A fitness influencer called Weam Brieche filmed himself appearing to eat raw beef brain and eggs in a viral TikTok posted on March 14 that has been viewed over 10 million times.
In the video, Brieche said he was going to show his viewers “how to eat a high protein breakfast if you don’t have time to cook,” before taking a bite out of what he said was a “raw beef brain,” and washing it down with a glass of “six raw eggs.”
He directed viewers to a discount code on his Instagram page, saying they could use it buy some brain for themselves from a free-range meat shop based in New York.
Commenters under the video were shocked by the way Brieche appeared to enjoy the unconventional meal. One comment with 10,000 likes said the raw eggs weren’t “a big deal” but Brieche was “foul for eating a brain like it’s banana bread.” Insider previously reported that eating eggs raw instead of cooking them increases the risk of salmonella and is also less nutritious, as the process of cooking an egg makes the proteins in it easier to absorb.
Some commenters also expressed concern about the safety of the raw meat, with one writing “enjoy the prions.” Prion disease can be caused by eating contaminated raw meat and lead to memory impairment, personality changes, and difficulties with movement.
Bonnie Taub-Dix, a registered dietitian, previously told Insider, “When you eat raw meat you run the risk of developing food poisoning,” adding that some raw meat may also contain parasites like roundworms or tapeworms.
Common pathogens in raw meat and organs include E. coli, salmonella, Campylobacter, and listeria, Taub-Dix said.
According to medical news website Healthline, animal brain is a rich source of omega-3 and fatty acids, which can improve cardiovascular health.
However, the outlet recommends avoiding beef brain as it could lead to increased risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE), also known as “mad cow disease.” According to John Hopkins Medicine, a human who eats the contaminated brain can develop dementia, muscle stiffness, and speaking difficulties.
The FDA states that brain meat from high-risk cattle is prohibited from entering the US food supply to reduce the risk of BSE, which affects 300 Americans per year.
In the description of his YouTube channel, Brieche wrote that he is not a doctor and said “none of my videos should be taken as medical advice,” adding, “raw meat consumption could be dangerous if not well sourced.”
Brieche has 100,000 followers on TikTok, where he updates viewers on his fitness journey, often eating meals that contain raw meat. He also has a YouTube channel with 1,000 subscribers, where he said he relies on “animal fat for energy” during workouts.
On TikTok, Brieche continues to post videos where he eats unconventional food, such as one TikTok with 20,000 views where he bit into a chunk of meat he described as “raw testicles,” before unwrapping a stick of butter and eating it.
In a video with 800,000 views, he also showed viewers his freezer, which appeared to be filled with bags of raw meat, including “steaks,” “bone marrow,” and “liver,” he said.
Weam Brieche did not immediately respond to Insider’s request for comment.