Saturation Point
A Rooster’s Comb
By
Mar 27, 2008 - 2:20:41 PM

There was a rooster up a tree. I saw it out of the corner of my eye; a rooster quietly resting on a branch about 10 feet off the ground. I pointed it out to Ben and we made our way closer to get a better look at this odd occurrence. I don’t know what made it more odd, the fact that the rooster was up a tree or that we were the only ones who seemed to notice (it was in the median in a parking lot). I snapped a picture as the bird gave us the stink eye from up above.
Ben started to ask me questions about rooster species in general and I had to say that I knew nothing about this multicolored farm animal. But, as soon as I was able, I sat down in front of the computer and searched for some interesting facts. Something that separates a male rooster from a female hen is the prominent comb that is located on top of the male’s head. According to Wikipedia, the comb is large fleshy red skin that adorns the rooster, making it stand out.

Reading further, I found out that there is actually a medicinal use for the rooster comb; not necessarily consuming the flesh, but going a bit deeper. In fact, their comb might hold the key to a fountain of youth.  According to Hylaform.ca, Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance that is found in human skin and throughout the body that helps maintain elasticity in skin. Hylaform is a “dermal” filler that is made from a highly purified form of hyaluronic acid, which in fact ­mimics the ­effects of natural hyaluronic acid. This highly purified form of hyaluronic acid comes from none other than a roosters’ comb!

ABC News did a special on the possible benefits of hyaluronic acid with a piece entitled, “The Village of Long Life: Could Hyaluronic Acid Be an Anti-Aging Remedy?”  According to hyaluronic-acid.org, this show focused on a village in Japan named Yuzuri Hara where people tend to live a long time and often have flawed skin into their 80s or 90s. In fact, more than 10 percent of the population of this village is 85 or older, which is about 10 times the norm in the United States. This show reported that diet may be the key factor. The residents there eat large amounts of satsumaimo (similar to sweet potatoes) which may boost hyaluronic acid levels.

Another use for this gelatinous material that is extracted from a rooster’s comb is for joint pain. It has been known to ease the severe and crippling pain caused by osteo­arthritis by lubricating joints. I never knew that roosters were so intriguing and held such medical mysteries in their pretty red combs.  I thank the rooster in the tree for inspiring me to spread the word that things aren’t always what they seem.



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