Dear Beeliners,
 I propose the Americans start bee-eating to match the ant-eating by the
Chinese <:)
encl.
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>From: [log in to unmask] (UPI)
Subject: Chinese scientists say eating ants is healthy
Date: Wed, 21 Oct 92 1:24:11 PDT
Lines: 19
 
	BEIJING (UPI) -- An ant a day keeps the doctor away -- at least
according to Chinese scientists.
	The official Xinhua news agency said Chinese entomologists, or ant
experts, recently wound up their country's first national symposium on
the medical applications of ants. Xinhua quoted the experts as saying
China has a 3,000-year history of ant-eating, with many Chinese still
munching crunchy ants today.
	``In some regions in southwest China, local people regularly eat
ants, and...as a result, the locals enjoy good health,'' Xinhua said.
	The news agency said some 40 entomologists and medical workers
attending the three-day seminar concluded that China's most-common ant
species, Polyrhachis Vicina Roger, proved effective against rheumatism,
hepatitis-B and other ``immunity disorders.'' The ants also contain many
trace elements vital to human health, Xinhua said.
	The news agency added that the ``many reseach papers'' presented at
the seminar included new techniques on extracting ``the usable
ingredients from ants...to make medicine.''
	``This marked a new ant-processing stage to the old direct-eating
method,'' Xinhua said.