Have you ever wondered how long we could survive without food or water?
Our ability to survive for an extended period of time is threatened if we lack sustenance.
Until now, there is not too much credible scientific data about hunger and survival topics. However, various accounts of either voluntary or involuntary cases of complete or near-complete hunger allow us to make some very general conclusions.
The hunger strike of Mahatma Gandhi is one of the most famous cases of voluntary starvation. During his protest, Gandhi ate absolutely nothing, and for 21 days he only took sips of water, and yet he survived. This case was extraordinary because Gandhi was very skinny when he started his hunger strike. Certainly, he didn’t have too much energy reserve from the outset. Besides, I want to mention that during his life, Gandhi has performed 14 hunger strikes.
Generally, it appears as though we can survive without eating any food for approximatively 30-40 days, as long as we properly hydrate ourselves.
It is important to know that severe symptoms of starvation begin around 35-40 days, and death can occur at around 45 to 61 days.
Myocardial infarction or organ failure is the most common cause of death in these troublesome cases of starvation, and any of these diseases usually occur when a person’s body mass index (BMI) reaches around 12.5 kg/m2.
The main factors that significantly influence the duration of survival without food are body weight, genetic variation, other health considerations and, most importantly, the presence or absence of dehydration.
In my opinion, the body composition and weight also play a key role. For example, the individual with a greater percentage of body fat has higher deposits of calories. Also, a human with lower muscle mass will usually have a reduced caloric consumption. By parity of reasoning, this would determine that females might have a survival advantage over males due to their higher relative fat stores.
However, the hydration seems to be the most important factor of all.
For individuals who already read accounts of other’s misadventures and still like to get out into the wild, should always ensure that their first priority (having enough water supply) is respected. Furthermore, another essential survival strategy can be the avoidance of eating unknown plants and shrubs.