So ... Is Drinking Blood Actually Dangerous?

03/20/2013

On tonight's episode of My Strange Addiction we meet Michelle, a 29-year-old woman who's been drinking blood -- human and pig -- for more than 15 years. Michelle drinks up to seven liters a week, and enjoys drinking, cooking and even, you know, Bloody Marys.

She prefers pig's blood to cow's blood, but won't shy away from even drinking human blood. "I feel it going down my throat. It's like having a cold and drinking a Hot Toddy." She says she can't go without it, and feels irritable and angry if she doesn't get enough. While Michelle's revelation is more than a little squirm-inducing, we wondered: Is it actually physically unsafe?

According to Dr. Kent Sepkowitz, it's not totally unheard of. Blood is considered a perfectly acceptable delicacy in many countries, and can be found in recipes as varied as blood sausages, blood soup and blood soup. While Islam and Judaism both prohibit blood consumption, it's a staple item in a lot of cultures.

Does it matter if you're drinking blood that's not the same type as your blood type? Not really, says Sepkowitz. "We ... have digestive systems accustomed to processing foods far more elaborate than blood."

But what blood drinkers do have to watch out for is infections. While most infections don't travel through the bloodstream, three do: HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C, though it's unclear if ingesting infected blood would result in transmission of infection. Drinkers can also suffer from an iron overdose and Toxic Porphyria.

So the short answer is: it's unlikely to cause major health problems. But that doesn't mean that it still doesn't give us the heebie jeebies.

Check out My Strange Addiction, Wednesdays at 10/9 c.

"My Giant Face Tumor" Makes Neurofibromatosis Personal

10/09/2012

In My Giant Face Tumor, TLC follows the stories of Ed and Aum, two people who live 8,000 miles apart but share a rare condition.

Neurofibromatosis causes tumors to grow uncontrollably along nerve shafts. Ed and Aum both have giant tumors taking over their faces. The tumors are so big, they're causing them to lose their eyesight, and they're eroding their skulls (see photo at right). What's more, functioning in society with their giant tumors is nearly impossible for Ed and Aum.

Dr. McKay McKinnon thinks their cases are treatable, even after Ed and Aum have been turned away by other doctors. The renowned cranio-facial surgeon prepares to operate on Ed and Aum as they struggle with other uncontrollable factors: medical insurance, weather and emotional upheaval.

Hear their harrowing stories as they seek life-changing surgeries. My Giant Face Tumor premieres Wednesday, Oct. 17 @ 9|8c.

Study: More Time With Dad Leads To Higher Self-Esteem

08/28/2012

 

iStockphoto/Thinkstock

Here's a heartening bit of information -- teens who spend more time with their fathers have better self-esteem. A new study from Penn State University tracked 200 families for more than seven years, and found that kids who spent more time with their dads felt better about themselves than kids who didn't. And kids who spent time fathers in a group setting reported improved social skills.

 

Dads play a critical role in teen's development, it turns out. "The stereotype that teenagers spend all their time holed up in their rooms or hanging out with friends is, indeed, just a stereotype," said Susan McHale, director of the Social Science Research Institute at Penn State and a lead on the study. "Our research shows that, well into the adolescent years, teens continue to spend time with their parents and that this shared time, especially shared time with fathers, has important implications for adolescents' psychological and social adjustment."

One-on-one time with mom failed to show the same benefits as one-on-one time with dad, which may partly be because, generally, men spend less time with their families overall. It also may contribute to teens' self worth because dads who lavish attention on their kids are skirting stereotypical parenting norms. Because fathers often (again, stereotypically) engage in more "leisure activities," kids feel they can create a stronger bond with their paternal figures. So being the fun parent really does pay off.

The Penn State study is just one of several that shows the benefits of kids spending increased time with their parents. Kids with stronger family ties exhibit less delinquency and a stronger resistance to peer pressure. And the good news for everyone: according to a study Families and Work Institute, dads are spending more time with their kids than ever before.

[CNN]

--Julie Gerstein