What happens if you swallow a fly?

Among the many phobias known to science, the fear of accidentally swallowing an insect is one of the most common. This kind of insectophobia is quite justified. Scientists have calculated that in a year a person eats an average of 430 arthropods in one form or another. It is quite clear that if you eat an ant at a picnic with a sandwich, then nothing will happen. But what happens if you swallow a fly?

If you are sure that you have never eaten a fly in your life, then you are most likely mistaken. Surely you have had such an unpleasant experience, although you may not know about it. A fly can get into the mouth in a dream, alive or dead, along with food, but most often people eat eggs and fly larvae.

The whole life of flies consists of finding food and a place to lay eggs. Insect larvae need a moist, food-rich environment. Products, especially slightly spoiled ones, are an ideal incubator for reproduction. Flies are attracted by the smell of rot or blood and they recognize them much better than we do. The favorite products of flies include meat, offal, sweets, vegetables and fruits, dairy products.

The eggs of flies are very small, as are the larvae that have just hatched from them. But future flies grow quickly and maggots become noticeable after 2-3 days. Fly larvae look disgusting, but they can't harm a person. On the contrary, they can be considered a valuable food product, since they consist almost entirely of protein. The larvae also contain a substance similar in action to antibiotics. We can confidently say that neither the eggs nor the larvae of these insects will harm you.

Eating adult flies is not the most pleasant activity. But it's harmless enough. An adult insect, like a larva, consists mainly of protein. Only now chitin is added to it — an organic substance that makes up the tough shells of the insect. This is the same as the shell of a crab or crab, but much thinner. Chitin is easily broken down by gastric juice and is well absorbed by the body.

Trouble from a eaten fly is a rarity. They occur in people who have individual reactions to the substances that make up the insect. You can't die from them, but the symptoms can be very unpleasant. Most often it is nausea, vomiting and pain in the stomach and intestines. You should consult a doctor if the painful condition persists for more than two hours.

Only the larvae of large gray meat flies are dangerous. They can cause parasitic diseases of the intestines, skin, respiratory tract and eyes. Fortunately, in our latitudes, the risk of catching this attack is minimal. Parasites are carried by flies living in the tropics.

So if you live in the middle latitudes and accidentally or intentionally ate a fly, then you don't have to worry. It is almost guaranteed that such a gastronomic experiment will pass without consequences.