The claim

Chitin from insects is said to be harmful to the human body and cause the hereditary diseases disease and sarcoidosis. Elevated chitinase levels would prove this.

Our conclusion

Eating chitinous insects approved as EU food is safe and does not cause disease. Chitin can hardly be digested by humans and is excreted as fiber. Although the enzyme used to break down chitinous pathogens is elevated in certain diseases, there is no link to insect consumption.

The reason: The EU Commission has approved another new food for human consumption, namely partially defatted powder from ground house crickets. And as is often the case with new and unknown things, lies and half-truths are spread to unsettle people.

The fear of (hereditary) diseases is currently being fueled: eating insects containing chitin is said to trigger Gaucher's disease and sarcoidosis. The postings on Telegram, Twitter or Facebook look like this:

However, experts give the all-clear: Chitin is hardly digestible by humans and is excreted as fiber. The enzyme chitinase, which is present in the human body and can break down chitin, is used to defend against pathogens. A high chitinase level is not the cause of disease, but an indicator. However, people who are allergic to shellfish and molluscs should still be careful.

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Chitin, a multi-tasker

Chitin is a so-called polysaccharide, a complex carbohydrate made up of several sugar building blocks. It is commonly found in nature and is an important component of many shells, carapaces and skins of insects, crustaceans and fungi. Nature has found so many uses for it that it is one of the most common organic materials on Earth. Chitin is an important part of the skeleton of many sea creatures, including crabs and shrimps, and provides protection and structure for these organisms.

Chitin is also an important component of the exoskeleton of insects. There it not only protects the insect bodies, but also gives them their characteristic shapes and also helps regulate water exchange. Chitin is very resilient and can withstand high loads. It is very important for the mobility and ability of insects to change shape and adapt to their environment.

The typical exoskeleton of insects consists of layers of chitin that lie on top of each other and are connected to each other to form a strong protective armor. The wings and legs also owe their stability and strength primarily to the special properties of this remarkable natural building material. This is also why the use of chitin is now increasingly being considered in biomedical research The stability makes it interesting for implants and the biocompatibility as a basis for the matrix of cell cultures or wound dressings.

grasshopper
Grasshopper. Image: Richard Malo

Chitin in foods

Long before the use of insects was considered, chitin was already being used in the food industry. This usually comes from shellfish such as crabs, shrimps and crustaceans. It is extracted from the shells of these animals and processed into a fine powder that can be used as a food additive. Mushrooms can also serve as a source. The quality standards for food are very high. Therefore, meticulous care is taken to ensure that only high-quality and carefully processed chitin that is free of impurities is used in food.

As an additive in food production, chitin serves as a stabilizer and thickener. It is intended to improve consistency and prevent food from falling apart during cooking or processing. Processed into chitosan, it is also touted as a “fat blocker” . Dietary supplements with chitosan are said to “bind free fat, help you lose weight or lower cholesterol levels”. In higher doses it becomes a medical product, but then it is no longer covered by food law.

What is Gaucher disease?

Gaucher disease (pronounced: goschee) is a rare, genetic metabolic disease in which a certain enzyme deficiency leads to an accumulation of certain substances (Gaucher cells) in various body tissues, which can lead to a variety of symptoms and complications. Typical symptoms include anemia, joint pain and stiffness, enlargement of the liver and spleen, and lower bone density. There are different forms of Gaucher disease, some of which are treatable.

This hereditary disease is considered a rare disease and affects a maximum of one in 60,000 people. In Austria, only around 20 people were affected in 2022, as Sanofi Austria calculates . Unfortunately, there is no cure for this disease, but there are treatments that can relieve symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.

Gaucher disease under the microscope
Gaucher disease under the microscope. Image: Nephron , CC BY-SA 3.0

Causes of Gaucher and Boeck disease

The posts shared refer to Gaucher disease and sarcoidosis as hereditary diseases that are caused by chitin. Only one detail in this statement is correct: Gaucher disease is a hereditary disease. However, these are due to mutated genes or chromosomes and cannot be caused by poor nutrition.

Hereditary disease means that there is a genetic cause. In Gaucher disease, a certain enzyme is missing. This cause is innate. It doesn't matter at all whether you eat insects.

Hajo Haase, Professor of Food Chemistry and Toxicology at the TU Berlin in an interview with AFP

A genetic defect causes certain digestive enzymes to be missing in the cell components called lysosomes These are used to break down nucleic acids, proteins and fats. Because of the missing enzyme, a metabolic product that is not completely broken down accumulates in the body and increasingly causes problems.

about the background of sarcoidosis - also known as Boeck's disease. It is an “acute or chronic inflammatory disease that occurs in almost all organs of the body and can therefore disrupt their function”. Microscopically small, nodular tissue changes are the cause, but why these form is still unclear. However, it is suspected that both hereditary factors and inhaled pollutants interact.

It is probably a dysregulation of the immune system, caused by hereditary factors in conjunction with certain environmental influences.

Sarcoidosis ”, USZ Zurich

Chitin not responsible

There is no evidence linking chitin to Gaucher disease, sarcoidosis, or other diseases. However, high chitinase levels can be detected in the lung tissue in severe asthma. Chitinases are enzymes that are responsible for breaking down chitin and help ward off chitin-containing pathogens such as fungi and parasites. In certain diseases, such as Gaucher disease, sarcoidosis and asthma, chitinase levels are known to increase in patients as a result of the disease. However, high chitinase levels are not a cause of these diseases, but rather an indicator or biomarker.

Theodor Dingermann, molecular biologist, and Andreas Vilcinskas, director of the Institute for Insect Biotechnology at the University of Giessen, explain that the cause of the increase in chitinase in diseases is probably due to a misdirected reaction of immune cells. However, there is no evidence that elevated chitinase itself is harmful. However, the exact connection between chitinase and certain diseases is still unknown.

In conclusion, the increase in chitinase in Gaucher disease, sarcoidosis and other diseases is a consequence and not a cause of these diseases. A high chitinase value is not harmful and only serves as a diagnostic indicator. It's like this: Chitinases can render pathogens such as fungi or bacteria that contain chitin harmless. But humans lack an enzyme that could completely break down this substance.

Chitin is a fiber and does not enter the body at all. It is not bioavailable, as we say, and is excreted in the stool like cellulose.

Theodor Dingermann to AFP

Conclusion: Consuming chitinous insects approved as EU food is safe and does not cause illness.
Chitin can hardly be digested by humans and is excreted as fiber. Although the enzyme used to break down chitinous pathogens is elevated in certain diseases, there is no link to insect consumption. Anyone who is allergic to proteins from crustaceans or molluscs should also be careful with insects.

Rating: FALSE

Sources: National Library of Medicine , AFP , USZ Zurich , spektrum.de , Sanofi, verbraucherzentrale.de

More fact checks on the topic: Molluscs – insects in food?


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