Grasshoppers for lunch, anyone?

UF Health Podcasts

Here’s a nutritional treat you don’t have to go to the supermarket to buy. Just stroll through your yard.
It’s got six legs, hops, and it’s more challenging to catch than a hamburger.
We are talking, of course, about grasshoppers.
A study recently published in the journal Food Science of Animal Products suggests that the common insect could improve sleep quality, hair health, and even lead to an improved love life.
This isn’t avant-garde scientific experimentation. With an ever-increasing world population, food shortages are a significant concern for the future. Grasshoppers are already a food source in some regions, including Africa and South America. At times, the price of grasshoppers has exceeded beef. Some consider the insect a delicacy.
In countries like Uganda and Kenya, grasshopper farming is a lucrative business.
The scientists in this study put rats on a grasshopper diet and compared them to control groups who were not fed the insects. The insect-munching rats saw improvement in several measures of health.
Their sleep patterns changed, with the rats getting an extra 12 hours a week of shut-eye. They maintained a healthier body weight. Researchers also recorded an astonishing improvement in hair quality. Nearly 95% of the rats had excellent hair health.
Just 5% of rats on a fishmeal diet and less than 1% on a no-protein diet boasted identical outstanding bobs.
And the hopper rats had sex more often.
What makes insect food attractive is its small environmental footprint. It’s a sustainable food in a world threatened by climate change and crop loss.
And many people love their flavor, especially with a chili powder dip.