Is Cockroach Milk the Ultimate Superfood? (globalnews.ca)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from Global News: It may not be everyone's cup of milk, but for years now, some researchers believe insect milk, like cockroach milk, could be the next big dairy alternative. A report in 2016 found Pacific Beetle cockroaches specifically created nutrient-filled milk crystals that could also benefit humans, the Hindustan Times reports. Others report producing cockroach milk isn't easy, either -- it takes 1,000 cockroaches to make 100 grams of milk, Inverse reports, and other options could include a cockroach milk pill. And although it has been two years since the study, some people are still hopeful. Insect milk, or entomilk, is already being used and consumed by Cape Town-based company Gourmet Grubb, IOL reports.

Jarrod Goldin, [president of Entomo Farms which launched in 2014], got interested in the insect market after the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nation in 2013 announced people around the world were consuming more than 1,900 insects. As his brothers were already farming insects for fishing and reptile use, Goldin thought it would be a smart business opportunity to focus on food. Goldin adds studies have shown cricket powder can be a high source of protein and B12. The PC version his company produces has 13 grams of protein per every 2 1/2 tbsps. Toronto-based registered dietitian Andy De Santis says for protein alternatives, insects are definitely in the playing field. According to ScienceAlert, Diploptera punctate is the only known cockroach to give birth to live young and has been shown to pump out a type of "milk" containing protein crystals to feed its babies. "The fact that an insect produces milk is pretty fascinating -- but what fascinated researchers is the fact that a single one of these protein crystals contains more than three times the amount of energy found in an equivalent amount of buffalo milk (which is also higher in calories than regular cow's milk)."

Researchers are now working to replicate the crystals in the lab. They are working with yeast to produce the crystal in much larger quantities -- "making it slightly more efficient than extracting crystals from cockroach's guts," reports ScienceAlert.

Comments

You don't need superfoods.

[RyanFenton]

According to every metastudy I've ever seen on the subject, while nutrition is important - as long as you're getting a minimum of basic staple foods, and not too much of some things - then you're generally at optimal diet.

Bodies cope with what they get, as long as they start off healthy. Get some organ damage, and yeah - low sodium diet becomes important. The body just gets stupid when it gets too much and runs out of place for something, like fat soluble vitamins or metals, and for some folks, sugars.

"Super foods" are a nice concept - but they almost never have a payoff worth the cost. The closest to a decent return are the simpler ones - oats, veggies, fruits, berries (take your pick) - but the fashionable over-specific ones tend to be single-study hype train events. Other effects end up largely negligible when looked into - for instance diet-based anti-oxidents don't tend to translate to preventing cell damage to a very large extent, other than taking the place of other foods.

Seeking general happiness and quality of life are "healthier" than trying to pick the perfect food.

But, I suppose if eating cockroach extract makes you happy - then cool for you. Just... mention what it is to folks BEFORE you offer it to anyone. And don't don't be terribly offended if people roll their eyes or just walk away when you explain that it is "cruelty free cockroach milk."

Ryan Fenton

Re:Trying to figure out the point

[thesupraman]

Because such a direct route to an outcome doesnt extract the maximum amount of research funds?

That is usually the reason behind such things.

Superfood?

[jetkust]

The problem with superfoods is that you can get the same "effect" by eating OHTER foods that you may actually enjoy. And even then, it's likely still just in your head.

Re:Cockroach Milk

[mschwanke97402]

Except for the the top .1%. They’ll continue to eat the rest of us for lunch just as they do now.

Re:Betteridge Law: No

[ShanghaiBill]

Also, this has a massive freaking stigma to overcome.

Perhaps in America, but in many other countries insects are commonly eaten. Eating a grub is no different than eating a shrimp.

Re:Betteridge Law: No

[Joce640k]

I just don't see the point here. There's already a bunch of plant-based alternatives that don't involved roaches (rice, soy, almond, quinoa, coconut, ect.).

The point is this: There's no such thing as a superfood. It's 100% pure unadulterated marketing wank made up by scammers as a way to extract money from holistic idiots.

Somebody out there is hoping "Cockroach milk" is the new "Royal Jelly". That's all this is.

Ref: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...

Re:Cockroach Milk

[stealth_finger]

The do indeed have six legs, but they also bear live offspring and feed them milk. Apart from them not being warm-blooded, that would almost make them mammals...

They would almost be mammals were they not insects and completely different.