Hungry? Pass the crickets, please!
This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. And the newest buzz on healthy eating!
Edible bugs may not be on the menu for most Westerners. But, they are used as a food source in many other parts of the world.
Scientists have long known that bugs are a good, inexpensive source of protein. But protein is not the only thing we get from meat. We also need iron.
Can these crunchy critters provide this essential nutrient? Researchers from King’s College London and Ningbo [ning-BAW] University of China weighed in.
They compared commonly eaten insects, like crickets and grasshoppers, to a juicy sirloin steak. The researchers measured the amount of iron in each food source. They calculated how much could be absorbed by the human digestive system.
Who won the food competition? Crickets! They provide more iron than both the other insects and the steak. Turns out bugs are even healthier than we thought!
Well, Jiminy Cricket! Tonight, on the menu: bug bites! Maybe the local flea market delivers.