Whether it is common knowledge or from studying foundation in health science course in Malaysia, everybody is aware that a balanced diet is equivalent to having adequate nutrition with enough vitamins and minerals. Eating a variety of vegetables, fruits, meat, and carbohydrates are a surefire way to keep your body going without suffering malnutrition.
Some people may not have the luxury. For instance, if you end up lost in the woods and had to eat while waiting for rescue, you surely have limited options. The rabbits around the area are thankfully plentiful, and for a couple of days they are your main source of food.
But what if rescue takes longer and you keep eating nothing else but rabbits? What will happen to your body?
If you remain stranded, chances are that the diet you are sustained with for a long while will lead to what is known as rabbit starvation.
Death by protein
Contrary to its namesake, rabbit starvation isn’t exclusive to rabbits. Also known as protein poisoning, mal de caribou or fat starvation, this rare form of malnutrition is inflicted to a body that eats too much protein without sufficient fats and/or carbohydrates.
When protein is in your body, it is usually converted to glucose by the liver and burned as energy. Unfortunately, your liver can only process a limited amount of protein at a time before it, along with the kidneys, is strained enough to build up ammonia and amino acids. As a result, these byproducts are flushed into the bloodstream with dangerous consequences.
Aside from feeling hungry, diarrhea, nausea and fatigue are the most common symptoms of protein poisoning. This happens when you lack essential nutrients such as fats, carbohydrates and other vitamins and micronutrients
Besides the usual symptoms of rabbit starvation, you will also experience low blood pressure, slow heart rates, bad breath, and weight gain.
Treatment
Supplying yourself with a variety of vitamins and nutrients is the best way to prevent protein poisoning. Determine your appropriate food intake and make adjustments accordingly. For at least a day or two, include some of the essential vitamins and nutrients as the day’s diet.
Your doctor may guide you to do the same should you be inflicted by protein poisoning. They will also make sure that you do not make any sudden changes that can cause further harm to your own body.
Is rabbit unsafe to eat?
Rabbits aren’t the whole reason why you can get rabbit starvation, instead it is because their meat lacks enough fats to properly supply your body. Also, you won’t be inflicted by this malnutrition unless you are in a wilderness survival situation, where the chances could appear if you have no other food besides meat.
This is also why protein poisoning occurred more in history than today, from human hunter-gatherers to American mountain men who mainly fed on wild meat while traversing the mountains. A lot simply didn’t supply their own bodies enough with fats and other nutrients.
Wilderness survival books will tell you that when harvesting a wild animal, some of their organs should also be eaten to balance the protein diet. As long as the liver is healthy and has no spots, it can be eaten. The same goes to the others including but not limited to the brain, heart and stomach. Consult the books to learn about their preparation methods. The SAS Survival Handbook is one of the recommended reads, and can be found and downloaded for free online.
Domesticated animals, including rabbits, are fatter than their wild counterparts so it is possible to survive largely on them.
