This is what happens to your body if you become a cannibal

If you've ever watched a survival movie or read a book about explorers being stranded with nothing to eat; chances are the subject of cannibalism for the purposes of nourishment has been raised.

But what actually happens to your body when you eat someone?

Well, it turns out, you might be better off not eating your mates as it can kill you too.

We've been eating each other for a long time

According to the BBC, one of the first recorded examples of human cannibalism happened 15,000 years ago - in Gough's Cave, near Bristol. Scientists can tell that our ancestors cracked open bones to eat the marrow.

It does of course, go back even further than that. Scientists have also found evidence in France of Neanderthals eating each other 100,000 years ago.

According to a video from AsapSciencehuman blood was used as medicine as late as 20th Century in parts of Europe.

What do we taste like?

Humans are definitely red meat, due to the myoglobin in our muscles. The average person is about 81,000 calories - with our thighs being about 10,000 calories each and our heart being a solid meal at around 700 calories.

Anecdotal evidence (mainly from murderers and dead explorers) says that humans taste pretty good often being compared to pork or veal - although a 'tasting robot' once identified human meat as 'bacon'.

Why is it dangerous to eat humans?

As the above video explains, it's dangerous to eat human meat because of prions.

In Papau New Guinea, until about 50 years ago, it was seen as custom for one group of people - the Fore - to eat their love ones once they die.

As a result of eating human tissue, many people developed so-called Koru or 'laughing disease'.

The 'disease' is due to a twisted protein in human flesh called 'prions' that can't be killed with heat. Prions kill nerve cells in the brain, leaving the brain full of holes like a sponge.

Add all of this the hopefully huge list of reasons never to become a cannibal.

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