Rabbit starvation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You have new messages (last change).

Rabbit starvation is the form of acute malnutrition caused by excess consumption of rabbit meat (and possibly other lean meats) coupled with a lack of other sources of nutrients. Symptoms include diarrhea, headache, lassitude, a vague discomfort and hunger that can only be satisfied by consumption of fat or carbohydrate.

Possible mechanisms for rabbit starvation:

  • Lack of fats in the diet.
  • Rabbit being comparatively low in some amino acids that human beings cannot synthesize themselves.
  • Lean meat, being mostly protein, must be broken down into amino acids and then converted into glucose (via gluconeogenesis) in order to be used as an energy source. This process takes time, and can not be done quickly enough to meet the energy requirements of an active person. After the body's energy reserves (fat) are depleted, the energy requirements to sustain basic life processes are not met.
  • The ammonia released during the process of converting amino acids into glucose can not be cleared by conversion to urea quickly enough. The buildup of ammonia is poisonsous.

[edit] References

  • Bilsborough S, Mann N (2006). "A review of issues of dietary protein intake in humans.". Int J Sport Nutr Exerc Metab 16 (2): 129-52. PMID 16779921. 
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../r/a/b/Rabbit_starvation.html"