# Will eating your own feces make you sick? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 22, 2005, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138 "2005-01-22T20:46:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Megan\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bc79bd/32.png) [@Megan\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Megan_Jones)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 12:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/61 "2010-07-12T12:01:09Z")
Originally posted by Mangetout > [@](#): > > rabbits and guinea pigs eat their own feces because (gross oversimplification)their digestive tract is too short to properly digest their food on the first pass; by the second time around, the bacteria will have broken down the cellulose etc sufficiently for the animal to absorb more nutrient from the food. Thing is… they’re not omnivorous like us, so the range of bacteria that will be present in the feces is limited. Plus of course they have evolved a digestive system that can cope with doing it. So, as a vegetarian, it is safer for me to eat my own faeces? Of course it has only been 16 years, so has my digestive system evolved enough, already? ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/62 "2010-07-12T12:52:06Z")
Do zombies eat their own feces? [Cecil addressed the OP’s question](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/2600/is-coprophagia-dangerous) in a column dated June 10, 2005, which was after this thread first started. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/63 "2010-07-12T14:05:02Z")
Google G. G. Allin. I will not provide a link, and it’s not for the squeamish. ---
**Author:** ![CrimeThink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90db22/32.png) [@CrimeThink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrimeThink)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/64 "2010-07-12T17:16:46Z")
> [@commasense](#): > > I’m shocked, shocked, that this thread has gotten to 50 posts and no one has mentioned John Waters’ [Pink Flamingos](http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0069089/combined). For any poor souls who haven’t seen this classic of cinema, the last shot of the film features 300-pound transvestite Divine eating a handful of real dogshit that has just visibly emerged from a real dog. > > I haven’t heard what happened to Divine afterward, but according to the IMDb Trivia page for the film, " The dog feces in the infamous final scene are [sic] real. According to director John Waters, the dog was fed steak for three days beforehand." > > (No, I don’t know what the significance of that last part is.) Here is another cinema gem relevant to the post… [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Human\_Centipede\_%28First\_Sequence%29](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Human_Centipede_%28First_Sequence%29) ---
**Author:** ![In\_Winnipeg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a8b319/32.png) [@In\_Winnipeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/In_Winnipeg)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/65 "2010-07-12T20:49:37Z")
Isn’t this the cure for a disease called _C. difficile_? Seemed to me about three years ago, this was the proscribed action… ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2010, 9:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/66 "2010-07-12T21:19:42Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > Isn’t this the cure for a disease called _C. difficile_? Seemed to me about three years ago, this was the proscribed action… I would hope that taking it orally would still be **proscribed**. Getting other bacteria to fight the C. difficile goes in the other way (by enema, I’d guess). ---
**Author:** ![Autolycus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/22d042/32.png) [@Autolycus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Autolycus)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/67 "2010-07-13T01:10:27Z")
Ugh, this was a poor choice of thread to read while eating my leftover meat loaf. (Where’s the pukey smiley when you need it?) ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/68 "2010-07-13T01:14:22Z")
> [@Autolycus](#): > > Ugh, this was a poor choice of thread to read while eating my leftover meat loaf. If only there had been some way of anticipating such a thing… :eek: ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/69 "2010-07-13T02:08:05Z")
Among my many acquaintances (both straight and gay) in the BDSM community, I do know one couple in which the “slave” was, over a long period of time, gradually trained in coprophagia. Of course there could be others, but I’m aware of only this couple. I’m in contact with the guy on a regular basis, and he seems to be totally healthy. For what it’s worth his “Mistress” also seems healthy. I don’t know what precautions they take, or what health problems he may have that aren’t detectable to a casual observer. In the spirit of “fighting ignorance,” I plan to ask him a few questions on the subject. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/70 "2010-07-13T02:13:33Z")
> [@In\_Winnipeg](#): > > Isn’t this the cure for a disease called _C. difficile_? Seemed to me about three years ago, this was the proscribed action… I’m guessing you’re referring to a [poop transplant.](http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2008/12/09/4380003-no-butts-about-it-fecal-transplants-work-for-some) They also had something about this on ManSwers (Sp?) not long ago. ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/71 "2010-07-13T02:46:54Z")
I stand corrected, and disgusted. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/72 "2010-07-13T03:02:45Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > …gradually trained in coprophagia. Job applicants should refrain from placing this phrase in their CV. Although come to think of it, such a talent would be highly desirable in some corporate sectors. And in a truly magical connection, the Google ad at the bottom of my page refers to “The Brown Bailout”. ---
**Author:** ![Khaki\_Campbell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de053/32.png) [@Khaki\_Campbell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khaki_Campbell)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/73 "2010-07-13T05:57:38Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > I’m in contact with the guy on a regular basis, and he seems to be totally healthy. For what it’s worth his “Mistress” also seems healthy. Their _mental_ health, on the other hand :rolleyes:… ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/74 "2010-07-13T06:02:15Z")
And yet another thread title I’m thankful is not appended with “Need Answer Fast.” Seems to be a lot of those lately. All I know is “How can you eat that shit?” was a common refrain around the area I grew up. ---
**Author:** ![TerpBE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc8723/32.png) [@TerpBE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TerpBE)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/75 "2010-07-13T15:38:03Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Among my many acquaintances (both straight and gay) in the BDSM community, I do know one couple in which the “slave” was, over a long period of time, gradually trained in coprophagia. Of course there could be others, but I’m aware of only this couple. How does this come up in conversation? Or was it immediately obvious once you saw his sh\*t-eating grin? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/76 "2010-07-13T19:57:14Z")
Oh, Lordy, I think \*\*panache’s \*\*idea of casual conversation is … spicier than average. 🙂 But now, I’m kinda wondering the same thing: “So, Bob … how was your weekend?” Ad I see currently at bottom of screen: “Does Your Dog Eat Their Own Poop! Shop Our Stool Preventatives Now!” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2010, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/77 "2010-07-13T20:34:32Z")
> [@Megan\_Jones](#): > > Originally posted by Mangetout > So, as a vegetarian, it is safer for me to eat my own faeces? > Of course it has only been 16 years, so has my digestive system evolved enough, already? No, because you haven’t evolved at all. Evolution does not occur to individuals within individual lifespans. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/78 "2010-07-14T00:26:36Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > Some people are reputed to have drunk his or her own urine as a cleanser. That is what prompted this question but it is not important if it is true or not. What if you ate your own feces after you defecated? Let us assume that it consumption starts within a minute of the defecation act. Would you be immune to the bacteria in the feces going in the other end? Would it still have any nutritional value? According to wikipedia: > [@](#): > > Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some, such as serotype O157:H7, can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls.[1][2] The harmless strains are part of the normal flora of the gut, and can benefit their hosts by producing vitamin K2,[3] and by preventing the establishment of pathogenic bacteria within the intestine.[4][5] I’m pretty sure that most of the time, you can eat without ill effects the feces of someone who isn’t sick or parasite-infested. If it were that dangerous, there wouldn’t be any porn films of coprophagy or anilingus. However you’d better take care not to get it in your eyes, nose, or other mucus membranes, because it can cause nasty infections there. As far as nutritional value I don’t know the exact number but the human gut is not 100% efficient in digesting food. I don’t know if that means the undigested remnant could be redigested by humans, or just that there are calories in there that we can’t get to. Bon appetit! ---
**Author:** ![misterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@misterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterW)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/79 "2010-07-14T02:13:04Z")
> [@Dag\_Otto](#): > > I thought that Exhaust Gas Recirculation was used to reduce smog compunds [by reducing the combustion chamber temperature](http://www.asashop.org/autoinc/nov97/gas.htm), not to burn unused fuel in the exhaust. Not enough exhaust can get though a EGR valve to make it useful for that. This is what I understand to be the case. It’s not for burning unused fuel, so not really relevant to this discussion. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 14, 2010, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138/80 "2010-07-14T02:59:29Z")
> [@purplehorseshoe](#): > > Ad I see currently at bottom of screen: “Does Your Dog Eat Their Own Poop! Shop Our Stool Preventatives Now!” Yet another argument for subscribing. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/will-eating-your-own-feces-make-you-sick/286138.md?page=5)