The authors of a U.N. report published on Monday said that the health benefits of consuming nutritious insects could help fight obesity even though another prevalent factor remain unhidden that even a thought of eating beetles, caterpillars as well as ants may give us a feel of the creeps which would also make us perceive that approach imperceptibly.
Causing intense shockingness when we hear that more than 1,900 species of insects are eaten around the world, chiefly in Africa and Asia, yet people in the West generally turn their noses up at the likes of grasshoppers, termites as well as other crunchy diet.
Spot Lady Bird - Beetle
The authors of the study by the Forestry Department, part of the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), explained the fact that many insects contained the same amount of protein and minerals as meat added to more healthy fats generally recommended by the doctors as balanced diets.
Scientist Arnold van Huis from Wageningen University in the Netherlands, one of the authors of the report stresses on the factor that in the West they have a cultural bias, at the same time they think that insects cannot be good due to the fact that insects come from developing countries. While Eva Muller of the FAO added that restaurants in Europe were starting to offer insect-based dishes, presenting them to diners as exotic delicacies. Furthermore, Danish restaurant Noma, for example which has been crowned the world's best for three years running in one poll, is renowned for ingredients including ants as well fermented grasshoppers known to be giving aid in the costly battle against obesity, which the World Health Organisation estimates has nearly doubled since 1980 and affects around 500 million people.
A Caterpillar
The report mentioned that insect farming was likely to be less land-dependent than traditional livestock and produce fewer greenhouse gases while it would also ensure business and export opportunities for poor people in developing countries, especially women, who are often responsible for collecting insects in rural communities.
A live grasshopper
Fermented grasshoppers
Now, coming to another creepy fact while we find Van Huis saying that barriers to enjoying dishes such as bee larvae yoghurt were psychological, during a blind test carried out by his team, nine out of 10 people were known to have preferred meatballs made from roughly half meat besides half mealworms to those made from meat.
So, which one is your favourite?
Content Source:DNA
Image Source: Nutritious Insects
(AW:Samrat Biswas)
