An NHS doctor has busted a big myth about cremation and revealed your body doesn’t turn into ash when it is burned.
In a TikTok video, user Dr Karan Rajan @dr.karanr explained what really happens when the body enters the oven.
He said: “Incinerating a human body doesn’t turn into ashes like when you burn wood.
“You’re actually left with dry bone fragments. These fragments are put into a machine called a cremulator and pulverised.
“It’s basically a high-speed blender that processes bone to look like ashes.”
Since the video was uploaded on Friday (August 20) it has been watched more than 600,000 times and people were amazed by the revelation, with many having some unfortunate stories to share.
One user commented: “And this my friends is why I’m being buried! Ain’t no one putting me in a blender I’m no smoothie.”
A second user shared: “I was sprinkling my grandad’s ashes when I was and I tried a flake I honestly wish I was joking,”
“I got a mouthful of my mum’s when I was sprinkling her,” confessed a third viewer.
Another person commented: “A pot of ashes is surprisingly heavy, this is something I learned.”
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
“What happens to things like skin muscles and other soft tissues during cremation?” asked someone else.
For people who don’t fancy the idea of cremation or a traditional burial it is actually legal to get buried at sea if you jump through some hoops.
Your body would need an identity tag and your coffin would have to be made of softwood and be free of plastic to avoid harming marine wildlife.
Also, your body could not be embalmed for the same reason.
To avoid your corpse accidentally popping up back up on the surface of the sea, the coffin also has to have a heavy metal base to ensure it sinks.