What do crickets do to your body?

October 6, 2025 •

3 min read

With more than 2 billion people worldwide already consuming insects as part of their diet, edible crickets are emerging as a sustainable and highly nutritious food source. However, many people still question: what do crickets do to your body? The answer is a surprising range of health benefits, alongside a few important safety considerations.

Quick Summary

Eating farmed crickets provides a complete protein with all essential amino acids, along with significant amounts of B12, iron, and fiber. This nutrient-dense source can promote gut health, increase energy, and reduce inflammation, offering a sustainable alternative to conventional livestock.

Key Points

Complete Protein: Crickets offer a complete protein source, providing all nine essential amino acids needed for muscle repair and overall bodily function.
Gut Health: The chitin in crickets acts as a prebiotic fiber, which promotes the growth of beneficial gut bacteria and can help reduce systemic inflammation.
Micronutrient Rich: They are packed with essential vitamins and minerals, including significantly more vitamin B12 than beef and more iron than spinach.
Sustainable Alternative: Cricket farming is highly efficient, requiring far less water, land, and feed compared to traditional livestock like cattle.
Allergy Risk: Individuals with shellfish allergies may have an allergic reaction to crickets due to cross-reactivity, so they should avoid them.
Enhanced Energy: High levels of vitamin B12 and iron help boost energy levels and reduce fatigue by supporting red blood cell production.
Culinary Versatility: Crickets are often sold as a flour or powder, making it easy to incorporate into recipes like smoothies, baked goods, and pasta without altering taste.

A Nutritional Powerhouse

Often overlooked in Western diets, edible crickets are an exceptionally nutritious food source. On a dry weight basis, crickets contain a remarkably high percentage of protein, often rivaling or exceeding that of beef and poultry. This protein is a "complete protein," meaning it contains all nine essential amino acids necessary for human health, muscle growth, and repair. Beyond protein, crickets are packed with a wide array of vitamins and minerals.

Key nutrients found in cricket flour and whole crickets include:

Vitamin B12: Crucial for nervous system function, red blood cell formation, and converting food into energy. Crickets provide significantly more B12 than salmon or beef on a gram-for-gram basis.
Iron: Essential for producing hemoglobin, which transports oxygen in the blood. Crickets contain a highly bioavailable form of iron, often exceeding levels found in beef or spinach.
Calcium: Important for bone health and muscle function. Some sources suggest crickets contain more calcium than milk.
Fiber: Unlike conventional meat sources, crickets contain fiber in their exoskeleton, predominantly in the form of chitin.
Healthy Fats: Crickets are a source of healthy polyunsaturated fatty acids, including omega-3 and omega-6, which are vital for brain and heart health.

Benefits for gut health and inflammation

One of the most researched health benefits of eating crickets is their positive effect on the gut microbiome. The chitin found in the cricket's exoskeleton acts as a prebiotic fiber, providing nourishment for beneficial gut bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium animalis. A clinical trial published in Scientific Reports found that consuming cricket powder for two weeks led to an increase in beneficial gut bacteria and a reduction in a pro-inflammatory marker in the blood called TNF-alpha. This suggests that incorporating crickets into your diet could improve gut function and reduce systemic inflammation, which is linked to various chronic diseases.

Cricket protein vs. conventional sources

When comparing crickets to traditional protein sources like beef, the nutritional and environmental advantages become clear. The following table highlights some key differences:


Feature	Farmed Crickets (Dry Weight)	Beef (Cooked)
Protein Content	60-70%	17-40%
Iron	Significantly higher	Lower
Vitamin B12	Very high (up to 7x salmon)	Lower
Fiber	Contains Chitin (prebiotic fiber)	None
Healthy Fats	Optimal Omega-3/Omega-6 ratio	Varies, can be high in saturated fat
Water Use (per kg)	2,000x less than beef	High
Greenhouse Gas Emissions	100x less than beef	High

Potential risks and safety precautions

While commercially farmed crickets are generally safe to eat, it is crucial to be aware of potential risks. As with any food, especially a novel one in many cultures, certain precautions should be taken.

Allergic Reactions: Crickets are arthropods, related to crustaceans like shrimp and lobster. Individuals with shellfish allergies are at a higher risk of having an allergic reaction to crickets due to cross-reactivity. Some people with dust mite allergies may also be susceptible.
Contamination Risks: Wild-harvested insects can carry parasites and be exposed to pesticides or heavy metals, making them unsafe for human consumption. However, reputable, commercially farmed operations follow strict safety guidelines to mitigate these risks. Improper cooking can also pose risks similar to undercooked meat.

The importance of proper sourcing

To ensure safety, it is essential to purchase cricket products from trusted, regulated sources. This ensures the crickets have been raised in clean, controlled environments and properly processed to eliminate potential pathogens. Many companies sell crickets in powder or flour form, which are often dried and roasted, further reducing microbial risks. For those interested in exploring this food trend, using high-quality, commercially produced cricket powder is the recommended starting point.

Conclusion: A viable protein of the future

In summary, consuming crickets provides a host of impressive nutritional benefits, including high-quality protein, essential vitamins like B12, and vital minerals such as iron and calcium. The prebiotic fiber from chitin supports a healthier gut microbiome and may help reduce inflammation. From a sustainability standpoint, crickets are an eco-friendly alternative to conventional livestock, requiring significantly fewer resources. While those with shellfish allergies should exercise caution, properly sourced and prepared cricket products offer a safe and nutrient-dense addition to the modern diet. As consumer awareness grows, crickets and other edible insects are poised to play a significant role in addressing global food security and promoting more sustainable eating practices. For more information on the topic, a detailed article by Healthline provides further insights on the benefits and downsides of eating crickets.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, commercially farmed crickets are safe to eat for most people. Reputable suppliers follow strict food safety guidelines. However, those with shellfish allergies should be cautious, and wild crickets should not be consumed due to potential parasites and contaminants.

Cricket flour is a powder made from roasted, finely ground crickets. It has a mild, nutty, or earthy flavor and can be added to smoothies, baked goods, and sauces to boost the protein and nutritional content.

Yes, edible crickets are considered a complete protein source. This means they contain all nine essential amino acids that the human body cannot produce on its own and must obtain from food.

Crickets' exoskeletons contain chitin, a prebiotic fiber that feeds beneficial bacteria in the gut. This can lead to a healthier gut microbiome, which is associated with better digestive function and reduced inflammation.

Crickets are a highly sustainable protein source. They require significantly less land, water, and feed than livestock like cattle, and produce far fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

Yes, if you have a shellfish allergy, you are at a higher risk of having an allergic reaction to crickets due to shared proteins. It is recommended that individuals with shellfish allergies avoid eating crickets.

Crickets often have a higher protein content per gram (on a dry weight basis) than beef and contain more iron and significantly more vitamin B12. Unlike beef, crickets also provide dietary fiber.