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Poor African kids are the subject of an experiment to determine whether regular bug consumption can improve their nutrition, without consideration of potential “inflammatory” effects from insects.
(LifeSiteNews) — The UK government is funding an experiment to assess the effect of eating “insect-based porridge foods” on the nutritional status of children in Zimbabwe, a practice being pushed by environmentalists as a “sustainable” diet choice.
The United Kingdom Research and Innovation (UKRI)-backed project is feeding poor elementary school children mopane worms and soldier termite flour on a daily basis for a year. The study will examine the effects of the insect supplementation on the children’s height, weight, and micronutrient status, as well as their cognitive function, as determined by their school performance.
The project summary notes that the insect foods are “culturally acceptable” in the African region, since soldier termite and mopane worm powders have been traditionally used by some Zimbabwean rural communities to avoid malnutrition during drought and poor harvests.
The experimental nature of the study is underscored by the project description’s statement that “the mechanistic link between insect consumption and health is missing,” despite its assertion that edible insects are “a valuable source of nutrients including essential amino acids, mineral content and essential fatty acids.”
The project description does not mention any potential negative health effects of regular insect consumption, which have been warned against by Dr. Joseph Mercola. He has pointed out that insects contain chitin, which, according to studies, is a “highly inflammatory and allergy-inducing compound.”
