avoid e.g. spinal tissue :eek:

orourkeda

It repeats on you.

Samba

Taking Easter and what Jesus said to a new level OP?

Gordon

Brings another meaning to manwich.

TheAnswer

thebigbiffo wrote: »

deer:cool:

Human flesh is referred to as "long pork" in certain cultures. It's just sick sick sick. I think I'd rather starve, nor would I eat my dog (would probably eat someone else's dog but couldn't eat my own).

Burky126

Mrmoe wrote: »

So what does it actually taste like?

It varies from person to person.

UglyBolloxFace

Bloody Nipples wrote: »

Kuru is a type of spongiform encephalopathy, like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), only you get it from eating human rather than beef. To be infected with it you'd have to eat the flesh of someone with Kuru, so while you could theoretically develope CJD or nvCJD, it's like saying beef isn't medically safe to eat because the cow may have BSE.

Good job on reading the Wiki page and putting it across as your own!

OutlawPete

Gordon wrote: »

Yes, you could get laughing disease.

Never eating pussy again :eek:

Que eating cat meat joke

thebigbiffo

TheAnswer wrote: »

Human flesh is referred to as "long pork" in certain cultures. It's just sick sick sick. I think I'd rather starve, nor would I eat my dog (would probably eat someone else's dog but couldn't eat my own).

until you've been trapped in a snowstorm on a thicket of heather on the bog of allen with only your faithful sheepdog 'prince' to provide sustainence - i dont think you're in any position to comment on the lenghts humans will go to to stay alive.

damn, i loved that pooch.

Aidric

W.Shakes-Beer wrote: »

With a side order of "pththththththtfhtfht"

Can you get that in Tesco?

OutlawPete

thebigbiffo wrote: »

until you've been trapped in a snowstorm on a thicket of heather on the bog of allen with only your faithful sheepdog 'prince' to provide sustainence - i dont think you're in any position to comment on the lenghts humans will go to to stay alive.

damn, i loved that pooch.

Why would sex with your dog help keep you alive?

alexa5x5

Doublin wrote: »

Not sure why, but decided to look this up. Some of the finds:



Wiki:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cannibalism





Most of the info out there said it should be ok, same risk's involved with other animals flesh, just avoid eating the brains.

Good to know :pac:

Remember seeing a documentary on cannibalism a few years ago. Apart from ritualistic cannibalism that occurs in some tribes, most cannibals are born with an all consuming desire to consume someone, not so much for nutrients or desire to eat human flesh but because they are so in love or so attracted to a person they need to consume them body and soul. They believe that the act of eating another means that the person will live on inside them, and always be a part of them.... kinda romantic really :pac:;)

blackdog2

Yes Op, I think there is some medical harm for the person being eaten!

Hersheys

Isn't there some thing where you have to denature the DNA first? As in cook it? To eat it raw would make you sick.

vampire of kilmainham

Bloody Nipples wrote: »

And I dunno if any of you have ever read the travel writer, Pete McCarthy, but in his second book, he goes to Austrailia and starts learning about an Irish cannibal.

Apparently the upper part of the arm is the best meat :P
If someone turns up eaten in Ballygobackward, Co. Monaghan because I've been helping some cannibal I'll be reaal upset

ya cant beat a bollix and a bit of dick:D

vampire of kilmainham

Mrmoe wrote: »

So what does it actually taste like? Chicken or bacon? I would say if selected carefully and cooked properly you would be fine.

must ... resist urge.....to post..... your ma joke:pac:

send hannibal an email he'll tell ya what it tastes like he gives demonstrations as well:eek:

vampire of kilmainham

alexa5x5 wrote: »

Good to know :pac:

Remember seeing a documentary on cannibalism a few years ago. Apart from ritualistic cannibalism that occurs in some tribes, most cannibals are born with an all consuming desire to consume someone, not so much for nutrients or desire to eat human flesh but because they are so in love or so attracted to a person they need to consume them body and soul. They believe that the act of eating another means that the person will live on inside them, and always be a part of them.... kinda romantic really :pac:;)

wont be much left inside when they squeez out a large turd........Hey chief i cant get this leg out of my ass......stfu or ill give ya a toe in the hole:D

vampire of kilmainham

Doris go easy on the fingers iv got enough foot allready ill have some more spuds do O and a bit more of that thigh:D:eek:

Bloody Nipples

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

Good job on reading the Wiki page and putting it across as your own!

I'm actually graduating this year with a degree in microbiology, I know how prions work thanks.

UglyBolloxFace

Bloody Nipples wrote: »

I'm actually graduating this year with a degree in microbiology, I know how prions work thanks.

:pac:

Bloody Nipples

Hersheys wrote: »

Isn't there some thing where you have to denature the DNA first? As in cook it? To eat it raw would make you sick.

Only things that make you sick in food really are bacteria and viruses. Proper cooking should kill these, unless they've produced toxins.

Mal-Adjusted

TheAnswer wrote: »

I think I vaguely remember something about the laws of diminishing return, ie, your body will use more energy digesting/processing the stored energy in human flesh than its worth. Weird thread!

in the conversion process, about 20% of whatever energy in food will be lost when consumed by something up the food chain.

Bloody Nipples

Buceph wrote: »

It's more like saying cattle shouldn't eat cattle because of the dangers.

No it's not because they can infect cross-species. Feeding cattle with feed made from BSE infected cattle is how it spreads but BSE infected meat can also cause CJD in humans..

Irish Guitarist

I recently saw a documentary called Cannibal Island which was about cannibalism in Papua New Guinea. There were old men talking about how they had eaten human flesh years ago. They all seemed fairly healthy. They used to kill any man who was suspected of witchcraft, who they would call a "magic man", and eat him. They would eat women as well and apparently both genders taste the same. Someone described how years ago a man in the village was dying and it was one his wishes that when he died his wife would be killed and eaten.

They don't eat human flesh anymore (or at least they claim they don't) because cannibalism was outlawed in Papua New Guinea in 1970.

I don't eat human flesh myself because I'm a vegetarian. You can get Quorn chicken style pieces but they don't make human style pieces.

orourkeda

OutlawPete wrote: »

Never eating pussy again :eek:

Que eating cat meat joke

http://images.cheezburger.com/completestore/2010/9/1/97783295-326a-499f-ba6e-773fc133ae26.jpg

themacdaddy

Nevore wrote: »

Argument ongoing.
I would have thought protein was protein.

Jesus man, that is the freakiest, wierdest post ever.

Bloody Nipples

Irish Guitarist wrote: »

They don't eat human flesh anymore (or at least they claim they don't) because cannibalism was outlawed in Papua New Guinea in 1970.

1970?! :eek: Kinda makes you wonder about their McRibs :pac:

strobe

Gordon wrote: »

Yes, you could get laughing disease.

:eek:

Gordon wrote: »

True, not all human meat will give you Kuru, just infected meat.

Phew!

ddef

I remember a long time ago they few pig meat to pigs and cow meat to cows etc.
somehow they all got very sick and some died. its unnatural to eat the meat of your same living group.
so yes, there is a lot medically wrong with eating human flesh.

on a side note, it does taste delicious.

Coriolanus

themacdaddy wrote: »

Jesus man, that is the freakiest, wierdest post ever.

Hungover car journey into work this morning and it came up in conversation.

Bloody Nipples

ddef wrote: »

I remember a long time ago they few pig meat to pigs and cow meat to cows etc.
somehow they all got very sick and some died. its unnatural to eat the meat of your same living group.
so yes, there is a lot medically wrong with eating human flesh.

on a side note, it does taste delicious.

The cows ground into meal had BSE and spread it to other uninfected cows when it was fed to them. If the cows were uninfected nothing would have happened. It had nothing to do with the fact it was natural or unnatural.