Claim: Cockroach milk is three times more nutritious than cow’s milk

Claim

A post from Ugandan media personality and blogger Isaac Daniel Katende aka Kasuku has sparked debate online. The post claimed tat cockroach milk is three times more nutritious than cow milk. We received inquiry into this from users online and set out to fact check and bring clarity to the matter.

We need to talk guys 😩😩 pic.twitter.com/iPC11xHjGf

— KASUKU (@Kasuku256) June 17, 2025

Reactions to the post from users online

What’s True

Calorie‑for‑calorie, cockroach milk crystals from Diploptera punctata (the Pacific beetle cockroach) contain roughly three times the energy of buffalo milk (232 kcal vs. ~110 kcal per 100 g)

These crystals pack a complete protein, spanning all nine essential amino acids, plus lipids (oleic, linoleic, omega-3/omega-9 fatty acids), sugars, vitamins, and minerals

What nutritious means

Higher calories per gram ≠ better overall. Cockroach milk is denser in energy and nutrients, but this doesn’t mean it’s overall healthier or superior to cow’s milk in broader contexts.
Cow’s milk offers benefits like calcium, vitamin D (often fortified), lactose, plus proven safety and large‑scale production infrastructure.

Verdict.

The claim that cockroach milk is three times more nutritious than cow’s milk is partly true but highly misleading. While studies show it has a higher nutrient density per gram, it is neither available for human consumption nor proven safe, making the comparison more speculative than practical.

Tumwine Edward

Edward Tumwine is a Digital Communications Consultant, Lecturer, and Media Viability Expert with over nine years of experience in media relations, content strategy, and digital communications. He has advised organizations and journalists on media sustainability, new media skills, and leveraging digital tools for impact. Edward currently serves as the Communications Officer at Debunk Media Initiative, where he leads strategic communications to combat misinformation. He also lectures in Multimedia Production at Uganda Christian University’s School of Journalism and Communication.