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In the garden of the Pedralbes monastery in Barcelona, ??the Achillea leaves were full of snail slime. They shone with sunlight, which highlighted their texture, as seen in this photographic report in La Vanguardia’s Readers’ Photos.
I have also found a snail and it occurred to me to put some water on it, so I forced it to look out to take these photos.
Sometimes the details of nature can go unnoticed, but even the most insignificant has its importance. Did you know that snail slime can have regenerating and antioxidant effects on the skin?
It was precisely some Spanish researchers, specifically, from the departments of Physiology and Biology of the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM), who carried out a study in which they demonstrated that, curiously, snail slime can have regenerative and antioxidant effects. on human skin.
Biologists observed that the common garden snail (Cryptomphalus aspersum) produces a secretion rich in high and low molecular weight proteins, hyaluronic acid and antioxidants, useful in regenerative therapies for damaged dermal tissues.
This is because this substance stimulates the proliferation, migration, adhesion and survival of human keratinocytes and fibroblasts, according to the study published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science.
This snail is native to Europe, but lives in many other areas of the planet, where it is a pest of crops that can cause serious economic losses. But, as we see, it can also have its uses. And not only for its regenerating and antioxidant effects on the skin.
In fact, the snail is highly appreciated in Mediterranean cuisine, especially in France and Catalonia. In Lleida every year the Aplec del Caragol is celebrated, a popular festival during which around 12 tons of snails are eaten. For this reason, snail farming, known as helicculture, is even encouraged. But this is another story…
