Almond and soy milks are both popular alternatives to the real thing, but have you heard of cockroach milk? It could be the latest superfood trend, according to a report.
» RELATED: Can this plastic-eating bug save our planet?
Researchers from health institutions across the United States and Europe conducted a study, published in the Journal of the International Union of Crystallography, to determine the benefits of the bug.
They examined the Pacific beetle cockroach and found that it has “milk” that can produce a ton of nutrients, including protein, amino acids, fats, and sugars. In fact, the authors wrote that a single crystal of it “is estimated to contain more than three times the energy of an equivalent mass of dairy milk.”
The milk comes from the insect’s brood sac, the cavity of the body where eggs are received. The live young feed on the yellow, pale liquid, and humans may be able to as well.
» RELATED: Eating bugs healthy alternative to beef, study suggests
However, the product has not hit the market yet. Scientists are still investigating whether the substance is actually healthy for humans. Plus, it could take a ton of the cockroaches, typically found in the tropical forests of the Polynesian islands, to create one glass of milk.
The researchers also noted that the Pacific beetle cockroach is the only known critter of its kind to produce the milk as other cockroach species do not give birth to live young and lay eggs instead.
In the meantime, almond, soy and coconut milks each have similar nutritional values. The nondairy milks all have a good share of protein and carbohydrates and are low in calories.