Nestled in Charm!

We are living in a time where people judge almost everything through your social media presence. Posing for selfies, posting comments and live videos or performing the most trending challenges, social media is all about keeping pace with the latest. However, most often we are not content with our look. And one of the primary reasons is our skin tone or skin quality. Although there are several quick and easy methods available in the markets one should visit a qualified dermatologist for the same.

Edible Bird’s Nest or Swallow’s Nest has long been regarded in Asian culture as the secret to everlasting youth and health.  Bird’s nest is the nest of a specific type of Swallow, call Swiftlet that can be found in Southeast Asia. When immersed in water, Bird’s nest dissolves and takes on a gelatinous texture.

Knowing the essence: Slimey as it is, the viscous phlegmy looking jelly shreds are the most nutritious and most prized parts of Bird’s nest, especially when prepared as a soup that can be either sweet or savoury. The regenerative properties in the saliva of Swiftlets have been thought to promote cell growth, resulting in perceived healing effects, especially for the skin.

This brings about collagen production thereby maintaining youthful skin. Consume it continuosly to have the best of results.

Recent studies have shown that Bird’s nest contains a growth factor called the Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF), which stimulates cell growth and proliferation. EGF is a form of protein which has anti-ageing abilities, stimulates skin growth at the cellular level, and may also increase collagen production. It’s scientifically proven to be approximately 50 percent crude protein, and 50 percent essential amino acids. Protein is the building block for blood, muscle, tissue, and skin. It’s a natural supplement that has zero side effects – unless you are allergic to high amounts of protein, that is.

Health Benefits: Edible bird’s nest is rich in amino acids and some of these acids are not produced naturally by the human body. Amino acids that are present in a bird’s nest increases the metabolic rate of the toxic substances in our body. These also help in stimulating the growth of red blood cells. It contains elements like Manganese, Copper and Zinc that help in boosting and stimulating several functions of the body. When consumed regularly for a longer period of time, the pre-digested protein and nutrients in an edible nest can have a positive impact on liver and kidneys. Edible Bird’s Nest has anti-ageing and anti-acne agents that help in the reconstruction of skin cells thereby reducing the formation of pigmentation spots.

Limitations: When you start taking bird nest, you also need to follow some guideline of consuming bird nest. According to experts, the intake should be three grams of dried bird's nest for children between one and 12 years old and five and 10 grams for teens and adults. However, one should never mix bird's nest soup with a large number of other foods. Consuming small amounts of bird's nest soup regularly is much more beneficial than eating a large quantity at one time. Eat one nest per day for 10 days and you will feel better and more active. It will show the best result when you take a small amount of birds nest every day.

Capt Dr. Deepti Dhillon is a dermatologist. Disclaimer: Always check with a cosmetic surgeon before going ahead with this procedure