Background: Diabetes is a disease characterized by high blood glucose levels that result from the body's inability to produce and/or use insulin. Among different types of diabetes, type II diabetes is the most common. This work studied the causes and effects of Thasus gigas on the population of Actopan, Hidalgo regarding its ingestion and utility in the treatment of type II diabetes.
Material and methods: An exploratory study was carried out based on a survey conducted among the residents of Actopan, Hidalgo suffering from diabetes mellitus (type II). In order to investigate the effect of the ingestion of insects "xohues" or "shamues", a study was conducted on 100 adults among the population of Actopan, Hidalgo in order to get information on Thasus gigas consumption. The study was designed to identify the relationships between its usage, effects on human health, the reasons for its consumption by the Actopan community; either for cultural matters or as an alternative treatment to manage type II diabetes.
Results: Of the 100 persons surveyed, 39 were diabetic, 29 made medical outpatient visits. Among these, 21 had eaten Xamues to manage their diabetes while 21.5% replaced their medical treatment with Xamues. Of the 53% of the people who ingested Xamues as an alternative for their disease, 13% abandoned their medical treatment while 33% consumed them for alimentary culture.
Conclusion: People who have stopped attending medical checkups are at risk, because there is no evidence that ingestion of these insects can regulate blood glucose levels.
Keywords: Alimentary culture; Thasus gigas; medical treatment; type II diabetes.