Have you ever tried to consume foods made from insects? Insects are often regarded as disgusting animals, but who would have thought that insects have a myriad of health benefits. In Indonesia alone, insects such as grasshoppers or crickets are often eaten as food or snack dishes. Not only in the Asian region, the habit of eating insects has also spread to the United States.

Although it looks 'scary', insects are claimed to be rich in protein, even higher than red meat. Insects are also rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and fibre. Not only in terms of nutrition, insects are also known to improve the life of one's intestinal microbiome. In addition, in a recent study published in Frontiers in Nutrition, the researchers found that insects have high antioxidant content which can help maintain healthy cells in the body.

In their research, the researchers analysed the antibiotic content of 12 types of insects such as crickets, grasshoppers, centipedes, and scorpions. The results were compared with the antibiotics contained in other foods/beverages such as olive oil and orange juice. Each insect is finely ground and separated into a part that is soluble in water and a part that is soluble in fat.

As a result, grasshopper, silkworm, and crickets extract that is soluble in water have 5x higher antioxidant content than orange juice. In addition, African silkworm and caterpillar extract also have 2x higher antioxidant content than olive oil. According to the researchers, the results show that insects can be used as a source of bioactive ingredients, proteins, minerals, vitamins and fatty acids that are good for the body.

Text by Anggie Triana
Stock photos from Shutterstock

Source(s):

• Mattia, C.D., Battista, N., Sacchetti, G., and Serafini, M. (2019). Antioxidant In vitro Activities of Water and Liposoluble Extracts Obtained by Different Species of Edible Insects and Invertebrates. Frontiers in Nutrition, DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00106.
• Medical News Today - Are crickets and other creepy crawlies the new superfood? (2019). https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/325752.php, 26 June 2019.