An international team of researchers sequenced a protein crystal situated in the midgut of cockroaches back in 2016.
And… guess the reason?
It’s More Than Four Times as Good as Cow’s Milk!
And… the researchers think it can be the key to feeding our spiraling population in the future.
“Diploptera Punctate”:
Although most cockroaches don’t generate milk, the only known cockroach to give birth to live young is “Diploptera punctate,” which is reputed to produce a kind of ‘milk’ containing protein crystals to feed its progeny.
More Than Three Times the Nutrients Found in the Same Amount of Buffalo Milk!
The fact that a tiny insect-like cockroach produces milk is pretty unbelievable – but what surprised researchers are the fact that a single one of these protein crystals contains more than three times the nutrients found in the same amount of buffalo milk! (which is also higher in calories than normal cow’s milk!).
Milking a cockroach is not that easy, so an international team of scientists headed by researchers from the inStem (Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine) in India sequenced the responsible genes for generating the milk protein crystals to see if they could replicate them in the laboratory (1).
The crystals are like a holistic diet; they have fats, proteins, and sugars. Just look at the protein sequences; they have all the essential amino acids! Not only is the milk nutrient-dense and an excellent source of calories, but it’s also time-released.
As the protein in the milk is absorbed, the crystal releases more protein at an equivalent rate to continue the digestion. If you need calorically high food, that is time-released and food that is holistic. This is the diet!
It’s significant to note that this nutrient abundant protein source is definitely not for those attempting to lose weight, and isn’t even required for most western diets, where we are already eating too many calories per day.
For people who struggle to get the number of calories required per day, this could be an easy, quick way to get nutrients and calories. And they’re very stable. They can be a great protein supplement.
Now the scientists have the sequence; they are optimistic about getting yeast to produce the crystal in much more significant amounts – making it slightly more efficient (and less gross) than extracting crystals from cockroach’s guts.
It was published in the journal of the International Union of Crystallography (IUCrJ). Are you tired of seeing “gluten-free” on every box at your local grocery store (even though it has no benefit for 99% of the population)? Well, there’s good news as well as sad news.
The great news is there’s a new food fad that could start to steer some of the hype away from the inconsequential chopping of gluten. The sad news is that it’s so astonishingly revolutionary that just reading these words might make you gag: cockroach milk.
Yes, you read that correctly. It’s milk… made by cockroaches. There’s no denying that it sounds disgusting, but hold your breath for a minute and read this: The latest research of the substance found that not only is it renewable, it also is far more nutritious than dairy milk! Ugh!
[Also Read: What Makes Goat’s Milk Better than Cow’s Milk?]
What Research Says ;
That brilliant research revealed that cockroach milk is packed with protein, and contains fats and sugars that make it an excellent food choice. Overall, it provides up to four times as much energy as the most nutritious dairy milk of the same quantity. That is simply incredible, but it doesn’t make the thought of drinking bug milk any less insignificant.
One particular wrinkle of this new would-be superfood is that it is only produced by a specific species of cockroach found in Hawaii. These bugs give birth to live young rather than laying eggs, and they provide a crystalline “milk” to feed the embryos. A process to extract that milk has already been developed, but it can be a bit tedious.
And several firms have jumped on the cockroach milk revolution in the wake of that landmark 2016 study, hoping to cash in on what they believe will be the next big food fad. A company called Gourmet Grubb based in South Africa is already selling cockroach milk ice cream, which they see as a window into an insect-eating way of life!
The milk is made from farmed insects. Needless to say, this is significantly more environmentally friendly than the traditional farming of dairy cows. One of the most pivotal benefits of milk is that it has a high protein content and is rich in minerals such as iron, zinc, and calcium.
Conclusion
…Yeah, we aren’t cent percent sure either. But if it helps minimize the food shortages, the world has to deal with this generation; then, it makes sense!
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