Raw Steak

Can Eating Raw Meat Get You High?

Food

A social media trend called “high meat” has people trying to experience artificial highs by consuming raw meat.

The trend refers to any meat that’s been stored untreated for months, or even years, until it becomes putrid, IFLScience reported. When consumed, the protein supposedly induces euphoria like a narcotic.

Thanks to Twitter users sharing their experience with “high meat,” the trend is currently going viral.

“A friend convinced me to eat raw rotten meat (high meat) yesterday and it actually felt great,” one user said. “Very interesting since everyone would think it’s crazy.”

They also tweeted a photo of the steak, which had decomposed until it was almost unrecognizable.

“Losing my mind over this,” one user said in response.

Another post showed a screenshot of a Reddit threat from six years ago discussing the raw meat trend. The caption of the screenshot read, “please eradicate the human species already.” The Reddit thread explained how leaving meat to rot can boost vitamins, reduce acid content, and produce noticeable amounts of ammonia, methane, and hydrogen sulfide.

“People report a feeling of high and euphoria after eating it,” the post read.

The true science behind the “high” sensation remains unclear. However, Singapore-based dietitian Naras Lapsys has said the high could be caused by the smorgasbord of microbes living on the meat.

“Some of those bacterias might have chemical properties that are going to give you a high, or hallucination, or a feeling of euphoria,” he said.

Others speculate the effects could simply be delirium and dehydration due to indigestion.

Either way, experts advise against consuming rotten meat.

IFLScience reported that “while meat is regularly left to dry out into various treats, such as jerky and cured meats,” there is a huge difference “between rotten and fermented.”

“Fermentation is a controlled process using specific environmental conditions to grow beneficial microorganisms with the meat,” they explained. “Rotting is where the meat has spoiled and is contaminated with harmful microbial life,” including salmonella and staphylococcus aureus.

Eating rotten meat can cause harmful side effects ranging from upset stomachs to food poisoning so bad it could last for days. In fact, some “high meat” eaters reported explosive incontinence after consumption.

“If we’re eating rotten foods, the question is: will our stomach acid do a good enough job to stop them from poisoning us?” said Lapsys. “And the answer is often no.”

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