In an era where we are trying to adopt better eating habits and optimize the distribution of food on the planet, here is a discovery that could well revolutionize the agri-food industry. An international team of scientists made up of Indians, Americans, French, Canadians and Japanese (it's heavy!) think they have found the superfood of the future, and it may not please everyone. world... It's cockroach milk!
We already knew that insects were sources of quality protein, but we did not imagine that the milk of a certain species of viviparous cockroach (because the others do not produce milk), the diploptera punctata, could constitute a foodstuff essential in the future…
Research has shown that in the intestines of the insect are crystals of milk (which it uses to feed its young) which would be more than three times nutritious than cow's milk. One of the researchers, Sanchari Banerjee, explained to The Times of India:“Crystals are complete food. They contain proteins, fats and sugars. If you look at the protein sequences, they contain all the essential amino acids.” Another advantage:their crystalline nature allows the constant diffusion of proteins in the body throughout digestion. Failing to be able to milk cockroaches (!), scientists have undertaken to sequence the genes that produce milk crystals in an attempt to reproduce them.
This nutritious and caloric source could indeed prove to be vital for populations suffering from undernutrition and famine. On the other hand, they would be of no use in Western and developed countries, where the inhabitants ingest more calories per day than they should. We know that all this is not very appetizing (although the study never mentions the taste of this "milk"), but if it's for a good cause, we approve 100%!
