Superfood: Scientists Think Cockroach Milk Could Be The Super Protein Source

Anything for the gains?

When we this about the “superfood” we usually tend to think salmon, eggs, kale, etc. Well, we can now add a new item to that list: Cockroach Milk. According to a report on CNN, Chock full of protein, the insect milk may someday be transformed into a food supplement worthy of human consumption, new research indicates.

Scientists have found that the Pacific Beetle Cockroach feeds its bug babies a formula which is remarkably rich in protein, fat, and sugar.

In fact, this super-rich formula has three times the amount of energy than buffalo milk, which in turn as four times the amount of energy than cow milk does. Can’t beat that, right?

But don’t expect to find it next to the regular milk in the dairy section, however, at least not for now.

“Any liquid harvested from a cockroach is not true milk. At least not as we think of it,” said Becky Facer, director of school and educator programs at Fernbank Museum of Natural History in Atlanta.

After all, the insect liquid takes the form of protein crystals in the guts of baby cockroaches.

“The protein crystals are milk for the cockroach infant. It is important for its growth and development,” said Leonard Chavas, one of the scientists behind the research. He explained:

The crystals have a whopping three times the energy of an equivalent mass of buffalo milk, about four times the equivalent of cow’s milk.

Leonard told CNN that the main interest behind the research of cockroach milk was, “what is it really made of?” He and his team eventually ran tests on the insect species, as well as genome sequencing, and discovered that the ‘milk’ is a complete food.

“It is what one would need: protein, essential amino acids, lipids and sugars,” Chavas said.

Watch the following report:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6GjDQudiJU

‘Cockroach milk’ is extracted from the midgut of the embryo’s, so as of now, it may not be the best method for feeding humans. Chavas and his team hope to reverse bioengineer the formula for mass production. But in the meantime, if you’re wondering what cockroach milk tastes like, Chavas says there’s, “no particular taste.” Nevertheless, we wouldn’t recommend you going out to find some to taste for yourself.

Published: 18 January, 2018 | 3:12 AM EDT

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