The Zombie Book. Nick Redfern

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       Brains

       See also: Brain Eaters of Ancient Kenya

      It was the 1985 film The Return of the Living Dead that initially introduced horror movie fans to the concept of zombies having a particular taste for brains over other parts of the human anatomy. Most people view zombies as largely brainless creatures, ones that are solely driven by a need to devour just about as much human flesh, bone, blood, and organs as is conceivably possible. The intriguing fact, however, is that when it comes to munching down on a brain, or several, there is a distinct method in the seeming madness of the killer zombie. It may sound wholly repugnant to the vast majority of people, but brains—or, at least certain brains, and most definitely healthy, disease-free brains—can offer a great deal of nutrition to the average hunter of heads.

      Maghaz, for example, is a firm, favorite dish for the people of Bangladesh, India, and Pakistan. It is a mixture of the brains of sheep, goats, and cows (except in India, where cows are sacred). And to give it a bit of extra flavor, it is topped off with a sprinkling of crushed pistachios and brown gravy. Much loved in Borneo, Malaysia, Java, and Sumatra, Gulai is very much curry-like in its taste, texture and appearance. One of its staple ingredients is the brain of a cow. In the western part of Central Africa, and specifically in the Republic of Cameroon, for centuries it was a much revered tradition for a newly crowned tribal chief to devour the entire brain of a freshly slaughtered adult gorilla. Going way back in time, tens of thousands of years ago, much of what is today Europe was dominated by Neanderthal man. Evidence and fossilized remains suggest that not only were the Neanderthals cannibals, but they were also keen connoisseurs of the brains of their fellow, dead tribes-people.

      It is hardly surprising that, today, the vast majority of the population turns its collective nose up at the very thought of eating brains—quite possibly because it provokes latent, subconscious thoughts of cannibalism. Nevertheless, there is a real advantage to eating the occasional brain, now and again. DHA, or docosahexaenoic acid, is a form of omega-3 fatty acid that is vital to the sustainment of human health. And to give you an idea of just how beneficial a brain can be to a person (or even to a zombie), the daily recommended intake of DHA for an average adult male and female is four grams. The typical cow’s brain provides a full twenty percent of that figure.

      It should be stressed, however, that as well as the advantages to eating brains, there are distinct disadvantages, too. Brains are, for example, very high in cholesterol, which is typically not good for people. For those who are already dead, but reanimated, however, worries about cholesterol levels matter very little in the larger scheme of things. The biggest concern when it comes to dining—and dining regularly—on brains is the very real, and deeply serious risk of developing variant Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease (vCJD), which is the currently incurable, human equivalent of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, which is far better known as Mad Cow Disease.

      All in all, then, while eating the occasional brain might not be the worst thing you could do in life, and which could actually prove to be welcomingly nutritious, it’s perhaps best to err on the side of caution. That means leaving the brain-eating to those that do it best: the risen dead.