A Woman Consumed Eight Live Frogs to Cure Her Back Pain, and Science Says It May Have Ancient Roots
Untreated pain can lead us to the darkest practices. The recent case of an 82-year-old woman proved this: inspired by local folk tales, she consumed eight live frogs, hoping to relieve her lower back pain.
The story, which ended with a hospital visit to an elderly woman suffering from severe abdominal pain caused by ingesting frogs, raises the question: was she completely wrong or is there some truth to traditional medicine practices that still influence people today?
Eating live frogs led to serious parasitic infection
As The telegraph According to reports, the ill woman, suffering from a herniated disc, asked her family to find her some frogs without telling them exactly what she had in mind. Driven by pain and desperate to find relief, she immediately ate three live frogs, followed by five more the next day, based on rumors of their pain-relieving properties.
Unfortunately, shortly after, she had to be hospitalized due to severe abdominal pain. At the hospital in Hangzhou, eastern China, she told doctors she had tried to cure her pain by eating eight live frogs. Tests confirmed she had contracted a parasitic infection.
Fortunately, the treatment was successful and the woman was released after two weeks.
Learn more: Doctors once used the Egyptian mummy to treat illnesses
Ingesting Unconventional Animal Parts to Relieve Disease
A strange incident like this may seem rare, but it is not completely unprecedented in China. Since traditional Chinese medicine describes the use of certain amphibians to treat a wide range of illnesses, some people may try alternative methods spread by traditional beliefs.
According to a doctor interviewed by The telegraphtreating patients, mostly elderly, who have tried similar approaches, is not uncommon. For example, a woman is said to have eaten five live frogs to relieve her rheumatism, while a man is said to have consumed the same amount to increase his energy after a broken bone. Both developed serious parasitic infections, including tapeworms.
And it doesn’t stop with frogs. Other reports mention the consumption of raw snake or fish galls, live tadpoles, and some salamanders. One might wonder if this is all a hoax or if there is any truth to it.
Amphibian toxins inspire medical research
The use of frogs and other amphibians for medicinal purposes dates back to ancient times. Any culture with frogs in its environment tends to develop unique traditions involving them. What might seem like magical thinking actually reveals a treasure trove of natural compounds with credible pharmaceutical potential.
Amphibians produce a wide range of toxins and other chemicals that humans have been harvesting for centuries. Modern research has discovered molecular mechanisms confirming the potential of amphibian compounds to treat pain, inflammatory diseases and even cancer.
For example, poison dart frogs produce toxins that are being explored as potential painkillers and treatments for cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Until the 1960s, practitioners even used African clawed frogs to confirm pregnancies.
Although amphibians play an important role in medical research and practice, misinformation and potential risks from toxins warrant caution. Overall, there is some scientific basis for the use of frogs in Chinese medicine, but not all claims have been scientifically validated. Traditional ingredients used in scientific research are carefully extracted, purified and tested, not swallowed whole.
This article does not offer medical advice and should be used for informational purposes only.
Learn more: New species of frog named after The Hobbit author JRR Tolkien
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