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A poisonous snake crawling on the wet soil of the field in the silence of the night… and suddenly it comes face to face with a soft vine of gourd or pumpkin spread on the ground. Can he sink his sharp teeth into that vegetable? And if this happens, can the person eating that vegetable die? This question is not just a fabricated story, but a deep fear of thousands of farmers and common consumers living in rural areas. Today we will expose this dreadful fear on the basis of science whether any vegetable served in the plate can actually become fatal due to snakes or is it just an age-old superstition.
Venom vs Poison: The mathematics of snake stings and our plates
Generally people get scared on hearing the word ‘poison’, but in the eyes of medical science, snake poison is ‘venom’ and not ‘poison’. There is a huge difference between these two, which is very important to understand:
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It is necessary to get it in the blood: Venom shows its lethal effect only when it directly penetrates the tissues and gets mixed into the human blood circulation.
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Stomach acid is a protective shield: Even if a person swallows snake venom (and there are no wounds or ulcers in his mouth, throat or stomach), the hydrochloric acid (HCl) present in our stomach destroys this complex protein by completely digesting it like a normal food or egg.
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Limited absorptive power of plants: Plants do not breathe or circulate blood like humans. Snake venom is a very complex and heavy protein molecule, which cannot be absorbed by the cells of any plant and reach the inner part of the fruit or vegetable.
Snakes and Vegetable Instincts: Why This Fear Is Completely Unfounded?
Nature has created snakes in such a way that they react or attack only living and moving creatures (such as rats, frogs, lizards or humans in self-defense). Cutting any lifeless vegetable, fruit or plant is not in their nature because they are not vegetarian.
Nevertheless, if we assume for a moment that in some rare case snake venom has got on the outer surface of the vegetable, there is no reason to panic. Its main scientific reasons are given below:
Effect of temperature: Snake venom is mainly composed of delicate protein elements. When we wash the vegetables from the farm thoroughly and boil or cook them on high flame, due to the high temperature this protein gets completely denatured and loses its poisonous effect forever.
The real danger is not poison, but bacteria!
Whether the vegetable is poisonous or not due to snake bite, there is another practical danger which people ignore. Snakes crawl in wooded paths, garbage and dirty soil areas, due to which many types of harmful germs like Salmonella Or other dangerous bacteria may be sticking.
If a snake crawls over a vegetable, these bacteria can be transferred to the surface of the vegetable. Therefore, consuming such vegetables without washing them can definitely lead to stomach infection or food poisoning.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. Does the color or taste of vegetables change due to snake bite?
Ans: no way. Snake venom has no effect on the physical properties of the vegetable such as its colour, smell or taste. Therefore, it is impossible to guess just by seeing or smelling whether a snake has crawled on it or not.
Q. If a snake crawls onto a vegetable, does it become poisonous?
Ans: No, mere crawling of the snake does not spread any poison inside the vegetable. However, dirt from their skin can get onto the vegetable, so it is essential to wash every vegetable from the farm or market thoroughly with water before cooking.
Q. What things should farmers keep in mind while working in the fields?
Ans: Always use a long stick before directly touching the vegetables or dense leaves growing on the ground, so that any creature hiding in the bushes can move away from there. Also, one should always avoid using vegetables that have been gnawed or torn by rats.
Q. Does boiling vegetables destroy snake venom?
Ans: Yes, scientifically, at high temperatures (boiling or frying) the complex proteins present in the poison get completely broken down and become inactive, due to which its effect is completely eliminated.
