Can humans drink jumping spider milk?
No. Jumping spider milk is not a food product and is not available to humans. In 2018, scientists reported that one species, Toxeus magnus, produces a nutritive fluid that its young drink, but the amount is small, nobody harvests or sells it, and no health authority has assessed it for human use. Any product claiming to sell it should be treated as false.
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In this article
Is spider milk real?
Yes, in one case. In 2018 researchers in China published a study in the journal Science on Toxeus magnus, an ant-mimicking jumping spider. Mothers secrete a nutritive fluid from the abdomen that the young drink, and the researchers called it milk. Spiderlings fed it for about 40 days, and young kept from it stopped developing and died within 10 days. It is a fluid for baby spiders, and it is unlike cow’s milk apart from the idea of feeding offspring.
Can humans drink jumping spider milk?
No. The study says nothing about human consumption, and we found no food agency (FDA, EFSA or others) that has evaluated it. The fluid is produced in tiny amounts by a very small spider, so it cannot be collected in any useful amount, and nobody sells it. Do not try to collect or taste it.
Is there a spider milk product?
No legitimate one. Be careful with websites that sell or describe it as a nutritious drink. Descriptions of it as high in calcium, lactose free or good for athletes are not supported by any source we found. A similar-sounding term, spider silk, is a different thing: a protein fiber that companies make by fermentation for materials and textiles, not food.
Do other animals make milk?
Mammals do. A few other animals feed their young nutritive secretions, including pigeons (crop milk) and, as this study showed, one jumping spider. Milk you can buy comes from regulated farm animals such as cows, goats and sheep.
What should you drink instead?
- Cow, goat or sheep milk, pasteurized.
- Lactose-free milk if you cannot digest lactose.
- Fortified plant drinks such as soy, if you avoid dairy; check the label for calcium and vitamin D.
If you have a food allergy or a medical condition and need advice on dairy or alternatives, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.
People also ask
Can you drink spider milk?
No. It is produced in tiny amounts for baby spiders, has not been assessed for humans and is not sold.
Do spiders really make milk?
One jumping spider, Toxeus magnus, was reported in 2018 to feed its young a nutritive fluid from its abdomen.
Is there a spider milk product for sale?
No legitimate food product exists. Spider silk, a different material, is sometimes made by fermentation for textiles.
Sources
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