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For the first time, a study measured levels of antioxidants in commercially available edible insects. For models open to health, it's good news. Crickets contain 75% of the antioxidant power of fresh orange juice and silkworm fat twice as high as that of olive oil.
In addition, insects have a tiny footprint of soil, water and carbon compared to livestock – anything that encourages the consumption of insects is therefore good news for the planet.
"At least 2 billion people – a quarter of the world's population – regularly eat insects," says Professor Mauro Serafini, lead author of the study published in Frontiers in Nutrition. "The rest of us will need a little more encouragement."
By offering selfish and immediate incentives, consumers would be able to make the green choice, says Serafini. Taste and image are essential – but for many, health is also an incentive: "Edible insects are an excellent source of protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and fiber. present, no one had compared them to conventional foods like olive oil or orange juice in terms of antioxidant activity. "
The antioxidant activity is this free radical scavenging ability that usually refers to a "superfood" – although this ill-defined term is avoided by researchers, Serafini says.
L & # 39; study
The researchers tested a range of commercially available edible insects and invertebrates, using various measures of antioxidant activity. The inedible parts such as wings and stings were removed, then the insects were ground and two parts extracted for each species: the fat and all that would dissolve in the water. Each extract was then tested for its antioxidant content and activity.
"In terms of perspective, using the same setup, we tested the antioxidant capacity of fresh orange juice and olive oil, functional foods known to exert effects antioxidants in humans, "says Serafini.
Soluble fat extract in waterBuyers, silkworms and crickets posted the highest values of antioxidant capacity – five times higher than fresh orange juice -, while giant cicadas, giant water bugs black tarantula and black scorpions showed negligible values.
Note that these comparisons are for dry and non-oily insect dust, a little more difficult to swallow than fresh OJ. Nevertheless, some quick calculations show that, at the same dilution (88% water), grbadhoppers and silkworms would have about 75% of the antioxidant activity of essential oils.
Interestingly, the total polyphenol content – the main source of antioxidant activity derived from plants – followed a similar trend from one species to another, but was much lower in all insects compared to OJ.
"These results suggest that, besides polyphenols, the antioxidant capacity of insects also depends on other compounds still unknown," adds Serafini.
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