Study: Eating Crickets Is Good for Gut Health Cultures have eaten insects for years, but now <br />it's gaining traction in <br />Europe and the U.S. A new clinical trial, conducted by <br />the University of Wisconsin-Madison, <br />has determined that eating crickets can <br />reduce inflammation and improve gut health. The study was conducted with 20 healthy adults between the ages of 18 and 48 over a six-week period. Participants ate cricket powder, rather than whole crickets. Researchers collected blood and stool samples <br />and had participants answer a gastrointestinal questionnaire before and after the six weeks. Participants didn't report any significant gastrointestinal changes, but researchers <br />found something interesting. An increase in a metabolic enzyme associated with gut health was found, as well as an abundance of Bifidobacterium animalis - good gut bacteria. Researchers also found a decrease <br />in TNF-alpha, which is an inflammatory <br />protein linked to depression and cancer. While the study produced promising <br />results, researchers say that in order to <br />determine more information, the results <br />need to be replicated on a larger scale.
