Should malnourished children eat toad meat?

My 4-year-old son is anorexic and malnourished. My friends advised me to feed him toad meat to improve his condition. Please advise, doctor. (Hoai Phuong, Hanoi )

Reply:

Toad meat has long been passed down in folklore as an effective remedy for children with poor appetite, malnutrition, and rickets. Many mothers believe in its numerous benefits and often seek it out to prepare and make toad meat floss for their children.

According to the Vietnamese food composition table published by the National Institute of Nutrition, the nutritional value of dried toad meat powder contains approximately 55.5 g of protein per 100 g of toad meat and approximately 13.4 g of fat per 100 g of toad meat. However, when comparing the nutritional value of toad meat floss (toad meat jerky) with pork floss, both types of floss provide equivalent energy. Therefore, not only toad meat but also other meats such as pork, chicken, fish, shrimp, etc., provide good nutritional value, energy, and protein for children.

Furthermore, each type of food, especially protein-rich foods, contains different essential amino acids. Therefore, parents should feed their children a variety of foods to provide adequate nutrition and avoid over-reliance on any single food.

Toad meat, if not properly prepared, can cause poisoning. The liver, eggs, skin, mucus (a milky white secretion from the subcutaneous and parotid glands), eyes, and nerve ganglia of some toad species contain Bufotoxin, a toxin that can be fatal in a short time. It is estimated that the amount of Bufotoxin in the meat of one toad can kill 4-5 healthy people.

Symptoms of food poisoning usually appear quickly, about 1-2 hours after consumption. Common symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, bloating, irregular heartbeat, headache, shock, and rapid damage to the liver and kidneys. Those poisoned may die if not treated promptly.

Returning to your son's case, toad meat is just one of the foods that can be given to children. If you want to feed your child toad meat, parents need to consider carefully, prepare and cook it properly to avoid poisoning. If choosing processed foods like toad meat floss or dried toad meat, choose those that are licensed by health authorities to ensure safety.

Doctor Tran Thi Tra Phuong
Nutrihome Nutrition Clinic System

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