Edible insects have the highest market value in Asia-Pacific regions, according to recent reports. However, the same reports indicate that their value is on the rise in the United States. Most people in Western countries may think that insects and other creepy crawlies, such as spiders or scorpions, have no place in their daily meals because they have a bad rap as scary house intruders. However, scientists suggest we should be more open minded about including such critters in our diets. "Edible insects are an excellent source of protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, and fiber. But until now, nobody had compared them with traditional functional foods, such as olive oil or orange juice, in terms of antioxidant activity," notes Prof. Serafini. To find out the insects and arachnids' antioxidant content, the researchers ground them and then separated them into fat-soluble content and water-soluble content after having removed any inedible parts, such as wings or stings. Finally, they tested each of the edible parts to see how rich they were in 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.” Says Prof. Mauro Serafini.
(Source: www.medicalnewstoday.com)
