We know what you must be thinking. Cockroach milk! Really? Since when does an insect produce milk? According to a study group of international scientists at the Institute of Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Bengaluru, India and other institutions worldwide, cockroach milk could be good for you. Nutrient-rich milk crystals found inside the Pacific Beetle cockroach, used as food for cockroach infants, could be beneficial to humans.

Health & Beauty Benefits of Cockroach Milk

According to a study published in the Journal of International Union of Crystallography, cockroach milk is thought to be a powerhouse of nutrients. Dr. Sanchari Banerjee and his team of scientists studied the crystal structure of cockroach milk proteins and found that they contained almost four times the energy of cow milk and three times the energy of buffalo milk. It also contains essential amino acids that promote cell growth, lipids that keep our bodies healthy and sugars that fuel energy.

From the beauty angle, there is little evidence that shows that the growth hormones present in cockroach may exacerbate acne in certain individuals, Miss Claire reported. “The high levels of sugar may make it a poor choice in terms of skin health and beauty, as we know that high-sugar diets actually accelerate skin aging. However, protein and fat are vital components of good hair and nails and this liquid may make getting optimal levels of both things much easier,” Rachel Nazarian from Schweiger Dermatology Group told Marie Claire.

Clearly milking a cockroach isn’t the most feasible option. Reports suggest that cockroach milk has a more viable future as a pill and that form might not be too far off in the future, though it would probably take somewhere around 100 cockroaches to produce a pill.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 23, 2018 11:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).