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Gut health could benefit from consuming crickets - study
Deep-fried insects at a stall in Bangkok, Thailand. Image © Takoradee (CC BY-SA 3.0)
Research explores human health effects from eating insects

Eating crickets could benefit human gut health and reduce inflammation in the body, according to a new study.

Over two billion people worldwide regularly consume insects, but there has been little research on the health effects.

In a small pilot study, researchers took blood and stool samples from 20 healthy men and women, after they had eaten either a control breakfast or one containing 25g of cricket meal for periods of two weeks.

Findings published in the journal Scientific Reports suggest that, after eating the cricket diet, participants had increased levels of a metabolic enzyme associated with gut health. Meanwhile, there was a decrease in TNF-alpha, an inflammatory protein in the blood that has been linked with other measures of wellbeing such as depression and cancer.

There was also an abundance in beneficial gut bacteria such as Bifidobacterium animalis - a strain that is associated with improved gastrointestinal function and other health measures.

Researchers say further, larger studies are needed to replicate these findings and shed more light on how crickets may contribute to gut health.

Lead author Valerie Stull commented: “This study is important because insects represent a novel component in Western diets and their health effects in human populations haven’t really been studied.

“With what we now know about the gut microbiota and its relationship to human health, it’s important to establish how a novel food might affect gut microbial populations. We found that cricket consumption may actually offer benefits beyond nutrition.”

She added: “This very small study shows that this is something worth looking at in the future when promoting insects as a sustainable food source.”

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Practices urged to audit neutering data

News Story 1
 RCVS Knowledge has called on vet practices to audit their post-operative neutering outcomes.

It follows the release of the 2024 NASAN benchmarking report, which collates data from neutering procedures performed on dogs, cats and rabbits.

The benchmarking report enables practices in the UK and Ireland to compare their post-operative outcomes to the national average. This includes the rate of patients lost to follow-up, which in 2024 increased to 23 per cent.

Anyone from the practice can submit the data using a free template. The deadline for next report is February 2026.

Visit the RCVS Knowledge website to complete an audit. 

Click here for more...
News Shorts
New guidance for antibiotic use in rabbits

New best practice guidance on the responsible use of antibiotics in rabbits has been published by the BSAVA in collaboration with the Rabbit Welfare Association & Fund (RWA&F).

The guidance is free and has been produced to help veterinary practitioners select the most appropriate antibiotic for rabbits. It covers active substance, dose and route of administration all of which are crucial factors when treating rabbits owing to the risk of enterotoxaemia.

For more information and to access the guide, visit the BSAVALibrary.