Are these popular gifts really so "magical"?

Expert of this article: Pa Lize, chief physician of nutrition, science popularization committee member of Chinese Nutrition Society

Donkey hide gelatin, bird's nest, propolis

These gifts appear

It always brings a full flavor of the New Year

Every Spring Festival

New Year greetings are an essential part of

No matter which way you greet the New Year

Many people will prepare some gifts.

Choose the right time to send

To express your feelings

Speaking of gifts

The above three are popular gifts for the Spring Festival.

It has a "magical" effect in the minds of many people.

(Donkey hide gelatin replenishes blood, bird's nest is for beauty, propolis is for fighting cancer...)

High-end and nourishing

It's perfect to buy it as a gift

But is this really the case?

Next Steps

Just have a good chat with everyone

Eat donkey-hide gelatin to replenish blood?

Donkey-hide gelatin is made from the dried or fresh skin of a donkey, with rice wine, soybean oil, and rock sugar added, and is made through decocting and concentrating.

Iron is an important component of hemoglobin. Iron deficiency can easily lead to iron deficiency anemia. Insufficient intake of protein, especially high-quality protein, will affect the absorption and utilization of iron. Modern analytical techniques show that the blood-red iron content in donkey-hide gelatin is not high. Although the main components are polypeptides and various amino acids produced by protein hydrolysis, it is not much different from the same amount of eggs.

Of course, in recent years, domestic studies have found that donkey-hide gelatin contains active substances such as dermatan sulfate, bioacids and polysaccharides. my country also regards donkey-hide gelatin as a substance that can be used as both medicine and food. There are many health products on the market that are labeled as health products, but as for the blood-enriching function, there is still a lack of scientific research conclusions using experimental methods. Therefore, the folk belief that donkey-hide gelatin can enrich blood is wrong.

Donkey-hide gelatin used in clinical treatment and health foods with specific functions are generally prepared in combination with other medicinal materials. If you find yourself with mild anemia, it is best to buy donkey-hide gelatin health products that regulate body functions under the guidance of professionals. However, it should be reminded that donkey-hide gelatin is not a tonic product suitable for all ages, and the claim of strengthening the body is exaggerated.

Once anemia is confirmed, especially moderate to severe anemia, you must get regular treatment as soon as possible, and don't have too much expectations on donkey-hide gelatin.

Eat bird's nest for beauty and skin care?

Bird's nest, also known as bird's nest, bird's root and bird's vegetable, is a nest formed by several species of swiftlets of the same genus with well-developed mucus glands in the throat. They digest the insects, seaweed, whitebait and other substances they eat, and then spit out saliva to mix them with other substances, which condenses into a solid in the air.

Bird’s nests are generally divided into white bird’s nest, yellow bird’s nest, and red bird’s nest (blood bird’s nest). This is because the environment in which the swallows live and the walls of the bird’s caves where they build their nests are rich in minerals, which penetrate into the bird’s nests through the combined effects of humidity, temperature, and time, and take on different colors.

Among them, the blood bird's nest is considered the most precious variety because it has more iron elements infiltrated into the bird's nest. However, it should be noted that when iron elements infiltrate, other metal elements will inevitably infiltrate at the same time, and not all minerals are necessarily beneficial to the human body.

The reason why bird's nest is said to have the function of "beautifying the skin" is that it contains epidermal growth factor (EGF). In fact, EGF is a polypeptide composed of dozens of amino acids. Once it enters the stomach and intestines, it will be cut into amino acid fragments and lose its original physiological activity. In other words, if you do not pay attention to improving your nutritional status in an all-round way, eating bird's nest alone will not achieve the purpose of beauty.

Bird's nest contains rich nutrients such as sugars, trace elements, organic acids, free amino acids, etc. The biologically active sialic acid in the form of N-acetylneuraminic acid is a special substance of bird's nest. Sialic acid is also called bird's nest acid. The content of sialic acid in dry bird's nest is about 10%. Determining the sialic acid content can distinguish between real and fake bird's nests.

Studies have found that sialic acid has certain anti-inflammatory and immune-regulating effects, but these functions are obtained from animal experiments, and there is no conclusive evidence that they can be replicated in humans. In addition, sialic acid is not unique to bird's nests, but is also found in foods such as milk and eggs that people eat on a daily basis.

To sum up, bird's nest is not as magical as people imagine. Its main value may be that it looks more prestigious when given as a gift.

Does propolis have anti-cancer effects?

Propolis is a resinous substance collected by bees from plant secretions. Its chemical composition varies greatly depending on the collection area and plant secretions.

Propolis has long been used as a medicine for treating trauma, burns, sore throats, gastric ulcers, etc. Existing studies have found that propolis is rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids and has good antioxidant activity. However, there is still a lack of sufficient clinical experimental data for its purported anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, and immunity-enhancing functions.

In our country, propolis is included in the "List of Items That Can Be Used in Health Foods", which clearly states that propolis products are included in the management of health foods and may not be produced and sold as ordinary food raw materials.

Therefore, propolis products sold on the market must have the blue straw hat health product logo, no efficacy propaganda, and specify the suitable population and precautions.

In summary

These so-called high-end nutritional products

The nutrients it contains

In our daily food

It also exists in vegetables, meat, eggs, milk and other foods

There is no magical effect

Don't have too high expectations for this.

Giving a gift is a token of your thoughts.

Don’t be too price-conscious

After all, being happy and healthy is the most important thing.

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