This kind of meat is really not edible! It is very dangerous! (People in the south should pay special attention)

Snakes give people the impression of being cold and mysterious animals. Most people want to run away when they see a snake, but there is a group of people who drool at the sight of snakes and love to eat snake meat. Some people think that snake meat is a great tonic and must be eaten.

I believe that every Hunanese has seen the "Flavorful Snake" sign when they were young! And snake meat is also common on the tables of Cantonese and Fujianese. But is snake meat really edible?

Snakes cannot be eaten

In the north, eating snake meat is rare, but in the south it is very common. There are even many snake meat restaurants. The snakes are in cages nearby and are still alive. They can be cooked in a variety of ways, such as with pepper and salt, stir-fried, stewed in soup, or soaked in snake wine.

Although snake meat is delicious, it is not allowed to be eaten in my country. Snakes are wild animals, and the illegal trade and excessive consumption of wild animals have been proven to be the source of many infectious diseases.

Therefore, my country has made it clear that it is completely prohibited to eat the three protected terrestrial wild animals and other terrestrial wild animals, including terrestrial wild animals that are artificially bred and raised. Snakes are included! In addition, both wild and farmed snakes have not yet been included in the "National Livestock and Poultry Genetic Resources Variety Catalog (2021 Edition)", and neither business units nor individuals are allowed to use snakes as ingredients for food processing.

In other words, whether it is wild snakes or artificially bred snakes, it is forbidden to eat them in my country! It is illegal for merchants to secretly sell snakes or for diners to eat snake meat or to catch snakes for eating. At present, according to relevant laws and regulations, snakes can still be raised, but they can only be raised and sold for non-food purposes such as medicine, display, scientific research, etc.

Is snake meat really nutritious?

Some people may not eat snake meat because it is delicious, but for the so-called nourishing effect of snake meat. In fact, we should be cautious about any claim that eating a certain food can have some kind of medical effect or prolong life. For example, many people think that snake gallbladder can improve eyesight, and even eating snake gallbladder raw is not only useless but also poses serious health risks.

So how nutritious is snake meat?↓

The protein content of snake meat is similar to that of pork, beef, mutton, chicken, fish, etc. that we usually eat. Even if we don’t eat snake meat, we can still supplement high-quality protein by eating livestock and poultry meat.

Compared with commonly eaten meat, although the fat content of snake meat is much lower, only 1.6%~16% of lean pork, the fat content of chicken breast is not high either, only 1.9 grams/100 grams.

Snake meat contains high levels of iron, calcium, zinc, and selenium. However, we can supplement iron by eating duck blood and clams regularly. The iron content of clams is 4.2 to 22.4 times that of snake meat.

The calcium content of aquatic products such as scallops, sea bass, and clams is 2 to 10 times that of snake meat;

Eating oysters and lean meat regularly can also supplement zinc. The zinc content of oysters is 15 to 100 times that of snake meat.

As for selenium supplementation, animal liver and kidneys are relatively rich in selenium. For example, pork liver contains 26.1 micrograms/100 grams, and sheep kidney contains as much as 58.9 micrograms/100 grams, which are stronger than snake meat in selenium supplementation.

Therefore, the highly nutritious snake meat in many people's minds is neither the king of nutrition nor a miracle drug for curing diseases, nor is it irreplaceable. Instead of being obsessed with eating this kind of "game", it is better to eat a variety of common meats in life, which are safe, cheap and delicious, to replace snake meat, and it is not difficult to balance nutrition.

Snake meat is a dangerous thing

In November 2023, Mr. Kong went on a business trip to Guangzhou. He heard that the local specialties were sashimi and snake meat, which were particularly fresh, so he tried them. In 2024, Mr. Kong experienced three fevers and came to the Sandun Branch of Zhejiang Hospital for treatment. After examination, Mr. Kong was positive for circulating antibodies to Sparganosis mansoni and circulating antibodies to Clonorchiasis sinensis.

A 34-year-old man in Guangdong ate snake meat and raw snake gall every year. After a similar feast no less than ten times, he suffered from unconsciousness, limb twitching, and general fatigue. A systematic imaging examination of his brain revealed a 6-cm-long live worm entrenched in his skull.

Eating snake meat to satisfy your appetite is not only illegal, but also a food safety issue. Many people think that as long as the snake meat is cleaned, cooked and heated, it can be eaten safely, but it is not that simple.

The most dangerous thing about eating snake meat is parasites. Snakes are natural hosts and sources of infection for zoonotic parasitic diseases, and can carry a variety of parasites, such as lingula, sparganosis, Spirometra mansoni, gnathostomum, etc. Among them, sparganosis, lingula, capillaria, and Spirometra mansoni have a higher infection rate.

Figure: Reference 4

People may be infected with parasites by eating undercooked snake meat, raw snake bile, or drinking snake blood. Parasites commonly parasitize the human eyes, limbs, subcutaneous tissue, and internal organs. Some parasites, such as sparganosis, will wander in the body and may even enter the brain, damaging organ tissues and causing serious consequences, such as bleeding, blindness, sepsis, inflammatory reactions, and even death.

In addition, snake meat may contain risks of viral and bacterial infection, incomplete toxin treatment, and excessive heavy metal content.

Summarize:

At first glance, snake meat is indeed nutritious, but it is not irreplaceable. We can get similar nutrition from common meats in our lives.

The consumption of snake meat is prohibited in our country, and the risk of parasites in snake meat is very high, so it is not recommended to eat it from a safety perspective.

References

[1] Chen Ruiyi, Feng Xianrong, Huang Mingluo, Yan Jiwen, Yang Guoguang. Nutritional composition of snake meat [J]. Acta Nutrimenta Sinica, 1994, 16(3): 342-343

[2] Chai Xiaojie, Wang Shuping. Analysis of nutritional components of snake meat [J]. Journal of Economic Zoology, 1999, 3(2): 51-53

[3] Yang Yuexin. Chinese Food Composition Table 6th Edition Volume 2[M]. Peking University Medical Press, 2019

[4] Zhou Qingan, Huang Weiyi, Guo Jiangang, Mo Shenglan, Shi Kaichuang, Li Jun, Li Jian. Investigation on the parasites of special economic animals (snakes) in Guangxi [J]. Specialty Products Research, 2021, 43(3): 96-99109

[5] Wu Youling. Investigation and species identification of parasite infection in three snake species[D]. Shanghai Normal University, 2014.

[6] Yang Guangda, Xiao Jiajie, Gong Shiping, et al. Common parasites of snakes in my country and their impact on human health [J]. Snake Journal, 2014, 26(01): 6-9+141.

Planning and production

Author: Xue Qingxin, registered nutritionist

Review丨Ruan Guangfeng, Deputy Director of Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center

Planning丨Fu Sijia

Editor: Fu Sijia

Proofread by Xu Lailinlin

Note: The cover image is a copyrighted image. Reprinting it may lead to copyright disputes.