Although edible insects are far from common in American and European cuisines, over 3,000 ethnic groups in 130 countries eat them regularly. While most of the people in these cultures harvest them in the wild, insect farming is also growing in popularity, since it uses less land, water, and feed, and emits fewer greenhouse gas emissions.
Besides the increased sustainability of insect rearing compared to traditional livestock, eating insects also seems to have numerous health benefits. For instance, according to a recent study published in the journal Nature Food, chitin and healthy fats from insects are major sources of proteins and nutrients and could contribute to healthy gut microbiota.
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Some of the current article’s key findings include:
- The types of insects consumed among the globe (in areas comprising a total of over two billion people) include beetles, caterpillars, bees, wasps, grasshoppers, ants, true bugs, and termites.
- Although their nutritional profiles vary, most of these insects are rich sources of protein and contain all essential amino acids necessary for human nutrition, particularly those also found in cereal- and legume-based diets.
- There is little evidence that eating insects may present more risks – in terms of allergens or contaminants – than other animal-based products.
