A mother dubbed the ‘Queen of Cosmetic Procedures’ has defended her ‘disgusting’ decision to eat living creepy crawlies every day – in the hope of preventing cancer.
Marcela Iglesias, from Los Angeles, California, consumes five Chinese weevils a day – either swallowing them raw or taking them in a shot of water or celery juice.
She keeps her colonies – known in her home county of Argentina, as ‘Gorgojo Chino’ – in her living room and insists they are very low maintenance.
She believes the bugs can reduce the growth of cancerous tumours – supporting the immune system as well as combating arthritis, chronic pain and digestive issues.
Eating them alive means that once in the digestive system the bugs supposedly release ‘coleotoxins’ which are believed to have multiple health benefits.
Marcela Iglesias lets the bugs crawl on her tongue. The mother believes the bugs can help to prevent cancer and support the immune system – as well as tackling arthritis, chronic pain and digestive issues
Medical studies are yet to conclusively substantiate the claims. One study from 2011 found that consuming bugs reduced tumour cell growth by more than 70 per cent, while others state it has no benefit.
But Marcela doesn’t care, saying that either way the bugs are a good natural source of protein and believes she has ‘nothing to lose’ by taking them.
And despite being branded ‘disgusting’ by online commenters due to her appetite for bugs, she believes it’s better than eating meat and good for the digestive system.
Marcela about to consume a shot of water and Chinese weevils. Eating them alive means that once in the digestive system, the bugs supposedly release ‘coleotoxins’ which are believed to have multiple health benefits
Marcela’s Chinese weevil colony. They rapidly multiply and reside in her living room only requiring a change of bread and lettuce after two weeks
Marcela said: ‘I don’t feel gross at all, I don’t see them as a disgusting thing, even when they are crawling over my tongue.
‘The bugs have a lot of health benefits, not only for potentially curing cancer but arthritis, chronic pain, digestive issues and more. In Asia it is very popular to eat bugs.
‘There are a lot of natural benefits to consuming them, I don’t feel gross eating them, they don’t taste like anything.
‘You have to eat them alive because when they die in your digestive system, they release a toxin called coleotoxin, which has all these benefits – especially for stopping the spread of tumours.
‘In my eyes it’s a win-win situation, for me I take them to see if my body will feel any different.
‘The worst-case scenario is that they don’t do anything and it’s all a lie, but at least I’m consuming protein from them as I do not consume animal protein.
‘At the moment I drink or eat around five a day, I don’t think I have any type of disease so don’t need to have more.
‘People who have cancer and other diseases consume way more as they know they have to prevent the disease from coming back.
‘I only started two months ago, so maybe in six months something will happen, but people online are very grateful to them.’
Marcela consumers five Chinese weevils a day and believes she has ‘nothing to lose’ by eating the bugs
Marcela shows herself eating some of the Chinese weevils with a shot of water. She believes it’s better than eating meat and is better for the digestive system
The bugs floats in water before Marcela consumes them. She believes the bugs can reduce the growth of cancerous tumours, but insists that eating them won’t do any harm and provides a good source of protein
Marcela’s beliefs surrounding the possible health benefits of eating the Chinese weevil, stem from a close friend battling terminal cancer.
After beating it once, he was given six months to live with further chemotherapy, but the mechanic – who wishes to remain anonymous – rejected treatment.
Despite the perilous prognosis, he has defied doctors’ expectations living for more than six years now, without western medication.
He believes the reason behind his longevity has been consuming 40-50 of the bugs every day.
Marcela said: ‘He was given six months to live after his cancer returned, but he refused chemo because it made him feel horrible.
‘He eats 40-50 of the Chinese weevils a day, with no other medicine for cancer and has been alive for six years without the cancer coming back.’
Every 15 days, Marcela cleans the weevils’ containers, replacing their pieces of bread, wheat and the lettuce that they use for water.
The bugs rapidly multiply but to obtain them, no money should be exchanged as they are supposed to be gifted for free as a cure to others.
Marcela is determined to stay forever young through natural cures and non-surgical revisions.
Marcela said: ‘To start using them someone has to pass them to you, you can’t buy them, it’s not supposed to be a bug business it’s supposed to be people helping one another.
‘It’s supposed to help people cure themselves naturally without paying for it.
‘They reproduce like crazy, it’s insane, they are in my living room but never try to escape from their little container.
‘I often check on them to see them progressing from larva to adolescent and then adult.’
Marcela said that she doesn’t feel squeamish about eating the bugs, even when they are crawling along her tongue
Marcela with her pampered pig Chuy about to consumer a shot of water and Chinese weevils. The mum-of-three has three pigs – who she spoils with elaborate gifts, throws birthday parties for and treats just like her children
Marcela maintains that eating bugs is not ‘gross’ and is way better than consuming meat.
She added: ‘A few of my friends say, ‘Oh my god, it’s disgusting’ but to me it’s way better than eating any meat.
‘It’s much easier for the body to digest bugs than a piece of meat, it can take hours to digest and forces the body to use so much energy.
‘For a piece of meat, you also don’t see what goes on behind closed doors.
‘The animal is probably mistreated its whole life, injected with hormones and the suffering before its death causes the creature to release bad toxins that humans then consume.’
The mum-of three, also has three pampered pigs – who she spoils with elaborate $1,500 gifts, throws birthday parties for and treats just like her children.
She believes that our perceptions of animals are unfairly influenced by societal norms and that we should be more open minded to equal rights for all animals.
In addition to her daily bug consumption, Marcela also drinks celery juice, takes apple cider vinegar tablets, flax seed oil and more in a bid to stay young forever.
She hopes through her clean lifestyle and healthy diet to cultivate a ‘fountain of youth’.
Marcela said: ‘I would rather eat bugs than take drugs from a laboratory.’