Health practice or just hype? A man eats 200 worms and then threads a live snake through his nose
Eating worms has definitely been a huge topic of conversation recently. And I don’t mean that as a euphemism for the recession but rather as a literal statement. This man from Madras, India ate a bowlful of live worms and then threaded a live snake through his nasal cavity.
A good source of protein, worms are a delicacy in many parts of the world. In fact many of the old world tribes in China, Indian, Australia, Africa and so forth have had a history of eating worms and other insects for thousands of years.
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In some cultures, worms are eaten for medicinal value. A recent New York Times article claims that
“in studies of what is called the hygiene hypothesis, researchers are concluding that organisms like the millions of bacteria, viruses and especially worms that enter the body along with “dirt” spur the development of a healthy immune system.”
A recent Fox News story has stated that
“ongoing studies imply that ingesting worms redirects a skewed immune system, curing people with autoimmune disorders, allergies and asthma.”
In China eating worms is associated with enhancing beauty as they contain high levels of amino acids, fatty acids, trace minerals and vitamins.
Gut diseases can be treated with medicine made from worms
In 2003, BBC News ran an article about Dr. Joel Weinstock, a specialist in bowel disorders, who reckons that human beings have evolved with worms and that we actually need them in order to stay healthy. He has treated patients with ulcerative colitis by giving them a drink of worm eggs. The article also talks about another UK doctor Alan Brown who was able to cure hayfever thanks to about 300 hookworms in his gut. Since then he has been examining the powers of the hookworm with a view to creating a possible asthma drug.
Earthworms as exotic foods
The Explorers’ Club in New York periodic holds dinners where so-called exotic foods like earthworms, are served. The New York bug banquet held at the Explorers’ Club on xxx served a variety of gourmet foods prepared from worms including crudites with mealworm dip, wax worm and mealworm California rolls, and wax worm fritters with plum sauce.
Gene Rurka, the exotic foods chairman at the Explorers’ Club says that earthworms need to be carefully selected, cleaned and prepped before you start cooking. Otherwise you will have a gritty, chewy string that most likely has spent its lifetime dining on a whole assortment of harmful chemicals put in the soil by humans.
Rurka, who spent almost 10 years trying to find maggots he could serve safely, recommends controlling the environment the worms will come from. You can try starting a compost heap, planting an organic garden or building an earthworm farm — a Google search of “earthworm farm” came back with 251,000 results.
Live versus cooked?
Rurka maintains that to prep worms for cooking means killing them humanely: freezing or soaking in alcohol works best. If you’re set on frying the worms, you’ll need to dehydrate them. Otherwise they’ll burst — worms are 90 percent water. Salt draws out the water. Heating them in the oven will do the trick, too, but beware: If you cook them too long they will shrink to the width of a hair.
If you are really interested in preparing a meal of worms, then click here for a recipe for earthworm patties.
Now when it comes to eating non-vegetarian fare, one would usually expect the animal to be cooked to meet standards of digestion. However some cultures recommend ingesting live animals to maximize their essence and minimize the release of toxins that are generated if the animal is in fact killed.
In this video, a man in India ate a bowlful of worms in less than 30 seconds. I don’t think he did it for health or nutritional reasons as much as to try and set a world record.
Right after that, he threaded a live snake though his nasal cavity (through his nostril and out of his mouth). This, by the way, is inspired by an ancient yogic nasal cleansing practice known as ‘sutraneti’ whereby a thin catheter or string is inserted through the nose and into the mouth. The end is then pulled out of the mouth and while holding both ends at once the string is alternately pulled in and out of the nose and sinuses.
Challenging as it sounds, it is a very effective health practice for those who suffer nasal polyps but I would not recommend doing it with a snake…live or dead!
