Thread by @nicknorwitz

My YouTube w @KenDBerryMD on #Entomophagy has gotten 🔥 responses!

Should I back off? Probs

But instead, I CHALLENGE YOU 🫵 to put aside emotions & watch 1 of these videos

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1/ NOW for 🧵 on 5 MYTHS about eating Bugs!

A DISCLAIMER

I am NOT trying to take your meat
I am NOT saying meat is unhealthy
I am NOT trying to force you to eat bugs
I am NOT trying to force you to eat bugs
I am NOT trying to force you to eat bugs

I AM asking you to set aside emotion and have an open mind

Begin...

2/ MYTH #1) People only eat bugs if they need to

Entomophagy is a cultural practice

The "eww" factor is entirely psychological

Many cultures eat bugs as delicacies, EVEN when meat is also part of the diet

Norms change. Take🦞a large bug that used to be considered slave food

3/MYTH #2) Bugs aren't as nutritious as other animal foods

👉Cricket & meal worm have similar amounts of protein to beef (~20g/100g)

👉Protein in bioavailable

👉All essential amino acids

👉Rich in micronutrients, e.g. cricket has 2.5X or more iron than beef

4/ MYTH #3) Chitin in bug exoskeletons is toxic

Most human express chitinase (CHIA gene) to break down chitin

Gut microbes can produce chitinase enzyme too

Even if not all digested, it's a fiber. You poop it out, like the cellulose in a stalk of celery

5/ MYTH #4) Bugs all have anti-nutrients and toxins that are bad for you

Many bugs are low in anti-nutrients

True, there can be concerns, e.g. Thiaminase in African silkworm, exposure to mycotoxins, allergies, etc.

However... (con't)

6/ One could make a similar argument for any food

Eating improperly prepared pork has the risk of tines egg ingestion, with development of neurocysticercosis, holes in the brain, and seizures

Getting bitten by a lone star tick, and you can have a meat allergy

7/ The point here is that one shouldn't argue that a food group is bad because practices relating to the food need to be improved or people have individual sensitivities.

Do we need good safety regulations and sensible farming practices. Of course, but it's not the bug per se...

8/ MYTH #5 More bugs means less meat!

YES! THIS IS A MYTH! More bugs can actually mean more meat. Here's how...

We waste an absurd amount of food! 1.8 BILLION TONS per year, which simply generates waste and emissions

But what if this could be upcycled into animal feed?

9/ Meet the black soldier fly

They love eating decaying matter, grow insanely fast & produce high quality protein

They could not help get rid of our 1.8 Billion tons of wasted food and reduce emissions

& help treat undernutrition

& be used as high quality livestock feed

10/ In summary, I'm not trying to take your meat, or make you eat bugs

But I am asserting that it's essential we separate emotions from science

Otherwise, science is just another form of religion

11/ Now, if you have the courage, I encourage you to RT this thread in order to help normalize nuanced scientific discussion

@KenDBerryMD @DoctorTro @realDaveFeldman @AdrianSotoMota @ifixhearts @Cooking_it_Keto

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