In the article "Yan Wo Kao" (The investigation on bird's nest) in Monthly Mingpao Vol. 231, Prof. Y. C. Kong and Prof. P. S. Kwan (1985) mentioned that in China the consumption of the bird's nest was first documented in the ancient Chinese literature "Hai Yu" (The language of the sea) (Huang, 1536) in the Ming Dynasty.
In recent years Prof. Y. C. Kong has been conducting detailed investigations on bird's nests.
Based on repeatable results of in vitro exposure experiments he has discovered that the bird's nest contain a "cell division inducing hormone" and an "epithelial growth factor" that can stimulate the growth and division of cells, thereby enhancing tissue growth, cellular regeneration and cell-mediated immunity in humans.
The investigations have provided good scientific evidence that supports the notion that the bird's nest can facilitate growth, replenish strength and vital energy, accelerate the recovery from disease and reinforce immunity. The specific animal proteins in an edible bird's nest have the following three functions :
To stimulate the regeneration of cells
To enhance cell-mediated immunity
To enhance the resistance of an individual to X-irradiated damage
