Man nearly dies after shoving 50cm live eel up his anus to cure constipation

A 49-year-old man in Guangzhou, China nearly died after inserting a live eel up his anus in an attempt to cure his constipation, only to make his insides feel even worse.

According to Shanghaiist, Liu had stumbled into a hospital in Baiyun District last week with a swollen stomach and severe pain in his abdomen.

Doctors rushed him into surgery and were stunned to find a 50cm-long eel, along with faeces and food remnants inside his abdominal cavity.

The fish, which injured Liu's intestines after slithering up his bowels, was successfully removed.

Liu later said he had heard of a folk remedy claiming that the slimy animal could lubricate the intestines and help a constipated person to defecate, which was why he tried it.