cockroach milk
'Yummy in your tummy!'
Our health is of great value and we are always on the look-out for the product that will provide us with numerous health benefits. Well, there is something new in Nature and that is the milk of the Pacific Beetle cockroach. Believe it or not, this milk is packed with valuable nutrients.

The cockroach species recognized under the name of Diploptera punctata produces this super healthy milk. Its valuable content was acknowledged by a research team based at the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in India and its findings were released in the Journal of the International Union of Crystallography.

Diploptera punctata is native to India, Australia, China, Hawaii, and Fiji. The milk of this species is high in calories and fats containing plenty of essential lips, and all 9 essential amino acids highly needed for human cell growth. This milk is being secreted in the cockroach's brood sac (uterus) and imbibed by the embryo thus quickly developing pharyngeal muscles.

A 40-day-old female secretes a pale yellow liquid that nourishes the offspring containing crystalloid protein molecules. These crystals are a complete food, being full of fats, proteins, and sugars according to the findings of the researcher Sanchari Banerjee. According to the analysis, this milk has in its content 45% protein, 5% free amino acids, 22% lipids, and 25% carbs. This milk contains three times more the energy of an equivalent mass of dairy milk.

The findings of this research were initially released in 2016, but its popularity has reached its peak when the interest rose towards more environmentally non-dairy alternatives.

When it was first released the authors reported that there is still not enough evidence that cockroach milk is safe for the people to consume it. Plus, the cockroaches produce only a tiny amount of this fluid and the commercial production would be extremely challenging.

In terms of skin health, Dr. Rachel Nazarian, skin care specialist at Schweiger Dermatology Group does not recommend testing of the cockroach milk because the levels of growth hormones are still not known, and when used it may cause acne in people who use it. Plus, it contains high sugar levels that can speed up skin aging, but it still provides a wide range of other health benefits and it is particular good for the health of the hair and nails.

This product is still not available on the market due to the hard process of obtaining the milk. The extraction process is very difficult and the scientists need to use a scalpel to cut out the cockroach's midgut where the brood sac is located with the milk. Moreover, in order to produce 100 grams (10cl) of cockroach milk, the scientists need to kill a thousand of cockroaches.

However, the researchers are trying to find out new potential ways to extract the milk in an easier way so that it becomes commercially available. One of the possible variants is converting the protein crystalloids into pills or tablets.

Although drinking the cockroach milk for many people is disgusting, scientists are highly interested in creating such product. Many people have dairy allergies or intolerances so the idea of drinking cockroach milk could be appealing, and also for the ones who wish to switch to more sustainable, environmentally friendly food sources.