What are we to do when fish gasp their last? Or when it becomes obvious that grazing cattle is a critical waste of water?

Lab-grown meat to the rescue? Despite all the promises that cost-effective test-tube steak is a mere few years away… it just isn’t.

So what are humans to do for quality protein? Now and then we hear that edible insects are the future. Cheap and plentiful, maybe.

For many people, the idea of a grasshopper stew seems more ecological punishment, than salvation.

Well … get over it: Oven-dried grasshoppers or crickets make a tastier and more nutritious snack than those hateful kale chips.

And cricket flour is reportedly being used by some Michelin chefs because of its slightly nutty flavour. At least one Australian company is marketing grasshopper energy bars and protein powder.

In a US trial, 98 university students were each given two unlabelled brownie samples. One was baked with cricket powder and wheat flour, the other just wheat flour. More than 70 per cent of participants preferred the cricket powder brownie.

Now a study has found that the benefits of eating grasshoppers extend well beyond their excellent nutritional profile, or tastiness.

Happier, hornier and healthier is the short version.

Twelve more hours of sleep a week

The research was carried out by members of the Applied Biology and Ecology Research Unit at the University of Dschang in Cameroon.

Over 12 weeks, three groups of rats were feed either meal made from ground-up Ruspolia nitidula grasshoppers, fish meal or a protein-deficient diet.

Over 12 weeks, researchers evaluated how this dietary change affected libido, sleep, hair growth, and overall health, assessing the insect meal’s potential as a viable alternative protein source.

The study found that replacing fish meal with Ruspolia nitidula grasshopper meal led to significant health and behavioural improvements in rats. These included:

• Nearly 12 hours more sleep a week. Not only did they sleep longer, but their overall sleep quality was more restful
• Most of the hair of hopper-fed rats was of optimal quality –  94.58 per cent of hairs were healthy compared to 5.55 per cent of fish-meal eaters
• Significantly more attempts at sexual intercourse – 4.77 attempts an hour more than the fishmeal eaters
• A greater number of ejaculations.

Additionally, the grasshopper-fed rats showed greater body weight gain, indicating overall better health and nutrition.

Lead researcher Dr Ngnaniyyi Abdoul said the findings had “far-reaching implications for both animal and human diets”.

The nutrient profile

According to Web MD, grasshoppers are very nutritious. They’re about 40 per cent protein, 43 per cent fat, and 13 per cent dietary fibre.

They have a higher protein content than chicken, eggs, and beans.

Grasshoppers also have a higher fat content (about 43 per cent fat) than meat and fish.

But the fats from grasshoppers are mostly unsaturated – the same kind that is found in nuts, avocado, and flax seeds. They serve as an anti-inflammatory. 

Why shiny hair?

Grasshoppers are rich in minerals and vitamins. One of the most important of these for the immune system and wound healing is zinc.

Zinc deficiency is common in children in poorer countries, along with other micro-nutrient deficiencies.

It’s also widely known as valuable for healthy hair growth and regeneration – and may explain why the hair of hopper-fed rats was of superior quality.

Zinc promotes hair growth and health by regulating the functions of the sebaceous glands in the scalp. It’s also involved in the formation of keratin, the protein that helps form hair, nails and your skin’s outer layer.

Does zinc explain the lustre of the lab rats’ hair? It’s bound to play a part.

And why the better sleep?

Grasshoppers are rich in magnesium, a mineral that can improve sleep by calming your mood, and relieving anxiety and depression.

According to Healthline, it does this by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the system responsible for getting you relaxed.

It also regulates the hormone melatonin, which regulates sleep-wake cycles in your body.

Further, magnesium binds to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors. GABA is the neurotransmitter responsible for quieting down nerve activity. It is the same neurotransmitter used by some sleep drugs.

Overall, by working to quiet the nervous system, magnesium may help prepare your body and mind for sleep.

Happy Sleeptember, by the way.