Weird Medicinal Animal Organs

In Asia herbal plants are commonly used for alternative and traditional medicine wherein most Chinese introduced Traditional Chinese Medicine, and not only plants are in use, but also animals and insect parts. In China and other part of Asia like Vietnam, Thailand, Philippines, Korea, Japan and others where Chinese dominated countries with their healing beliefs, you could see animal parts, dried, but  some are freshly sold in the market. For some it is really gross to think of consuming animal parts in your cuisine or drinks. But for those who believed and maybe “healed”, then continue to use these medicines. But according to some research and studies, this herbology is not clinically proven. But some animal elements are prepared as medicine with combined herbal plant mixture served in as tea or mixed in foods. Traditional Chinese medicine in early times include human parts and was called Ben ao Gangmu or classic Materia medica includes human bones, fingernails, hairs, earwax, dandruff, impurities on the teeth, urine and feces, sweat and some human organs, but most are no longer in used today.

1)   Deer Penis

Dried deer penis is popular in traditional Chinese medicine, and sold in Chinese pharmacies, believing it has important therapeutic properties and effective for athletic injuries, and remedy for impotency or male virility.

Deer Antlers

Deer antlers are believed to build up physical  and spiritual powers, if antlers are mixed in tonic or tea drinks and consumed and best remedy for colds and flu.As they cut the antlers, they squeezed the blood in it and mixed on herbal preparations.  The antlers are sliced thinly and boiled with ginseng herbal plants and other herbs. They also believed if the slices are closer to the antler’s roots it is more effective for health than the antler’s tip. But the New Zealand Game and Industry research said the tip of antlers are more effective than of the lower part and stimulates the immune system and production of white blood cells. Deer Musk when rubbed in the “private parts”, can stimulate virility.

Deer Sinew and Tendons

In South Korea, the deer antlers are produced as tonic drinks and other parts are being consumed as energy food and drinks. The sinew and the tendons are believed to cure arthritis and rheumatism if consumed.

2) Flying Squirrel Feces

The feces of the flying squirrels are believed to invigorate the blood vessels if consumed raw, and if dried and fried, it can help stop bleeding. It is believed to be a remedy for  amenorrhea or dysmenorrhea or menstrual pains among women, epigastric (stomach)  pain, and chest pains, postpartum and abdominal pain. If ingested mixed the feces with other herbs, dry and fry if used for stopping uterine bleeding with blood clots due to stasis . But in some studies, flying squirrel feces are vector for typhus diseases.

3) Rhinoceros Horn

Rhinoceros horns are believed used for fever remedy and believed they are agents to cool the blood. But hunting for Rhino horns are banned, but still these horns are found sold in black markets, because Rhinoceros are considered as an endangered animals.

Elephant Skin

Elephant skin are believed to cure acne and pimples and other skin blemishes. But this are not clinically proven.

4)  Tiger Parts

Tiger Penis or Baculum (penis bone) and Tiger Eyes

The baculum or penis bone of the Tiger are one of the most famous Chinese medicine and the tiger eyes, believed to improve virility and cure impotency. The tiger whiskers are consumed for toothache remedy and strength, the tiger eyes can cure epilepsy, seizures and convulsions, malaria, nervous breakdown and eye cataracts.  The tiger nose are also remedies for epilepsy and convulsions, the tail is for skin diseases treatment. The crashed and powdered tiger bones and mixed with wine or soup, can treat rheumatism, arthritis, muscle strength and prolong life. The tiger brain, is believed to cure pimples and laziness, while the tiger skin, can cure mental diseases, the blood if consumed for strengthen will power and stamina, the flesh or meat can cure malaria, nausea and energy. The testes is believed to cure tuberculosis and upset stomach, the tiger bile is best for child’s  convulsion, the gallstones is a treatment for weak and watery eyes. And Tiger feces or poops are used to treat boils, hemorrhoids, epilepsy, ulcers and malaria. No scientific evidence are shown this are all effective.

5)  Bear Parts

Bear Bile are believed to cure liver diseases, blood disorders, digestive disorder, fever, cancers, sore eyes and other ailments or diseases. It is also believe that bear bile can restore vigor and brain dead cells and brain disorders.

Bear paw soup is served in Thailand and known for its high value and expensive cuisine, believed as an energy booster and aphrodisiac.

Bear parts are believed an affective remedy for different kinds of ailments and expensive parts sold in the market likewise in restaurants, like in Thailand, before serving the bear parts cuisine, they torture the bear before killing them  in front of the diners, and cooked the bear, because of their beliefs that the meat taste better. The gallbladder, liver, bile and testicles served as aphrodisiacs and cure impotency. The gallbladder is also known for diabetes, stomach and bowel problem, liver diseases, and heart problems.

6) Monkey Brain

The most controversial food served among Chinese, but now being served in many parts of Asia, and believed  can cure impotency and other diseases. Some eat the monkey brain while the monkey is still alive, and scope the brain out of the skull, a cruel practice that is now being banned by the authorities. But according to medical studies, eating monkey brain is hazardous to human health, and there is a risk of contamination from transmissible spongiform encephalopathies diseases and infectious agents diseases like the Creutzfeldt-Jacob disease.

Macaque Monkey meat

The meat of Macaque monkey can cure Malaria disease and low energy or depression, according to Chinese beliefs. Thus make it over hunting of macaque monkeys in Indonesia and some neighboring countries.

7) Bull Pizzles

Bull pizzles are best known for health and energy medicine like lowering of cholesterol level, high in protein, hormones, minerals and vitamins, calcium and magnesium (beneficial for bones) and boost stamina. It is better to consume it by freezing or drying.

In China bull or Ox penis are soaked in herbal wine before eating and believed it best treatment for impotency and an aphrodisiac. The pizzles are cooked with Chinese yam and fertilized duck eggs and snake bile, with the belief it could enhance their sex life.

 8)  Dog Penises

Thailand was known to export dog penises in China and Taiwan, where the demand is big and served in Chinese restaurants in China known for impotency  and energy boosters. The dog penises are served and eaten dipped in hot sauce or soy sauce, to cover up the bitterness taste and consistency. Now it is also best known in some Korean cuisine and called Gaebul.

 

9) Pangolin

The Pangolin’s scales and fetus have a very big demand in China used for medicinal purposes.

Rat Fetus

10) Malayan Tapir Skin

The skin of Malayan tapir are believed to cure boils and infectious diseases of the skins, if cooked and consumed.

11) Snake Parts

Corn snake’s gallbladder are one of the famous remedies for treatment of bronchitis and cough.  The snake glands are good for the eyes. Boil the corn snake, and drink the black liquid like tea.

Snake Blood

Snake blood are usually prepared by slicing the belly, and allow the blood to pour and drink it fresh from the cobra’s wound. It is widely believed to ward off all kinds of illness and boost energy and an aphrodisiac. Some can not drink it fresh, so they mix it in some drinks like wine and tea.

Snake Wine

Snake wine are believed to give energetic life and health and sex stimulants. The wine is produced by infusing the snake inside the jar, mixed with rice wine or alcohol grain which became famous in Vietnam, Thailand, China and southern Asia. Some of the snake species used for snake wine production belongs to endangered species, and one reason why snake wines are not allowed for export businesses.   (http://ph.images.search.yahoo.com/images/)

Snake venom is dissolved in wines and change the nature of  protein Vethanol, and spread out when mixed in rice or grain alcohol,  that makes the venom inactive, then mixed with medicinal herbs and steep for several months until it is ready to drink.  The snake wines are to be consumed by shot glasses only. Snakes are believed to possess medicinal properties and cure various kinds of aliments such as baldness or hair loss, farsighted or nearsighted, impotency, and many more. In a recent studies of Toxinologist Zoltan Takacs, the snake venom can slow the cancer cell growths and can prevent growing tumors and be a curative agents. (source credit: National Geographic)

Snake Massage

Leech Therapy

Leeches are used to detoxify human body toxins. They believed using blood-sucking leeches, can suck various ailments of human  body.

12) Gecko or Dried Lizards

Ruou Thuoc Wine

A medicinal wine produced by infusing whole snake, Seahorse, Gecko inside a glass jar mixed and soaked with alcohol grains or rice wine, and medicinal herbs such as ginseng roots, jujube (Chinese or Korean dates), and  termites. The wine is widely known as medicinal health drink, usually taken in shots before mealtime, and treat many kind of diseases not caused by bacteria or viruses and sex enhancement especially for matured women. 

Geckos and Seahorses are alternative for snake wines, having the same properties when produced as wines. Geckos are now famous for medicinal purposes for AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and other terminal diseases. But these are not clinically proven. Geckos are now smuggled out in the Philippine country and sold internationally and illegally.  Lizards  can lower blood pressures, cure asthma if consumed.

13) Seahorse

Seahorses are best remedy and recommended as treatment for asthma, arteosderosis, nausea or dizziness, joint pains or arthritis, rheumatism, impotency and  involuntary urination especially among women. The dried seahorses are pound and powdered and usually mixed with herbal plants and drink as tea. Ashes of seahorses mixed with soda and pig’s stomach was believed to treat baldness or loss of hair, in ancient Roman.

14) Turtles and Turtle plastron

Ingesting turtle parts are widely believed by Chinese to cure many ailments, and make them live longer, as turtles are known for their longevity. Turtle blood are widely sold in many branches of Wall-Marts in China.

15) Insects

Powdered dried Weaver ants are used to treat asthma

Cockroach, dried and powdered can cure stroke patients and lower blood pressures. But these are not medically proven.

Dried cicadas, when boiled or cook in a soup improves eyesight.

Can Sha or Silkworm feces best remedy for Typhus disease.

Bee Venom , honey, are used in Ancient Chinese best remedy for cough, bronchitis, asthma and other respiratory ailments. 

Black Scorpion wines Chinese traditional medicine and cure many ailments.

Black centipedes with yellow legs, are known for their toxins, but it is valued by Oriental medicinal mixture in Korea and many parts in China.

Chong Cao or Yartsa gompo, are dried caterpillars in Chinese, and believed to cure variant illness, rejuvenate health tissues, and believed as an anti-aging remedy, and treat infections, inflammations and phlegm in the lungs, over fatigue and stress and even the deadly cancer cells.

16) Barred Owls

Asian barred owls are one among the endangered species and hawks. But hunting for these species are still done and cooked for soup, believing it can correct  eyesight. While the Imperial eagles are hunted because of their feathers, and believed that when the feathers are rubbed on the skin, it can cure variant skin disease.

17) Bird’s Nest Soup

Bird’s Nest soup, an expensive delicacy among Chinese and Asian cuisine. It is also known for health benefits and medicinal for asthma, digestive system, aphrodisiac, improve the immune system and vocal cords.

18) Duck Gizzards and others

Duck gizzard cooked wit almond kernels and watercress, is widely known By Cantonese as cough remedy or expectorants. According to Chinese beliefs, the watercress removed the excess yang in the human body, the almond kernels heals any lung diseases, while the dried duck gizzards will balanced the yin  and yang energy of the soup.

Duck in Chinese don’t serve only as an especial cuisine but as Chinese medicine and tonic food and health booster.

19) Silkie Chicken

Sikie black meat is a good therapy food and believe to be a curative meat, and prepared and cooked with wolfberry (a medicinal plant for anti-fungi and and anti-bacterial properties), and white yam (cleansing kidney) , orange peel and ginger.

20) Herring Spawn

Herring spawn wrapped in kelp when dried and burned,  produced soda ash or  sodium bicarbonate. Kelp are underwater plants found in an underwater forests in the ocean. The kelp are seaweeds algae family.

Sea Cucumber

Chinese beliefs that sea cucumber is a curative food and nourish the vital and blood vessels, cleanse the kidney and can cure kidney disorders, cleanse intestines and constipation, impotency and fatigue and slow aging process.