Entrepreneurs are exploiting a medicinal craze that has swept across China – and it hinges upon the belief that eating cockroaches can remedy blood clots, gastroenteritis, tuberculosis, heart disease and other health conditions. A booming new industry for farming millions of the creepy crawlies has emerged. Once they reach a certain level of maturity, the cockroaches are crushed into pills that believers consume like a daily vitamin. Native Chinese people, particularly in the country’s northern regions, have eaten cockroaches for centuries, so there is virtually no social stigma associated with popping roach pills – and the business of raising them comes with a substantial payback.
Read more: Crushed Cockroach Medicinal Craze Sweeps Across China | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building