Nutritional value
Despite their small size, it has been found that insects are in fact highly nutritious and have the ability to provide humans with sufficient protein, fats and other vitamins and minerals, just as eating beef or chicken would. Hence why they have such a great presence in a subsistent diet (Van Huis et al. 2013).
For example (Rumpold & Schluter 2012) experimentation has shown that eating 100g of caterpillars can provide 76% of your required daily protein intake and up to 100% of the required vitamins as well as having an energy content almost comparable to common domesticated meats. This data is backed up by (Belluco et al. 2013) who suggests insects are an ideal food source particularly because their proteins contain between 46% and 96% essential amino acids (those that humans must obtain from their diet as they cannot synthesize them themselves).
However one of the downfalls in insect consumption is their great variability (Rumpold & Schluter 2012). Although some insects can be highly nutritious, others are not so beneficial and therefore it is vital that work is done in order to quantify and assess the composition of different insects in order to evaluate which are the most worthwhile for our consumption on a large scale. For example silk worm pupae are very low in protein, perhaps due to the growth suppressing hormone ecdysone, whilst housefly larvae showed optimal protein levels. Honey bees also showed good amino acid content, and as part of the hymenoptera order, they are one of the most fibrous insects too (Rumpold & Schluter 2012).
For example (Rumpold & Schluter 2012) experimentation has shown that eating 100g of caterpillars can provide 76% of your required daily protein intake and up to 100% of the required vitamins as well as having an energy content almost comparable to common domesticated meats. This data is backed up by (Belluco et al. 2013) who suggests insects are an ideal food source particularly because their proteins contain between 46% and 96% essential amino acids (those that humans must obtain from their diet as they cannot synthesize them themselves).
However one of the downfalls in insect consumption is their great variability (Rumpold & Schluter 2012). Although some insects can be highly nutritious, others are not so beneficial and therefore it is vital that work is done in order to quantify and assess the composition of different insects in order to evaluate which are the most worthwhile for our consumption on a large scale. For example silk worm pupae are very low in protein, perhaps due to the growth suppressing hormone ecdysone, whilst housefly larvae showed optimal protein levels. Honey bees also showed good amino acid content, and as part of the hymenoptera order, they are one of the most fibrous insects too (Rumpold & Schluter 2012).
Insects are made up mostly of protein, making them a good source of food where getting protein into the diet is difficult, such as sub-Saharan Africa. The rest is made up of fats and fibre (Rumpold & Schluter 2012);
Protein:
As already mentioned insects can provide amino acids (especially methionine, cysteine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, lysine and threonine) in sufficient quantities for daily human consumption as recommended by the World Health Organisation. And with 4 out of 9 tested orders of insects having a protein content of more than 70%, it is fairly obvious the potential entomophagy holds (Rumpold & Schluter 2012).
Rumpold & Schluter (2012) have also considered the quality of the protein provided. Feeding trials on rats showed that the pups fed on crickets had superior protein compared to the control rats fed on soy beans as an amino acid source.
Fats:
Again the amount of fat in an insect is variable between species as well as across life cycle stages. It is suggested that the larval and pupal stages are often higher in fat content than the adult life stages. Despite this, in general, the fatty acid content in insects is comparable to that of chicken or fish. In particular insects provide large quantities of linolenic acids, which humans cannot synthesise themselves (Rumpold & Schluter 2012)
Vitamins and minerals:
Once again there is variation in the vitamins and minerals provided by eating insects, however in general they contain more calcium and iron than beef, pork or chicken (Rumpold & Schluter 2012), which in developing countries are often key deficiencies in peoples diets and so the introduction of insects may potentially act as a source of these vital minerals.
However, insects are not particularly rich in potassium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A or C, all of which are key components of a balanced diet. But (Rumpold & Schluter 2012) do suggest that the concoction of 300ml of “insect tea”, made from insect excrement may cover your vitamin A and C daily requirements.
This variation in vitamin and mineral availability may be largely down to the diet of the insect itself. This presents an interesting opportunity to perhaps regulate and enrich an insects’ nutritional status by controlling its diet, for example fortifying it with omega 3 in order to therefore enrich the diet of the consumer of the insect (Rumpold & Schluter 2012). Again this holds great potential for improving the nutritional content of the diets of people in developing countries.
Protein:
As already mentioned insects can provide amino acids (especially methionine, cysteine, phenylalanine, tyrosine, tryptophan, lysine and threonine) in sufficient quantities for daily human consumption as recommended by the World Health Organisation. And with 4 out of 9 tested orders of insects having a protein content of more than 70%, it is fairly obvious the potential entomophagy holds (Rumpold & Schluter 2012).
Rumpold & Schluter (2012) have also considered the quality of the protein provided. Feeding trials on rats showed that the pups fed on crickets had superior protein compared to the control rats fed on soy beans as an amino acid source.
Fats:
Again the amount of fat in an insect is variable between species as well as across life cycle stages. It is suggested that the larval and pupal stages are often higher in fat content than the adult life stages. Despite this, in general, the fatty acid content in insects is comparable to that of chicken or fish. In particular insects provide large quantities of linolenic acids, which humans cannot synthesise themselves (Rumpold & Schluter 2012)
Vitamins and minerals:
Once again there is variation in the vitamins and minerals provided by eating insects, however in general they contain more calcium and iron than beef, pork or chicken (Rumpold & Schluter 2012), which in developing countries are often key deficiencies in peoples diets and so the introduction of insects may potentially act as a source of these vital minerals.
However, insects are not particularly rich in potassium, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin A or C, all of which are key components of a balanced diet. But (Rumpold & Schluter 2012) do suggest that the concoction of 300ml of “insect tea”, made from insect excrement may cover your vitamin A and C daily requirements.
This variation in vitamin and mineral availability may be largely down to the diet of the insect itself. This presents an interesting opportunity to perhaps regulate and enrich an insects’ nutritional status by controlling its diet, for example fortifying it with omega 3 in order to therefore enrich the diet of the consumer of the insect (Rumpold & Schluter 2012). Again this holds great potential for improving the nutritional content of the diets of people in developing countries.