Do Cockroaches Give You Protein?

The protein in cockroaches is primarily composed of sugars. This is an important ingredient for building up a cockroach’s body. It also helps supply some of the larva’s energy needs. In addition, cockroaches also use lipids for energy. The purple structure on the left side of the cockroach’s body can store general fatty substances.

Scientists are exploring the possibility of creating milk from cockroaches through genetic engineering. A major grocery store chain in Canada has already begun selling cricket protein powder. The Exo protein bar made from cricket flour has also been tested by Health magazine. However, cockroach milk is far from being available in grocery stores anytime soon.

Another interesting fact about cockroach milk is that it contains almost three times as much protein as cow milk. In fact, it has as much as nine amino acids, making it a complete food. Nutritionists consider cockroach milk to be a better dairy milk alternative than cow milk. Cockroach milk also contains fat and carbohydrates.

The protein found in cockroach milk is highly heterogeneous. Most proteins from living organisms are in small crystals, limited by the cell volume. Therefore, scientists struggle to obtain protein crystals that are pure enough to be studied. To do this, scientists use a technique called X-ray crystallography. The milk crystals from cockroach guts can be large enough for the X-ray technique to clearly see the protein structure.

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