Frog meat is the first product we will discuss as we seek to understand the health benefits of the frog itself. Frogs have long been studied by herbalists in China, India, and Southeast Asia, each with differing opinions regarding the benefits of this versatile creature. In fact, there are entire schools of herbalists in these regions dedicated to studying and prescribing medicinal treatments for use against specific diseases that can affect the lives of people. For this reason, we will begin our investigation of the frog’s beneficial attributes by first discussing its dietary habits. Frogs are nocturnal, which means they are active during the night hours, eating mostly bugs and invertebrates while resting in cool, damp areas. While they are nocturnal, these creatures do consume some food during daylight hours.
Frog Meat Benefits
Because frogs are nocturnal, their metabolism is slow, allowing them to subsist on a diet consisting almost entirely of raw food. Their bodies have evolved into the efficient pump and toxin machines, capable of digesting toxins from the surrounding environment while expending little energy in doing so. This means frogs can survive on a largely carnivorous diet consisting mainly of small animals, vegetables, roots, fruits, seeds, and frogs themselves. Because these animals are so plentiful, it is not uncommon to find entire communities living together in large systems, like the one found in the Kalahari Desert in Southern California. This makes sense when considering frog meat benefits, as we will shortly see.
The most common frog meat eaten by humans is meat from the legs and tail. Commonly used for human consumption, this frog product is often consumed raw or cooked, or even boiled completely. Typically, frog meat benefits are more easily obtained when processing as opposed to raw. The meat is often seasoned with herbs and spices to make it more palatable and digestible and then further processed to remove any bacteria or toxins. The most common way in which this is done is by adding chemical agents such as salt, sugar, and acids.
Other Benefits
Some benefits from frog meat are clear. Frogs make excellent pets and are easy to feed, although their little teeth may cause some trouble to those with dental problems or children who dislike them. They have very tender, little tongues and may even be bitten while biting down, although this is rare. Also, because frogs have no vocal cords, they make excellent pets or even in captivity as “comfortable pets.”
Another of the many obvious benefits of frog meat is that its flesh is relatively easy to prepare. Raw frog meat is easily scraped up and used in salads, soups, or other dishes due to its meaty texture. Processed frog meat is usually combined with vegetables and cooked quickly to preserve its nutrient content. Both types are typically flavored with herbs and spices in order to add variety and flavor to a wide range of dishes.
Frogs are among the few animals that do not have vocal cords, so their sounds are an exceptional example of an animal’s sense of hearing and sense of taste. Frog’s meat is very sweet, and its eggs are also rich in nutrients. Both types of frogs are commonly found in the wild.
One of the first uses of frogs as the meat was for reindeer. They were eaten during the winter months as food for reindeers. It was also used by Native Americans as food, as well as a source of medicine for hunters. The Chinese used frog meat to make jerky. There is evidence that ancient Egyptians also used frogs as a source of food.
Bottom Line
For centuries, frog meat benefits have been recognized by humankind. Today, we can enjoy the wide variety of frog meat that is available, from eggs to meat. In general, we can get many more health benefits from frog than from most meats. If you want to get more benefits, then eat frog meat!
