The Ridiculous Number Of Slim Jims You'd Have To Eat For Them To Kill You

Let's admit it: life is simply not as interesting without snacking. Food items like Slim Jim keep us going when nothing else can. According to Mental Floss, Slim Jim has a rather unusual history and was created by high school dropout Adolph "Al" Levis. The boy was simply trying to make a living during the Great Depression and survive by providing groceries to homes in his area. Somewhere along the way, he decided to experiment with a new snack that was easy to eat. And yes, Slim Jim was invented to replace pepperonis as a snack food. Huh.

Another interesting fact? Levis marketed Slim Jims as a convenient snack food inside bars with lines like "the Ready-to-Eat Spiced Sausage Treat" that would serve as perfect side to a drink. As delicious as Slim Jims are, you do need to exercise caution while eating them. If you eat way too many, you could hurt yourself. Here's how you could overindulge by eating too many Slim Jims.

According to Wired, a Slim Jim can be a great snacking option for you, yes, but too much of that stuff can be harmful to you. You see, the snack is made up of ingredients such as chicken that's mechanically separated, corn, wheat proteins, salt, and more. One notable ingredient worth mentioning here is sodium nitrite, which is included to help preserve animal muscle and stop it from changing color (via Science Direct). Here is the piece of information that you need to pay attention to: six grams of this sodium nitrite can be deadly for you. Basically, approximately 1,400 Slim Jims can kill, according to Wired. Whoa.

Wonder what wrestler Randy Savage would think of that? For those not in the know, the wrestler, who's now a popular character on the show, Young Rock, has been an integral part of Slim Jim for many years and promoted the product as its official spokesperson in the 1990s. He made the line, "Snap into a Slim Jim!" synonymous with the brand. Well, that said, remember to enjoy your Slim Jims in moderation for the sake of your health!