Are crickets and other creepy crawlies the new superfood?
In many cultures around the world, insects and arachnids form a normal part of a person's diet.
In the United States and Europe, however, we tend to regard such "delicacies" with mistrust. Can scientific evidence suggesting that insects are more healthful and nutritious than other foods change our minds?
large bowl of fried edible insects
Would you care for a fried cricket? New research suggests that they pack a mean antioxidant punch.
Edible insects have the highest market value in Asia-Pacific regions, according to recent reports. However, the same reports indicate that their value is on the rise in the United States.
Most people in Western countries may think that insects and other creepy crawlies, such as spiders or scorpions, have no place in their daily meals because they have a bad rap as scary house intruders. However, scientists suggest we should be more open minded about including such critters in our diets.
For example, only last year, a clinical trial from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that eating crickets could improve a person's gut microbiome.
In a new study, investigators from the University of Teramo in Italy now show that insects have a high content of antioxidants, which are natural substances that help maintain cellular health.
This could mean that insects might do a better job of supporting our health than fruit and vegetables, potentially becoming the next superfood — though this is a term that some nutritionists tend to eschew, arguing that it can be misleading.
"At least 2 billion people — a quarter of the world's population — regularly eat insects," notes the study's lead author Prof. Mauro Serafini. However, he admits, "[t]he rest of us will need a bit more encouragement."
So far, the researchers have conducted their investigation in vitro, and they report their findings in a study paper that appears in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
Crickets for an antioxidant kick?
With the current study, researchers have aimed to quantify for the first time, the potential healthfulness of edible insects and other edible invertebrates by assessing their content of antioxidants.
"Edible insects are an excellent source of protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and fiber. But until now, nobody had compared them with traditional functional foods, such as olive oil or orange juice, in terms of antioxidant activity," notes Prof. Serafini.
The team procured and analyzed 12 different edible insects, as well as two types of invertebrates. These were: mealworms, buffalo worms, palm worm larvae, evening cicadas, black ants, African caterpillars, silkworms, grasshoppers, crickets, mini crickets, giant water bugs, Amazonian giant centipedes, Thai zebra tarantulas, and black scorpions.
To find out the insects and arachnids' antioxidant content, the researchers ground them and then separated them into fat-soluble content and water-soluble content after having removed any inedible parts, such as wings or stings. Finally, they tested each of the edible parts to see how rich they were in antioxidants.
In many cultures around the world, insects and arachnids form a normal part of a person's diet.
In the United States and Europe, however, we tend to regard such "delicacies" with mistrust. Can scientific evidence suggesting that insects are more healthful and nutritious than other foods change our minds?
large bowl of fried edible insects
Would you care for a fried cricket? New research suggests that they pack a mean antioxidant punch.
Edible insects have the highest market value in Asia-Pacific regions, according to recent reports. However, the same reports indicate that their value is on the rise in the United States.
Most people in Western countries may think that insects and other creepy crawlies, such as spiders or scorpions, have no place in their daily meals because they have a bad rap as scary house intruders. However, scientists suggest we should be more open minded about including such critters in our diets.
For example, only last year, a clinical trial from the University of Wisconsin-Madison found that eating crickets could improve a person's gut microbiome.
In a new study, investigators from the University of Teramo in Italy now show that insects have a high content of antioxidants, which are natural substances that help maintain cellular health.
This could mean that insects might do a better job of supporting our health than fruit and vegetables, potentially becoming the next superfood — though this is a term that some nutritionists tend to eschew, arguing that it can be misleading.
"At least 2 billion people — a quarter of the world's population — regularly eat insects," notes the study's lead author Prof. Mauro Serafini. However, he admits, "[t]he rest of us will need a bit more encouragement."
So far, the researchers have conducted their investigation in vitro, and they report their findings in a study paper that appears in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition.
Crickets for an antioxidant kick?
With the current study, researchers have aimed to quantify for the first time, the potential healthfulness of edible insects and other edible invertebrates by assessing their content of antioxidants.
"Edible insects are an excellent source of protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and fiber. But until now, nobody had compared them with traditional functional foods, such as olive oil or orange juice, in terms of antioxidant activity," notes Prof. Serafini.
The team procured and analyzed 12 different edible insects, as well as two types of invertebrates. These were: mealworms, buffalo worms, palm worm larvae, evening cicadas, black ants, African caterpillars, silkworms, grasshoppers, crickets, mini crickets, giant water bugs, Amazonian giant centipedes, Thai zebra tarantulas, and black scorpions.
To find out the insects and arachnids' antioxidant content, the researchers ground them and then separated them into fat-soluble content and water-soluble content after having removed any inedible parts, such as wings or stings. Finally, they tested each of the edible parts to see how rich they were in antioxidants.