It’s only Bird Spit!

Posted on Posted in - Fraud watch, - Palmdoc

The Malay Mail featured an item called Health values in delicacy

The main ingredient in bird’s nest of the popular Chinese dish is the saliva of the male sea swiftlet.

It is widely believed that the bird’s nest helps in beauty care and improve skin complexion. The delicacy is said to enhance the body’s immune system through cell division caused by the water-soluble glyco-protein and helps to heal illness among others, connected with the respiratory system such as chronic cough, asthma or throat infection.

It can also reduce fatigue, strengthen body’s self-regulating actions, resistance to disease, and provide superior food supplement for pregnant women and after childbirth.

Chemical analysis of edible bird’s nest reveals that the main constituents are about 60 per cent water-soluble proteins, water and traces of fat, carbohydrates, calcium, potassium and sodium.

It’s only bird spit people. I can’t understand the stupid obsession these people have in ingesting this item, at the expense of the poor birds (nests are raided and young swifts may die).
I challenge anyone to show evidence that ingesting “birds’ spit” is good for you…
Don’t believe me? Check out Dr. Liew’s opinion

Related MMR blogpost: It’s just saliva

About

Malaysian physician, haematologist, blogger, web and tech enthusiast

4 Comments on “It’s only Bird Spit!”

  1. I guess all we have is empirical evidence and good ol faith in word of mouth recommendations.

    However, when I was young I did have frequent coughs that would last for months which AMAZINGLY, no western medical doctor could treat. However, a bowl of birds nest would make it go away overnight.

    This happened for about 2-3 times….leaving me quite convinced.

    Placebo effect, incompetancy of the doctors I consulted or genuine therapeutic effect from bird’s spit, you decide.

  3. True about many Paediatric viral illnesses, by the time the patients take some ‘magic medicine’ after consulting many doctors, the illnesses were coming to the end anyway.