With more and more people adding crickets to their dinner plates, you may be wondering what all the fuss is about and if these crunchy critters can indeed improve your health. All the research reveals this to be the case, with crickets packed with a range of important nutrients that our bodies need to thrive. Read on to find out more about the health benefits of crickets.

Providing all the protein your body needs

Crickets are seen as a complete source of protein since they contain all nine essential amino acids –  leucine, valine, isoleucine, methionine, tryptophan, lysine, threonine, histidine, and phenylalanine. They are considered “essential” because you must get them through your diet rather than via other sources. Impressively, crickets have around 65% to 69% content of complete protein.

Protein is vital for our health, helping our bodies to repair cells and make new ones. It’s also important for growth and development since it’s a key building block of bones, muscles, cartilage and skin. When you adopt a higher protein diet, you’ll increase your muscle mass and strength whilst also burning fat. As well as being an incredibly useful source of protein in our diets, crickets also contain omega 3 and 6 fatty acids and are high in calcium and vitamin B12.

A good source of vitamins, minerals, and fibre

As well as being packed with protein, crickets contain a wealth of other nutrients that our bodies need for health, such as calcium, fat, potassium, magnesium, zinc, copper, folate, pantothenic acid, biotin, and iron. Strikingly, one study has shown that crickets contain 180% more iron than beef. They also contain more calcium and the B vitamin riboflavin than many meat products, including beef, chicken, and pork. Importantly, crickets are a rich source of fibre, which is a nutrient that many other sources of animal protein are deficient in.

Improving gut health

Clinical trials have shown that eating crickets helps support the growth of natural bacteria in your gut (microbiome) whilst also decreasing inflammation in your body. These insects contain a fibrous substance called chitin which is thought to improve gut health. Chitin is insoluble, which means it doesn’t break down easily within our body’s digestive tract. By providing prebiotic properties to the gut flora, it helps good bacteria to flourish. Eating crickets can improve digestive health, helping to prevent a range of gastrointestinal ailments.

When you consider the vast health benefits of crickets, it’s easy to see why so many people around the world are choosing to consume them. Crickets are incredibly versatile, with many different ways to add them to your diet. Cricket flour, cricket pasta, and cricket protein powder have grown in popularity in recent years, with more and more people turning to these nutritious bugs to boost their health.