Monsieur Mangetout: The Human Anomaly
While most humans cannot safely ingest metal, the story of Michel Lotito, a French entertainer nicknamed "Monsieur Mangetout" or "Mr. Eat-All," stands out as a unique and bizarre exception. Lotito began his strange diet at age 16, reportedly after a drinking glass broke and he found he could chew and swallow the fragments without harm. His performances involved eating glass, rubber, and an array of metal objects, including bicycles, shopping carts, and even a Cessna 150 airplane, which he consumed piece by piece over two years.
Doctors who studied Lotito discovered he had several physiological adaptations that contributed to his ability to consume indigestible materials. First, he had an exceptionally thick stomach lining, which protected his internal organs from being pierced or damaged by the sharp metal and glass fragments. Second, he possessed powerful digestive acids that helped break down some of the materials. To aid in his consumption, Lotito would break the items into small pieces, and consume mineral oil and large quantities of water to help lubricate and move the materials through his digestive tract. Amazingly, he passed away from natural causes unrelated to his diet at age 57.
The Animal Kingdom's Iron Eaters
Beyond human curiosities, certain animals have evolved unique biological features that allow them to handle or process iron-rich materials in their diet, though they do not typically digest it in the same way as food. In most cases, the animal either uses it for digestion or excretes it safely.
Crocodiles and Gastroliths
Crocodiles, for example, are known to consume stones, including those with high iron content. While a YouTube video claims they can digest iron or steel, this is misleading. What actually happens is that the crocodile's powerful stomach acids help to break down softer materials, while the ingested stones, known as gastroliths, are used to grind down food and aid in digestion. A crocodile's stomach has a high concentration of hydrochloric acid, which can assist in dissolving some components, but the primary function of swallowing hard objects is mechanical, not chemical digestion of the metal itself.
Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria
On a microscopic level, certain bacteria are extremophiles that have evolved to consume inorganic materials for energy. Iron-oxidizing bacteria, found in soil and water, obtain their energy by oxidizing iron. These bacteria are adapted to high iron environments and can tolerate levels that would be toxic to other organisms. While they do not consume solid metal in the macroscopic sense, their metabolic processes are fundamentally based on consuming iron compounds.
The Ostrich: A Mythical Iron Eater
For centuries, the ostrich was believed to be an 'iron-eater'. Medieval legends and illustrations often depicted the birds eating horseshoes and nails. This myth likely stemmed from the observation that ostriches, like many birds, swallow stones (gastroliths) to help grind food in their gizzard. However, experiments as far back as the Middle Ages demonstrated that ostriches refused to eat iron and that the story was a fable. Later scientists, such as Thomas Browne in his Pseudodoxia Epidemica, dedicated entire chapters to refuting this popular misconception.
Comparison: Iron Tolerance in Different Organisms
| Feature | Michel Lotito (Human) | Crocodile (Animal) | Iron-Oxidizing Bacteria | Ostrich (Mythical) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mechanism | Thick stomach lining, strong acids, mineral oil lubrication | Gastroliths (stones) for grinding food, strong stomach acid | Oxidizes iron for energy via metabolic processes | Mythical ability, based on misunderstanding |
| Purpose | Performance and psychological condition (pica) | Aid mechanical digestion of food | Obtain energy from inorganic source | None; a cultural fabrication |
| Effect | No serious ill effects recorded from his specific actions | Helps digest food, no harm from stones | Thrives in high-iron environments | Unable to consume iron; myth |
| Scale | Consumed large, manufactured objects | Swallows stones, not for nutritional purposes | Microscopic consumption of iron compounds | Believed to swallow horseshoes, but false |
Iron Absorption and Hemochromatosis
It is important to distinguish between consuming and digesting iron. Most vertebrates, including humans, regulate iron absorption carefully because there is no physiological mechanism to excrete excess iron. Some captive animals, like certain rhinoceros species and various birds like toucans and mynahs, are susceptible to iron storage disease, or hemochromatosis, because they lack the ability to regulate iron absorption from their diet, especially when fed captive diets high in iron. This highlights how unusual and rare it is for a living creature to handle iron in large quantities without ill effects. While some insects contain high levels of iron, this is often ferritin-bound and not a reflection of consuming iron in its metallic form.
Conclusion
The question of who eats a lot of iron and won't get sick leads to some fascinating answers that span human oddities, animal adaptations, and microbial life. The French entertainer Michel Lotito, nicknamed 'Monsieur Mangetout', is perhaps the most famous human example, having overcome a rare psychological condition and physical resilience to consume tons of metal over his lifetime. In the animal kingdom, crocodiles use swallowed stones to aid digestion, but do not actually digest the metal. On a much smaller scale, iron-oxidizing bacteria metabolize iron for energy, demonstrating a remarkable form of extremotrophy. The case of the ostrich is a popular myth, with no evidence that it can consume iron. In reality, the ability to safely consume or process high amounts of iron is an extreme rarity, making these cases exceptional examples of biological adaptation and anomaly.
