Eating bugs could provide as much or more iron and other nutrients as consuming beef.
Credit: American Chemical Society
The idea of eating bugs has created a buzz lately in both foodie and international development circles as a more sustainable alternative to consuming meat and fish. Now a report appearing in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry examines how the nutrients — particularly iron — provided by grasshoppers, crickets and other insects really measures up to beef. It finds that insects could indeed fill that dietary need.
Edible bugs might sound unappetizing to many Westerners, but they’ve long been included in traditional diets in other regions of the world, which are now home to more than 2 billion people, according a report by the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization. The report also notes that about 1,900 insect species have been documented as a food source globally. That they’re a source of protein is well established, but if the world is to turn to bugs to replace meat, the critters will need to offer more than protein. Iron is a particularly important nutrient that is often missing in non-meat diets, causing iron-deficiency anemia, which can lead to lower cognition, immunity, poor pregnancy outcomes and other problems. In light of these concerns, Yemisi Latunde-Dada and colleagues wanted to find out whether commonly eaten insects could contribute to a well-rounded meal.
The researchers analyzed grasshoppers, crickets, mealworms and buffalo worms for their mineral contents and estimated how much of each nutrient would likely get absorbed if eaten, using a lab model of human digestion. The insects had varying levels of iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, manganese and zinc. Crickets, for example, had higher levels of iron than the other insects did. And minerals including calcium, copper and zinc from grasshoppers, crickets and mealworms are more readily available for absorption than the same minerals from beef. The results therefore support the idea that eating bugs could potentially help meet the nutritional needs of the world’s growing population, the researchers say.
Learn more: The buzz about edible bugs: Can they replace beef?
The Latest on: Edible bugs
Don’t Bug Out—the Market for Edible Insects Is Jumping - Fortune
June 28, 2019 - Don’t Bug Out—the Market for Edible Insects Is Jumping FortuneThe popularity of edible insects is on the rise around the world, with North America and Europe finally getting in on the bug-eating.
Are edible bugs the new sushi? Some analysts think so - South China Morning Post
June 25, 2019 - Are edible bugs the new sushi? Some analysts think so South China Morning PostReport shows insect protein market is enjoying bumper growth and could be worth US$8 billion by 2030.
July 18, 2019 - Ready for grasshopper juice? These bugs pack 5x more antioxidants than fresh-squeezed OJ MarketWatchNew research finds grasshoppers, silkworms, crickets and giant cicadas could be the new superfoods.
Some Edible Insects Beat Orange Juice and Olive Oil in Antioxidant Test - Gizmodo
July 16, 2019 - Some Edible Insects Beat Orange Juice and Olive Oil in Antioxidant Test GizmodoNew research has demonstrated that edible insects are high in antioxidants—and whether or not you buy into the health benefits of eating antioxidants, it's an ...
Insect Protein Is Poised to Become an $8 Billion Business by 2030 - Eater
June 26, 2019 - Insect Protein Is Poised to Become an $8 Billion Business by 2030 EaterEating bugs will only become more common as the global population grows and as Gen Z — the "most health-aware and environmentally conscious" generation ...
Brits may have to eat BUGS to help humanity dodge global food crisis, scientists find - The Sun
July 1, 2019 - Brits may have to eat BUGS to help humanity dodge global food crisis, scientists find The SunBRITS may have to chow down on edible bugs if humanity is to avoid a global food shortage. That's according to a shock new study, which suggested ...
Eating ants could protect against cancer, study finds - Telegraph.co.uk
July 15, 2019 - Eating ants could protect against cancer, study finds Telegraph.co.ukEating ants and other insects could soon be recommended to protect against cancer, following a groundbreaking new study.
Bugs on the Menu? Alamo Drafthouse says “Hakuna Matata” - Spectrum News
July 19, 2019 - Bugs on the Menu? Alamo Drafthouse says “Hakuna Matata” Spectrum NewsAUSTIN, Texas -- Lion King movie fans got a heads up, but plenty of them were surprised by what they were greeted with at the Alamo Drafthouse Slaughter ...LOCAL NOTES - News - Cape Cod Times
July 20, 2019 - LOCAL NOTES - News Cape Cod TimesMovies Under the Stars in Orleans. The Movies Under the Stars summer series sponsored by the Orleans Cultural Council continues from 7:30-9:30 p.m. tonight ...
Should Hyping Edible Bugs Focus On The Experience Instead Of The Environment? - NPR
January 10, 2019 - Should Hyping Edible Bugs Focus On The Experience Instead Of The Environment? NPRA new study shows that when ads made hedonistic marketing claims, such as "exotic" or "delicious," rather than targeting environmental interests, more people ...
via Google News
The Latest on: Edible bugs
- I ate insects at Comic-Con and now I want moreon July 18, 2019 at 10:09 pm
Scarfing down a bug bar isn't just a promotional stunt. The bars come from the Aspire Food Group, a company based in Austin, Texas that raises crickets for human consumption. Aspire's been on a ... […]
- Amanda Little on What We’ll Eat in a Hotter, Smarter Worldon July 18, 2019 at 8:59 pm
Now, as Amanda Little tells in her new book, “The Fate of Food,” our heating planet is drastically changing the way we break bread, from cloned cows to edible insects, our Hari Sreenivasan checks out ... […]
- Belly up to KUA, Travail's modern Mexican series, featuring edible insectson July 18, 2019 at 3:07 am
When I heard that Travail was doing its third and final pop-up based on the flavors of Mexico in a temporary Minneapolis location, I was ecstatic. Growing up in a small town in Wisconsin, I mostly ... […]
- 5 health benefits of consuming edible insectson July 18, 2019 at 1:14 am
The insect diet was predicted to be one of the biggest trends to happen this year. Trend forecasters even revealed that incorporating edible insects into your diet is a healthy choice for us, and the ... […]
- Ready for grasshopper juice? These bugs pack 5x more antioxidants than fresh-squeezed OJon July 17, 2019 at 1:52 pm
Grasshoppers are full of antioxidants, a new study finds. Orange juice, kale, acai berries... and bugs? Turns out, edible insects like grasshoppers, crickets and silkworms are rich sources of ... […]
- Meet the six-legged superfoods: Grasshoppers top insect antioxidant-rich liston July 16, 2019 at 11:49 am
A new study has measured antioxidant levels in commercially available edible insects. Among the findings: crickets pack 75 percent the antioxidant power of fresh orange juice, and silkworm fat twice ... […]
- Some Edible Insects Beat Orange Juice and Olive Oil in Antioxidant Teston July 16, 2019 at 11:40 am
New research has demonstrated that edible insects are high in antioxidants—and whether or not you buy into the health benefits of eating antioxidants, it’s an important finding from a ... […]
- Edible insects could offer more antioxidants than orange juiceon July 15, 2019 at 9:38 am
Crunch time: Crickets are rich in antioxidants says new study (Picture: Charles Haynes/Flickr) It may sound like the nightmare stuff of a Bush Tucker Trial, but swapping your morning glass of OJ ... […]
- Edible insects like crickets and grasshoppers have more antioxidants than orange juice, says studyon July 15, 2019 at 6:36 am
A study from the University of Teramo in Italy has looked into the antioxidant levels of ‘commercially available edible insects’ for the first time – and found that crickets have antioxidant power ... […]
via Bing News
