# Are humans poisonous? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 19, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953 "2006-03-19T01:41:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953/1 "2006-03-19T01:41:28Z")
I’m feeling a bit peckish, and coincedentally my next-door neighbour has died whilst round my house for a visit. It’s also a good chance to use my new ServeMan 2 BBQ, so all in all, pretty handy! 🙂 Are there any portions of his body that I should avoid consuming? Anything that could prove fatal, or at least damaging to me? Also, I don’t think i’ll be able to eat his whole body; i’m just not that peckish. Luckily, he has a collection of exotic pets, so I can feed the rest of the corpse to them. Are there any animals that would find human poisonous/detrimental to their health? For those lacking in humour;1) Are there any parts of human that are poisonous/detrimental for humans? and 2) Same thing, but for any animals? ---
**Author:** ![Lissa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lissa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lissa)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953/2 "2006-03-19T02:16:42Z")
Well, if he has any diseases, you might catch them from consuming him. Likewise, I’d avoid the liver, because there may be traces of his medications and the like. I’ve heard that there are some neurological diseases one can get from eating human brains. (Something along the lines of “kuro kuro” or laughing sickness-- can’t remember the name.) I don’t know if you can get it from eating just one brain, or if it’s cumulative, but just to be on the safe side, skip the grey matter. ---
**Author:** ![waterj2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/858c86/32.png) [@waterj2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/waterj2)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953/3 "2006-03-19T02:22:35Z")
> [@Lissa](#): > > I’ve heard that there are some neurological diseases one can get from eating human brains. (Something along the lines of “kuro kuro” or laughing sickness-- can’t remember the name.) I don’t know if you can get it from eating just one brain, or if it’s cumulative, but just to be on the safe side, skip the grey matter. [Kuru](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_%28disease%29). ---
**Author:** ![Operation\_Ripper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/34f0e0/32.png) [@Operation\_Ripper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Operation_Ripper)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953/4 "2006-03-19T05:05:57Z")
> [@waterj2](#): > > [Kuru](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuru_%28disease%29). Straight Dope listed as an External Link on that page, classy Wiki. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953/5 "2006-03-19T09:12:20Z")
> [@Revenant Threshold](#): > > I’m feeling a bit peckish, and coincedentally my next-door neighbour has died whilst round my house for a visit. It’s also a good chance to use my new ServeMan 2 BBQ, so all in all, pretty handy! 🙂 > > Are there any portions of his body that I should avoid consuming? Anything that could prove fatal, or at least damaging to me? > > Also, I don’t think i’ll be able to eat his whole body; i’m just not that peckish. Luckily, he has a collection of exotic pets, so I can feed the rest of the corpse to them. Are there any animals that would find human poisonous/detrimental to their health? If he eats a lot of seafood, there might be high levels of mercury in his fat. Similarly, with dioxins, PCBs and other nasties. In essence, your eating one level above the food chain of everyone else. I’m sure it wouldn’t be a problem if it was just that one time but you probably don’t want to make a habit of it. I imagine that the average cube dweller would be well marbled and tender though due to a high energy diet and lack of exercise. Tasty to eat but fattening. You might want to have a salad on the side. ---
**Author:** ![Jessica\_Rabbit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@Jessica\_Rabbit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jessica_Rabbit)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953/6 "2006-03-19T09:21:39Z")
All you need to know is: “Don’t eat the wobbly green bit” ---
**Author:** ![Ranchoth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ranchoth/32/1066_2.png) [@Ranchoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ranchoth)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953/7 "2006-03-19T09:51:52Z")
Personally, I’d guess that you should stay away from the Colon. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953/8 "2006-03-19T22:11:18Z")
As for #2 in your post, I’ve read that some shark livers have poisonous levels of vitamin A in them (I think it was A), so that would be a body part to be avoided. Ah, Found [one cite](http://www.sharkattacks.com/1001uses.htm)for this > [@](#): > > No shark is poisonous, however their livers are to be avoided, often being much too rich in vitamin A, although unlike those of the swordfish, they do not contain high concentrations of mercury. ---
**Author:** ![Revenant\_Threshold](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f1d935/32.png) [@Revenant\_Threshold](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revenant_Threshold)\ **Post date:** [March 19, 2006, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953/9 "2006-03-19T22:18:26Z")
> [@LiveOnAPlane](#): > > As for #2 in your post, I’ve read that some shark livers have poisonous levels of vitamin A in them (I think it was A), so that would be a body part to be avoided. > > Ah, Found [one cite](http://www.sharkattacks.com/1001uses.htm)for this Thanks, but that’s the other way around to what I meant - are there any parts of a human dangerous to animals, rather than any parts of animals dangerous to humans. I didn’t think it was all that clear when I wrote it, and apparently it wasn’t. :smack: I’ve heard polar bear livers are similar - they too are too rich in vitamin A. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [March 20, 2006, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-humans-poisonous/348953/10 "2006-03-20T01:24:44Z")
Ah, I see. Apologies for my misinterpretation.