Research

Micronutrients & recovery

Insects are not significantly healthier than commonly consumed meats (beef, pork, chicken) when evaluated by nutrient profiling models designed to combat over-nutrition (e.g., OFCOM).

If you are eating insects to improve your diet compared to beef or chicken, you may not see health benefits regarding heart disease risk factors (saturated fat, sodium). Insects vary widely; some are worse than meat for these metrics. Do not assume they are a 'health food' without checking the specific species and preparation.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
According to the Ofcom model, no insects were significantly ‘healthier’ than meat products.
Charlotte Payne et al. · European Journal of Clinical Nutrition · 2015

Why this rating

Systematic comparison using two validated models, though limited by missing data for some insects.

Source

Are edible insects more or less ‘healthy’ than commonly consumed meats? A comparison using two nutrient profiling models developed to combat over- and undernutrition

Charlotte Payne et al. · European Journal of Clinical Nutrition · 2015

cross_sectional · n=183Cited 271×
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