Scientists from Poland and the Czech Republic have exposed the grim reality of cannibalism, revealing that eating human flesh unleashes fatal diseases that can wipe out entire populations. The research, led by Michal Misiak of the University of Wroclaw and Petr Turecek of Charles University in Prague, used a chilling mathematical model to demonstrate the catastrophic health risks associated with the practice.
Caloric and Infection Risks
Misiak explained: "We looked at the human body as a potential source of food, analysing both energy gains and hidden costs. From a caloric perspective, a person turns out to be an average meal... The key problem, however, lies elsewhere: the risk of infection. Pathogens have an easier task because they end up in an organism with almost identical physiology." The model shows that the risk of catching a deadly infection skyrockets exponentially when cannibals start eating other cannibals. Even cooking human meat fails to destroy prions—misfolded proteins that attack the brain and trigger fatal, incurable neurological diseases.
Real-World Example: Kuru
The nightmare scenario played out in the real world with the devastating disease kuru, which once ravaged the Fore people of Papua New Guinea. They traditionally cooked and ate their dead relatives to free their spirits, leading to a fatal brain-wasting illness.
Evolutionary Safeguard
The researchers believe these horrific biological dangers are why human societies locked cannibalism away behind the ultimate social ban. Misiak said: "Taboo acts as an evolutionary safeguard. Our results suggest that this was a biologically justified response to the growing risk of epidemics. Communities that didn't curb cannibalism simply didn't survive."
