You may be wondering how cockroach which was initially considered as an insect pest has now become a source of food.
Cockroaches - the creepy insects you find loitering around your garbage. While most people would like to see cockroaches squashed beneath their shoes, these pesky bugs could be at the top of cafes and restaurants menus soon across the nation. So how is Cockroach Milk obtained? What makes it different from dairy milk? Is it safe for Humans?
Here is all you need to know:
A research team based at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Bangalore, India discovered in a study that "milk" obtained from a specific type of cockroach called the Pacific Beetle Cockroach has three times the nutrients of normal dairy milk of equivalent mass.
Where is it found?
Pacific Beetle Cockroaches are found generally on the Pacific islands like Hawaii.
How does it differ from other cockroaches?
The Pacific Beetle Cockroach gives birth to young ones instead of laying eggs unlike other cockroaches. As the embryos keep growing inside the female roach, she feeds them a yellow milk-like liquid substance from her brood sac.
By far one of the cutest roaches, this species mimics a small brown beetle. Despite its unassuming appearance, this species is protected by extremely powerful chemicals called benzoquinones, which it releases when threatened. The Pacific beetle mimic is special among roaches because, unlike most species which lay egg cases and others that simply retain their egg cases inside their bodies, this species possesses true live birth. Like humans, the young are directly nourished inside the womb by the mother before they are born. Because of the amount of parental investment in the offspring, they are born proportionally large for roach babies, though there are fewer offspring per litter. This species appreciates a dry enclosure with plenty of fruit to snack on.
Benefits of the Cockroach Milk
According to a report published in the Journal of the International Union of Crystallography, cockroach milk contains crystals, which make the complete food i.e. they consist proteins, fats, and sugars. Due to its crystalline nature it retains all the nutrients that may be lost during liquefaction. The milk comprises of all the essential amino acids required by the body for cell growth. Cockroach milk is also rich in lipids. This makes the milk better than any other dairy milk humans have produced or harvested.
How is Cockroach Milk Extracted?
As the Pacific Beetle cockroach doesn't have nipples, the milking of a cockroach is a labor intensive process. In order to extract milk, scientists would have to slice the insect's midgut, which will open up the brood sac. As the contents inside the cockroach's gut are tiny, this makes the process even more complex. Even though the milk of a cockroach contains 3x the nutrients it cannot produce milk as much as a cow physically. According to a report, it would require 1,000 cockroaches to make 100 grams of milk.
Also, it is yet to be seen if Cockroach milk is safe for Humans as no evidence has been found. You cannot expect this Superfood to be available in your city's supermarkets in the near future as there are lots of question yet to be answered. Would you like to have some Cockroach Milk one day?
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