Grub's Up! How Eating Insects Could Benefit Your Health

Feeling hungry? How about some spicy grasshoppers with a side of buffalo worms? The thought of consuming such a meal might turn your stomach, but the practice of eating insects is common across many areas of the globe, largely due to its nutritional benefits. According to a 2013 report from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (UN), around 2 billion people worldwide eat insects as part of a traditional diet - a practice known as entomophagy. Beetles are the most commonly consumed insect, followed by caterpillars, bees, wasps, ants, grasshoppers, locusts, and crickets. All in all, more than 1,900 insect species are considered edible. Entomophagy is a common practice in many parts of the world, including China, Africa, Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and some developing regions of Central and South America. In the Western world, however, it seems bugs fail to tickle the taste buds; a study published last year in the Journal of Insects as Food and Feed found that 72 percent of Americans are unwilling to consider eating insects. According to the FAO report, in the majority of Western countries, "people view entomophagy with disgust and associate eating insects with primitive behavior." If you fall into this category, read on; learning about the possible health benefits of insect consumption might just change your mind. Eating bugs could combat obesity Insects are considered highly nutritional; the majority of them are rich in protein, healthy ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news