What is Cricket Flour?
A mild-tasting protein powder made from milled crickets, cricket flour or cricket powder is called cricket flour.
These crickets are from farms. Cricket farms are less intensive than feedlots, which raise and slaughter cows. They also produce fewer greenhouse gases per kg of protein harvested. You can get cricket-based food products directly delivered to your home thanks to large-scale distribution and cricket farming.
Why eat crickets? Is cricket protein powder truly that healthy and eco-friendly?
You may be surprised.
Cricket protein is not a new concept. For millennia, people have been eating insects.
Cricket flour was introduced to the market recently and had many health benefits.
Benefits of Cricket Flour
Cricket powder, like cricket, is rich in protein, vitamins and minerals, fibre, and fatty acids. Cricket flour, however, is not like cricket. However, 100% cricket flour is a complete food. All nutrients are preserved.
Many tropical cultures are therefore able to forage for insects every day. It’s hard work.
If you are reading this article, you don’t have to work for your crickets. You can get your cricket products delivered right to your doorstep thanks to large-scale distribution and cricket farming. It’s a good thing.
These are some of the specific benefits that cricket flour offers:
- Cricket flour is a complete source of protein
- Cricket flour is good for the planet
- Mineral-rich cricket flour
- Cricket flour is an excellent source of fatty acid.
- B vitamins are high in cricket flour
- Good for your gut health: Cricket flour
#1: A complete protein is found in a cricket flour
Amino acids make up the building blocks for protein. They are responsible for the formation of almost all tissues in your body.
Because it contains all nine essential amino acids, cricket protein is considered “complete protein”. These essential amino acids, which include leucine and isoleucine as well as valine, methionine (tryptophan), threonine and lysine, must be absorbed through diet. They are not possible to synthesize.
For example, leucine is a branch chain amino acid (BCAA) crucial for muscle growth. Although you won’t find much leucine in plant proteins, cricket protein is a good source of BCAAs.
It would help if you also had tryptophan to produce your sleep hormone (melatonin ) and your happy chemical, serotonin. Did you know collagen protein, which is all the rage right this moment, has negligible amounts of tryptophan
There’s nothing wrong with collagen. But, don’t consider it a complete source of protein. To meet your daily protein requirements, you need a complete source of protein (such as cricket protein).
#2: Cricket Flour Is Good for The Planet
Beef is an excellent source of bioavailable proteins. Unfortunately, raising cows can be very harmful to the environment. Cows produce tons of methane when they fart. Methane is a potent greenhouse gas that’s 30x stronger than carbon dioxide. Climate change is not a good idea. Herding practices inconsistent with the environment can also damage soil quality, cause runoff waste, and increase antibiotic resistance. Amazingly, 50-80% of antibiotics worldwide are used by livestock.
Here’s where the crickets step in.
Cricket farming is a far better option than livestock farming.
- Uses substantially less land
- Less greenhouse gas emissions
- Does not use a lot of antibiotics
- Less feed required per unit of protein produced
It is essential to be clear that crickets will not solve global resource problems, climate change, or pollution. They can help. Enjoying cricket flour, cricket bars, and cricket cakes can all help to make a difference. It will be a big help if enough people do it.
#3: Cricket flour is rich in minerals
Cricket powder is the whole cricket. This means that valuable minerals are also included in the journey.
These minerals include manganese, zinc, copper and iodine. These are the reasons you should include more of these minerals in your diet.
Zinc is essential for immunity, hormone production, DNA health, and other functions. A zinc deficiency can manifest as dry skin, slow wound healing and hair loss.
Copper supports skin and immune function. Copper is often lacking in modern diets. Low white blood cells are a sign of copper deficiency.
The thyroid hormone is a hormone that regulates your metabolism. Iodine is necessary to make it. Hypothyroidism is a condition where there is low iodine.
Manganese helps you form bone and metabolize protein. Manganese is essential for many enzymes in the body. Glutamine synthetase is a process that converts toxic ammonia to glutamine, which is a valuable amino acid.
Cricket powder, unlike other protein powders, contains valuable minerals that are rare in modern diets.
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#4: Cricket flour is a good source of fatty acids
Fat should not be fearful Fat helps to build cell membranes, store energy, and absorb fat-soluble vitamins A, D and K.
Fat is the second-largest source of calories in cricket flour, after protein. These fats are monounsaturated, polyunsaturated, and saturated. Each has a specific role in your body.
Wait. Wait.
This is the accepted wisdom. However, the most recent science shows no correlation between saturated dietary cholesterol and coronary disease.
Stroke incidence was negatively correlated with saturated fat intake in the sizeable Japanese population.
Don’t be afraid of the Fat, and enjoy your crickets.
#5: Cricket Flour Is High in B Vitamins
B vitamins are well known for their benefits. Fewer people understand why.
Consider B12, which is abundant in cricket powder. B12 plays an important role. It combines folate to synthesize DNA and make your red blood cells.
A wide variety of symptoms can be caused by a lack of B12: depression, brain fog, anaemia and more.
Animals are the best source of B12. For example, a single serving of cricket protein powder contains 80% of the RDA.
Cricket protein, besides B12, is an excellent source of vitamin B2 and vitamin B7 (biotin). Biotin and riboflavin support healthy skin, which is vital for most people.
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#6: Cricket Flour Supports Gut Health
Chitin — a prebiotic, is a particular fibre that feeds beneficial bacteria in your gut. You’ll be able to see that chitin is part of the exoskeleton of a cricket.
Scientists believe chitin could be responsible for some of the health benefits of cricket flour’s gut.
Two breakfasts were prepared for 20 participants: one with cricket flour and the other without. To eliminate bias, scientists and subjects were blinded to the type of breakfast.
What does a cricket taste like? They are mild and easy to conceal. This is where chocolate malt was the perfect solution.
Two weeks later, scientists found a 5.7x increase in a beneficial microbe called Bifidobacterium Animalis among cricket flour-eaters. In other words, eating cricket powder meant more good bacteria. This makes it an excellent supplement.
You might be thinking, “That’s great! But what does one microbe tell us about our gut health?”
It doesn’t matter if you are alone. However, the researchers also measured inflammation.
Cricket flour-eaters had lower inflammation after the two weeks. (As measured using an inflammatory particle called TNFa).
According to the authors, these data suggest that eating crickets could improve gut health and decrease systemic inflammation.
Chronic inflammation has been associated with every chronic disease: heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer’s. This is a fantastic finding
Cricket Flour Nutrition
Cricket powder is very similar in nutrition to whole crickets. A single serving (10g) of cricket flour has:
- 50 calories
- 6 grams protein
- 2.5 grams of Fat
- Less than 1 gram of carbohydrate (0 g sugar)
- 25% RDA for riboflavin
- 80% RDA vitamin B12
- Biotin 20% RDA
- 15% RDA zinc
Cricket powder generally is:
- High in protein and all nine essential amino acid
- High levels of B vitamins
- Good source of fatty acids
- Rich in minerals such as copper, zinc, manganese, and other metals
- Chitin is a prebiotic fibre rich in vitamins and minerals that can support good gut health.
Cricket flour is an excellent choice for both the keto and paleo diets. It’s low-carb and nutrient-dense. High-quality cricket powders can be gluten-free and dairy-free.
However, those who are allergic to shellfish should avoid cricket flour. Indeed, crickets and shellfish are very closely related!
Or, to put it another way, eating crickets is similar to eating shrimps or lobsters. Odd-looking but delicious!
How to Eat Cricket Flour
It’s time to be practical about how you can incorporate cricket powder into your daily life.
Smoothies are the best form of liquid. Blend it all, and you won’t even notice.
Add cricket flour to your coffee, teas, eggs, rice, soups, or desserts. You’ll find that it goes well with most things.
How much protein should you consume from cricket? It depends on your current level of activity, your current protein intake and many other factors.
To help meet your daily protein needs, cricket flour contains 6 grams of protein per serving.
As you’ve seen, crickets contain more than protein. They are also rich in fibre, fatty acids, and micronutrients.
Also, you can think of cricket flour as a nutritional-dense smoothie boost. Get ready to boost.