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Cricket Juice Healthier Than Orange Juice? Many Insects Loaded With Antioxidants, Study Finds
Study Finds ^ | 7/15/19 | John Anderer

Posted on 07/19/2019 4:17:06 AM PDT by LibWhacker

TERAMO, Italy — Insects and bugs aren’t exactly the most appetizing food items, but that doesn’t stop a quarter of the earth’s population — an estimated two billion people — from eating insects on a daily basis. It can be hard for the rest of us to wrap our heads around eating bugs, but that doesn’t change the fact that many insects are excellent sources of protein, fiber, and vitamins. Now, a new study out of Italy has found one more reason to consider eating insects; certain types are absolutely packed with antioxidants.

To be clear, researchers only analyzed insects already commercially available for eating. So, this study does not advocate searching your garden for dinner tonight.

Of the edible insects analyzed, grasshoppers, silkworms and crickets displayed the highest levels of antioxidants — almost five times more than fresh orange juice! It’s worth noting here that all of those insects are vegetarians, while carnivorous bugs, such as giant cicadas, giant water bugs, black tarantulas and black scorpions all displayed negligible antioxidant rankings. To be fair, scorpions and spiders aren’t insects, but arachnids.

Now, these insects were analyzed in the form of a fat-free dust. You can already imagine how hard that would be to swallow, but researchers say that even if the dust was diluted 88% in water, it would still boast about 75% of the antioxidant qualities of orange juice — a testament to just how filled with antioxidants these little critters are.

Additionally, fat taken from giant cicadas and silkworms displayed twice the antioxidant levels of olive oil.

For the study, researchers purchased a wide range of commercially available edible insects. Then, they removed any inedible parts like wings or stingers, and ground the insects into two materials: fat and the aforementioned fat-free dust. Each substance was then tested for antioxidants.

“Edible insects are an excellent source of protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and fiber. But until now, nobody had compared them with classical functional foods such as olive oil or orange juice in terms of antioxidant activity,” explains lead author Mauro Serafini in a release.

Besides the health benefits, researchers say more people should consider trying edible insects because of their incredibly small carbon, land, and water footprints compared to livestock. While Serafini and his team admit that it won’t be easy to convince most people to eat something that looks unappetizing and tastes even worse, they stress that consumers should remember all of the health benefits that insects can offer.

Researchers caution this is just the first step of many in humans unlocking the full potential of insect-based antioxidants. Additional testing is needed in order to clarify the effects of these antioxidants in humans. Once that is established, the study’s authors say adjustments can be made to insects’ diets and lifestyles to cultivate more specific types of antioxidants.

“In the future, we might also adapt dietary regimens for insect rearing in order to increase their antioxidant content for animal or human consumption,” Serafini says.

The study is published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Nutrition.


TOPICS: Food; Science
KEYWORDS: cricket; cricketjuice; juice; oj; orangejuice; yummy
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To: LibWhacker

I wonder if health nuts are packed with antioxidants after eating all these insects? Long pig’d work better on the barbeque than the bugs.


21 posted on 07/19/2019 4:56:02 AM PDT by piasa (Attitude adjustments offered here free of charge.)
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To: fruser1

22 posted on 07/19/2019 4:57:27 AM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: Pravious
This is actually happening.

In New York, they had some bug-eating festival a while back. Same propaganda that you see promoted about "healthier" and "better for the environment", yada, yada.

Had kids from the neighborhood eating bugs, adults eating bugs -- it was pathetic.

23 posted on 07/19/2019 5:03:11 AM PDT by PallMal
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To: COBOL2Java

Ha, ha, could you imagine trying to get an American kid to eat that? I almost feel sorry for socialists; they’re trying to turn America into something it’ll never become.


24 posted on 07/19/2019 5:04:24 AM PDT by LibWhacker
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To: LibWhacker

How many governments has Italy had since World War II...55-60?

And now they went me to eat bugs?


25 posted on 07/19/2019 5:04:55 AM PDT by moovova
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To: LibWhacker

Shoulda had an i-8.


26 posted on 07/19/2019 5:11:57 AM PDT by I-ambush (One foot in the grave, one foot on the pedal I was born to rebel.)
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To: dinodino

Exactly. I don’t drink orange juice because of the antioxidants. I drink it because i like it.
There is no way you can get me to like bugs.


27 posted on 07/19/2019 5:12:16 AM PDT by penguinhunter
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To: LibWhacker

My stomach churns reading the headline. Will not be trying anytime soon.


28 posted on 07/19/2019 5:21:29 AM PDT by madison10
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To: LibWhacker
Cricket Juice Healthier Than Orange Juice? Many Insects Loaded With Antioxidants, Study Finds

I guess Bear Grylls will live forever then.

29 posted on 07/19/2019 5:22:44 AM PDT by The Sons of Liberty ('DEPLORABLE' Charter Member of The Vast Right Wing Conspiracy - and DAMN Proud of it!.)
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To: LibWhacker

Lighten up. You eat bugs anyway. They end up in a lot of the things we eat.


30 posted on 07/19/2019 5:34:59 AM PDT by Fido969 (In!)
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To: LibWhacker

They keep trying to force people to eat insects. They even do fake “studies” to prove it’s real good for you.

Once and for all, NO!


31 posted on 07/19/2019 5:44:22 AM PDT by I want the USA back (The further a society drifts from the truth, the more it will hate those who speak it. Orwell.)
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To: LibWhacker

Hmmm. My insects are loaded with, well, insecticide. I’ll pass.


32 posted on 07/19/2019 6:03:09 AM PDT by rktman ( #My2ndAmend! ----- Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?)
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To: LibWhacker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0WYZpc3w1I


33 posted on 07/19/2019 6:09:35 AM PDT by Pilgrim's Progress (http://www.baptistbiblebelievers.com/BYTOPICS/tabid/335/Default.aspx D)
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To: Pilgrim's Progress

So make food stamps only good to buy eatable bugs. Win Win situation.


34 posted on 07/19/2019 6:20:00 AM PDT by oldasrocks (Heavily Medicated for your Protection.)
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To: a fool in paradise

Waiter! There’s a cricket in my fly juice.


35 posted on 07/19/2019 6:20:52 AM PDT by elcid1970 ("The Second Amendment is more important than Islam.")
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To: LibWhacker
a quarter of the earth’s population...eating insects on a daily basis.

That means that a quarter of my family and friends are eating them in secret since none of them have ever admitted it........

36 posted on 07/19/2019 6:24:49 AM PDT by Hot Tabasco (I'm in the cleaning business.......I launder money)
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To: LibWhacker

It’s a cultural thing really. There are some cultures that find eating lobster and other shellfish as disgusting for example. If I was fed crickets and grasshoppers as a child, I’d probably be sprinkling them on my salad today without a second thought.


37 posted on 07/19/2019 6:27:06 AM PDT by SamAdams76
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To: LibWhacker

How many of the critters do I have to squeeze to get a glass of cricket juice?


38 posted on 07/19/2019 6:38:38 AM PDT by pangaea6
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To: mountainlion

Lard and coffee for breakfast today:)


39 posted on 07/19/2019 6:44:19 AM PDT by Cold Heart
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To: LibWhacker
Deplorable breakfast.


40 posted on 07/19/2019 7:02:35 AM PDT by DoodleBob (Gravity's waiting period is about 9.8 m/s^2)
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