Eating insects could protect from cancer

Scientists from the University of Rome found out that eating insects is good for health, The Telegraph reported. 

According to studies, insects contain more antioxidants than, for example, orange juice. Along with vitamins A, C and E, they inhibit the formation of potentially dangerous free radicals in the body, thereby protecting DNA from damage.

Scientists have found that crickets, grasshoppers and silkworms contain five times more antioxidants than orange juice, and silkworms and cicadas two times more than olive oil.

“At least two billion people - a quarter of the world’s population - regularly eat insects. The rest of us will need a bit more encouragement. Edible insects are an excellent source of protein, polyunsaturated fatty acids, minerals, vitamins and fiber. But until now, nobody had compared them with classical functional foods such as olive oil or orange juice in terms of antioxidant activity. In the future, we might also adapt dietary regimens for insect rearing in order to increase their antioxidant content for animal or human consumption,” Professor Mauro Serafini said.