Pippa Corbett answered
Drinking snake venom might not necessarily kill you, but that doesn't make it a good idea!
This theory hasn't been tested out on all types of snake venom, but most scientists believe that digesting snake venom will simply result in the proteins contained in snake saliva being broken down into harmless amino acids by the digestive tract.
Is it safe to drink snake venom?
Although a bite from a King Cobra, Black Mamba or Costal Taipan can prove fatal in a matter of minutes, you should theoretically be able to drink the toxic venom of these snakes and live to tell the tale.
That is, unless you have a cut or ulcer in your mouth, throat or digestive system. As long as the venom remains separate from your bloodstream, your body should be able to digest the venom like any other drink, eventually breaking it down into harmless chemicals.
However, if the venom enters your bloodstream, then you'll find yourself in serious trouble. Just ask Zaver Rathod...
He's an Indian man who, after a poisonous snake bit a friend of his, decided to kill and eat the snake raw as a bet. Zaver managed to stomach the snake (and won $2.14 in the process), but was rushed to hospital with severe nausea and vomiting.
Luckily, doctors were able to remove the contents of Zaver's stomach before the venom killed him, however I bet that's a wager he's not going to risk again!
This theory hasn't been tested out on all types of snake venom, but most scientists believe that digesting snake venom will simply result in the proteins contained in snake saliva being broken down into harmless amino acids by the digestive tract.
Is it safe to drink snake venom?
Although a bite from a King Cobra, Black Mamba or Costal Taipan can prove fatal in a matter of minutes, you should theoretically be able to drink the toxic venom of these snakes and live to tell the tale.
That is, unless you have a cut or ulcer in your mouth, throat or digestive system. As long as the venom remains separate from your bloodstream, your body should be able to digest the venom like any other drink, eventually breaking it down into harmless chemicals.
However, if the venom enters your bloodstream, then you'll find yourself in serious trouble. Just ask Zaver Rathod...
He's an Indian man who, after a poisonous snake bit a friend of his, decided to kill and eat the snake raw as a bet. Zaver managed to stomach the snake (and won $2.14 in the process), but was rushed to hospital with severe nausea and vomiting.
Luckily, doctors were able to remove the contents of Zaver's stomach before the venom killed him, however I bet that's a wager he's not going to risk again!
