Eating fried bugs could be fatal, Thai Health Dept warns

[laislica]

A few years back, we had a black lamp insect trap. We would catch a least a kilo every night in the season (record night 3 kilos), my wife would pick out all the bugs we wanted, the rest went into the fish pond. Then we'd trot off to the market and sell to a lady who cooked them - she couldn't get enough as wild bugs are highly sought after. 1kg of bugs would fetch the same value as 1kg of pork.

Later, a large sugar mill was built in the area, and, the locals started to turn the rice paddies over to sugarcane. We now have very few bugs, so few, we don't bother with the lamps anymore. Thinking not much of it at the time and certainly not seeing a connection to the sugarcane, we were visiting some Thai friends who had a successful cricket farm (they sold a large proportion of their product to a factory that canned them for export). I was sad to hear from them that they had been put out of business due to the chemicals used in cane farming, I exclaimed surprise as there was no sugarcane anywhere near their place.

Spot on, the poisons used in the agriculture industry will kill everything and us eventually.

Still someone makes a super profit in the short term and that's what's important, a fast buck!

They fool us with Lies, Damn Lies and statistics.

Thank the stars that I am old and will not have to watch how we are being screwed for much longer.....

I would not swap with my Grandson of less than one year!!!!!

We tink it's bad now - just wait.....

.

[RubbaJohnny]

stick to corn on the hub

[BruceSmith]

And they have been eating bugs in Thailand for how long? And there have been how many confirmed deaths?

This isn't Ripley's amazing world of facts website is it?

No, I do'nt think this is " Ripley's amazing world of facts website.

It appears to be TV's amazing world of facts website!

Now how about that?

[Thai at Heart]

And they have been eating bugs in Thailand for how long? And there have been how many confirmed deaths?

This isn't Ripley's amazing world of facts website is it?

It's just the "dangerous substance of the week". First, Vitamin C is bad for you, then it's good. Then Beta-caroten is good, then bad. And so on.

Ignore it, eat your bugs happily!

But in Thailand these stories hit your front page as some kind of amazing epiphany.

Doctors claim that kids playing video games 23 hours a day causes ingrown toe nails.

The pooyai speaks and the papers print the story. Bam. No proof, no evidence other than that in a biology text book.

[bangkokstick]

Drink some snake wine with your insects and this Vietnamese liquor will kill all germs !

[deepcell]

Doctor mad man! I love bugs!

[Billmont]

Please remind me, is butter 'in' or 'out' at the moment?

[mormaew]

I'm physician in Thailand and I 've to tell you that this illness is real and common. It account for 15% in anaphylaxis in Thailand ( 30% from Seafood allergy)

The mechanism is due to
1. allergy to protein in crustesean : so people with seafood allergy should not eat insect
2. histamine in food : because insect that use in food industry may not fresh due to shipment and histamine can accumulate in food

In western country there is same disease call scombroid poisoning.

In Thailand fried insect is snack in fair or festival .

And they have been eating bugs in Thailand for how long? And there have been how many confirmed deaths?

This isn't Ripley's amazing world of facts website is it?

12oct2013 there was a woman that die because of this disease

http://www.dailynews.co.th/crime/239756

I think it is equal to peanut allergy in USA (Why you westerner consume peanut that much , I think fried cricket and worm are more delicious than peanut butter )

[mormaew]

http://apjai.digitaljournals.org/index.php/apjai/article/viewFile/55/72
http://ai.jsaweb.jp/pdf/060030283.pdf

and medical research paper about anaphylaxis . Fried insect can be found.

[sirchai]

How should I explain that in the village?-

[mormaew]

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=591884850870970&set=a.235403873185738.57902.100001483828461&type=1

If you live in Thailand , I wrote this note in Thai language.

I said in article that if anyone want to eat fried insect they should collect the insect and fried themselves.

[F4UCorsair]

I suppose we may never know just how many people have died form eating insects? Village deaths may not be reported, or investigated.

The Japanese and Chinese have been eating fugu, a poisonous (if not prepared correctly) puffer fish, and there are a few reported deaths from that delicacy each year. Apparently the 'kick' comes form the tingling of tongue and lips as it's consumed, and that means some poison is being ingested. They hope it's not enough to kill them!!

Having lived and worked in Japan for a few years, and having some knowledge of how the Japanese think, I think it would be as much about the prestige of being able to afford fugu, because it is very expensive, as the actual risk involved.

[bitterbatter]

Isnt eating anything fried in oil pretty much considered bad for you anyways?

The oils typically being used are definitely bad for you and a cause of many cardiovascular problems. Thailand used to use primarily coconut oil but made a big mistake by pushing cheap crap oil. Cooking with coconut oil is one of the best oils around and can offer a wonderful flavor to the food. It is a bit expensive, but well worth it to your health. Personally, I like to take a bottle of coconut oil with me and ask anyone making me food if they can use it. They usually are accommodating.

As for bacteria, the latest research in probiotics shows that the proper bacteria in the digestive tract can give you good protection against all other bacteria. E-Coli for example, can actually become a food for good bacteria and become digested into useable vitamins. This statement may raise a lot of disagreement, but I learned about it when I was asked to write a book about a research doctor's findings, three years ago. Particularly lactobacillus fermentum, which is most beneficial in the upper digestive tract. Some of those small yogurt drinks you find in most small shops contains this living bacteria.

Edited October 18, 2013 by bitterbatter