To meet the growing needs of food for the increasing population, country should make use of edible insects as foods. However, some people believe that insects are not only unhealthy but affect negatively the nature too. What are the benefits and drawbacks of eating insects? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

It is often considered that the solution to satisfy an increasing global population is to treat

insects

as a

food

source

. I disagree with

this

opinion and think consuming

insects

may pose potential health risks and indirectly exhaust another edible

food

source

.

First

of all, I believe that consuming

insects

can increase the chances of developing the disease. Insect shells carry bacteria and viruses,

thus

ingesting

insects

can lead to health problems.

For instance

, my uncle was served with water cockroaches because it is a delicacy from Thailand. He suffered fever and intense diarrhoea for a week. That's why I believe

insects

cannot be an edible

food

source

.

Secondly

, increasing the consumption of

insects

decreases other available

food

sources for humans.

In other words

, many crops like plant-based foods heavily depend on

insects

’ habitats.

For instance

, bees are known for pollinating plants and flowers by carrying pollen around their bodies. Without bees in our ecosystem, plants can no longer reproduce and would reduce the production of plant-based foods.

Thus

adding

insects

as a

food

source

will affect the reproduction of plant-based foods available to humans.

However

,

insects

are made of protein and are nutritious for our bodies to consume. Many countries that do not have access to meat only

insects

for nutrition.

For example

, there are very few animals living in deserts like Tibet, and there is a wild abundance of grasshoppers. Many Tibetans would deep fry grasshopper and serve it as a main dish. In conclusion, the disadvantages of consuming edible

insects

as a

food

source

outweigh the benefits over nonconsumption because insect causes diseases and hinder the reproduction of another

food

source

.