Does Human Skin Contain Calories? Unpacking the Nutritional Value

December 10, 2025 •

3 min read

According to a 2017 study by researcher James Cole, human skin from an average person contains approximately 10,278 calories. While this is a verifiable biological fact, it's crucial to understand why human skin contains calories and why this concept is discussed solely in a scientific context and not for consumption.

Quick Summary

Human skin, like all organic tissue, has a measurable calorific value due to its protein and fat content. This biological reality, derived from scientific studies on body composition, is a matter of anatomical fact. The energy content, however, is not relevant to human diet or nutrition.

Key Points

Calories Confirmed: Studies have calculated that human skin does contain a significant number of calories, derived from its proteins and fats.
Macronutrient Basis: The calories come from macronutrients, primarily proteins like collagen and the fat stored in the subcutaneous tissue.
Archaeological Context: Research into the calorific value of human body parts, including skin, is used by archaeologists to understand ancient cannibalistic behaviors and motives.
Not for Consumption: The presence of calories in human skin is a biological fact with no dietary or practical application due to severe health risks and ethical concerns.
Energy Storage: Skin's energy content serves physiological functions, such as insulation and energy storage for the individual, and is not meant for external consumption.
Risks Outweigh Any 'Benefit': Attempting to consume human tissue is extremely dangerous due to the risk of transmissible diseases, including prion diseases.

The Biological Makeup of Human Skin

To understand why human skin contains calories, one must first grasp its biological composition. Skin is the largest organ of the body and is a complex structure made up of several layers, primarily the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous tissue. Each layer is composed of various organic molecules, including proteins and lipids (fats), which are the primary sources of energy in food.

The Role of Macronutrients in Skin

The calorific content of skin is a direct result of its constituent macronutrients. Proteins and lipids, measured in calories per gram, are the building blocks of skin cells and connective tissues.

Proteins: The dermis, which makes up about 90% of the skin's thickness, is rich in fibrous proteins like collagen and elastin. These proteins provide strength and elasticity, and like all proteins, they are composed of amino acids that store energy. Collagen is particularly abundant, forming a vast network within the skin's structure.

Lipids: Skin contains various lipids, with sebaceous glands producing a lipid-rich sebum that helps maintain the skin's protective barrier. Additionally, the deepest layer of skin, the hypodermis, or subcutaneous tissue, is a significant storage depot for fat (adipose tissue). Fat is the most energy-dense macronutrient, storing 9 calories per gram. The presence of this adipose tissue is a major contributor to skin's overall calorific value.

Scientific Analysis of Caloric Content

Researchers, such as James Cole, have conducted analyses to quantify the energy content of different human body parts, including the skin. His study, published in Scientific Reports, aimed to provide context for historical cannibalism, showing that the practice wasn't nutritionally efficient compared to hunting large animals. The figures generated from this type of research confirm the presence of calories in human skin and other tissues, purely as a matter of scientific and archaeological inquiry.

Breakdown of Skin's Calorific Value

Protein: Skin contains a high concentration of proteins like collagen and elastin, which contribute significantly to its energy content. These structural proteins are vital for maintaining the skin's integrity, but they are also energy-rich compounds.
Fat: The subcutaneous layer beneath the dermis acts as a storage site for adipose tissue. This fat provides cushioning and insulation and represents a substantial portion of the skin's total calorific value.
Keratinocytes: The outermost layer of the skin, the epidermis, is made up of keratinocytes. These cells produce keratin and contain various lipids that contribute to the skin's protective barrier and overall energy content.


Skin Layer	Primary Composition	Energy-Containing Macronutrients	Calorific Contribution
Epidermis	Keratinocytes, lipids, proteins	Proteins (Keratin), Lipids	Modest
Dermis	Collagen, elastin, blood vessels	Proteins (Collagen, Elastin)	High
Hypodermis	Adipose tissue (fat), connective tissue	Lipids (Fat)	Highest

The Discrepancy Between Scientific Fact and Practical Nutrition

While human skin biologically contains calories, this knowledge has no practical relevance for human nutrition. The idea of consuming human skin is associated with cannibalism, a practice that has been observed in scientific and historical contexts but is universally condemned and has significant biological and ethical risks.

Risks and lack of benefit: Eating human tissue, including skin, carries severe risks, such as the potential transmission of infectious diseases and prion diseases like Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, which affects the nervous system. There is zero nutritional or dietary benefit to be gained from such an act, and it is a topic relevant only to a purely academic, forensic, or archaeological lens.

Ethical and social context: The very notion of consuming human tissue exists outside the realm of modern health and nutrition. Discussions of its caloric value are confined to historical or biological studies, such as the analysis of early hominin populations, to understand cultural behaviors rather than nutritional strategies. The research highlights that ancient cannibalism was likely driven by complex social or ritualistic factors, as the caloric return was often less than that from other available prey.

Conclusion: A Biological Reality, Not a Dietary Recommendation

Yes, human skin contains calories, a biological fact rooted in its composition of proteins and fats. Scientific research confirms this, placing the average calorific content of a person's skin at over 10,000 calories. However, this is a purely scientific and anatomical finding, not a dietary one. The ethical, social, and health implications of cannibalism mean that the existence of calories in human skin is a matter for academic study, not for human consumption. The skin's function is to protect and insulate the body, with its energy content serving a physiological purpose, not a nutritional one for another being.

Frequently Asked Questions

Human skin contains calories because it is composed of macronutrients, primarily protein (collagen, elastin) and fat, which are energy-rich organic molecules. These are the same types of molecules that provide energy in other foods.

While the exact amount varies based on the individual, one study calculated that the average human skin contains approximately 10,278 calories, based on its protein and fat content.

The primary sources of calories in skin are the proteins, especially collagen found in the dermis, and the fat stored in the subcutaneous layer beneath the skin.

No, it is extremely unsafe and dangerous to eat human skin. This practice, known as cannibalism, can lead to the transmission of severe and fatal infectious and prion diseases.

Scientists, particularly archaeologists, study the caloric content of human tissue to better understand the potential motivations behind ancient acts of cannibalism, analyzing if they were driven by nutritional needs or other complex factors.

Yes, but not in the way food does. The skin stores energy in the form of fat in the hypodermis, which provides insulation and an energy reserve for the body, serving a vital physiological role.

The ethical implications are significant, as consuming human tissue is a violation of fundamental social and moral codes. The topic is exclusively discussed in a non-dietary context for scientific and historical understanding.