Nutritional anthropologists believe that animals such as the seahorse, sea slug, or pangolin were viewed as especially good for "dietary supplement" because of their special natures. Chinese have not taken a scientific view of animals.
中國人對這些模稜兩可的動物，不僅不消極規避，反採積極看法。人類學者以為，海馬、海參、燕窩、穿山甲等中藥，都因為特殊性狀，才被中國人視為補品。