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| Figure 1) Glow in the Dark Cockroach |
COCROACH MILK? YUCK OR YUM?
Hello all my friends,
So sorry to have missed last week. Two things happened; one I was able to get my book to the publishers at the beginning of the week (super yeah!) and two) my husband had a stroke the day after I turned the manuscript in. A minor one, praise the Lord, but nevertheless, a change in our lifestyle. But I will try my hardest to write this weekly blog for all you good people out there.
I stumbled on an interesting article I thought you might find as intriguing as me. Cockroaches! Yes, those nasty bugs you find skittering across your floor and crunch under your feet. But not just those cockroaches, there are actually over 4,000 species, some even quite beautiful!
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| Domino cockroach in India |
Not all roaches are the same. “The domino cockroach in India is black with white spots; the Cuban cockroach is grass green; the Mitchell’s diurnal cockroach in Australia has blue legs and yellow stripes; and a rare Ecuadorian cockroach, Luchihormetica luckae, glows in the dark. Roach sizes also vary; for instance, the rhinoceros cockroach is the heaviest, weighing up to 35g, and the Central American giant cockroach is the longest at over three inches in length with a five- to six-inch wingspan.”1
Besides beautiful physical characteristics found in some species of roaches, there is even one that gives milk! “The Pacific beetle cockroach (Diploptera punctata), which lives in Hawaii, is the only roach known to give birth to live young (also known as being viviparous). While the baby roaches are in the brood sac (a sort of uterus for the roach), the mother roach releases a liquid substance to feed the babies, similar to the milk that mammal mothers produce for their young…
Further study by the Institute for Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine in Bengaluru, India, revealed the unique genetic structure of the ‘milk’ protein crystals. According to Sanchari Banerjee, an author of a paper on this study, said, ‘The crystals are like a complete food—they have proteins, fats and sugars. If you look into the protein sequences, they have all the essential amino acids.’ ”2 A fascinating element of this ‘milk’ is that it has timed-release nutrients such as proteins that equal the rate of digestion. Though it is not known if this ‘milk ‘ is safe for human consumption, scientists are looking into it as a powerful substance for feeding the world’s hungry population. Why? Because “at least three times the nutrition and caloric content as buffalo milk (previously the milk having the highest caloric content) and four times the nutritional value of cow’s milk.”3
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| Cuban cockroach |
Also “Scientists use roaches in laboratory testing, especially in areas such as social behavior and neurobiology. Roaches provide researchers inspiration for designing microrobotics and new prosthetic legs. Ironically, the roach has also been
helping researchers discover new antibiotic treatments for super bugs such as MRSA and disease-causing strains of E. coli. Some Chinese researchers add powdered cockroaches in their pharmaceuticals and have used roach-based cream to help treat burn victims. As of 2013, pharmaceutical companies in China and South Korea were experimenting with using cockroaches as a vitamin supplement and as a treatment for baldness, AIDS, and cancer.
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| Figure 2) Central american giant cockroach |
“In learning more about God’s creation, we come to know Him better. God’s creativity is as infinite as He is, and discoveries like the protein sequence in roach milk point
back to our amazing Creator. Isn’t it exciting to know that God has created innumerable resources for us—even some that we haven’t figured out yet?Even if scientists never find a way to mass-produce the properties of roach milk for human consumption or incorporate its unique qualities in pharmaceuticals, we’ve uncovered one more awesome way that the Creator designed a creature to care for its young. It should remind us to praise Him for how much He cares for us.”
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| Pacific Beetle cockroach |
Until next time, God bless and take care,
Willow Dressel
References:
https://answersingenesis.org/creepy-crawlies/insects/milking-roaches-all-theyre-worth-unlikely-reminder-gods-provision/?utm_source=articlesmedia&utm_medium=email&utm_content=featurebutton&utm_campaign=20161022&mc_cid=7dad16d25e&mc_eid=ec76e61712
Figure 1) By Hectonichus - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37512922
Figure 2) By Mvolz - Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50362157
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