Is eating bird's nest really a waste of money?
Today, the living habits of the swiftlet are well understood. It mainly feeds on insects, and what it regurgitates is its own saliva, not undigested food. This is solely for nesting purposes to breed offspring.
Therefore, the ancients' reasoning about the medicinal properties of bird's nest has become nonsense. Bird's nest is nothing more than swiftlet saliva, feathers, some twigs from its habitat, and even the droppings of young swiftlets. However, many people believe that even if traditional Chinese medicine theories are not entirely reliable, bird's nest contains many health-benefiting substances, so it might have some health benefits. Is this true?
Scientists have analyzed the chemical composition of bird's nest. Dry bird's nest contains about 50% water-soluble protein, 30% carbohydrates, about 10% water, and some minerals. It does not contain anything magical. Of course, due to the complex composition of bird's nest, not all of its components have been fully analyzed to this day.
The protein content in bird's nest is high, but lower than that in tofu skin and pork rind, which is why fraudsters often use pork rind as a substitute. Moreover, some studies show that the protein in bird's nest does not contain all types of essential amino acids and cannot be considered a high-quality protein. In fact, for humans, the highest quality proteins are found in everyday foods, such as soybeans, tofu, and peanuts. For example, sialic acid (which is, after all, swiftlet saliva) is a derivative of neuraminic acid and a major bioactive component in bird's nest. It plays an important regulatory role in human physiological and biochemical functions and is also one of the important nutrients infants receive from colostrum, which can enhance children's intellectual development and boost immunity.
Sialic acid is also present in breast milk, and its content is not low. Therefore, the tiny amount of this substance in bird's nest is simply not worth the price.
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📚 Further Reading
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- Want to know about Japanese dried abalone sizes and sugar heart? Check out: Detailed Explanation of the Rarity, Collection Value, and Efficient Recycling Strategies for Japan's Three Famous Abalones: Homa, Yoshihama, and Amihama
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