Cuttlefish ink is a dark ink produced by cuttlefish as a defense mechanism.
Squid ink is a popular ingredient in Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine.
It adds a unique black-blue color and a rich salty flavor to the dishes.
However, you may be wondering exactly what this ingredient is and whether you should consume it.
This article explains what squid ink is and reviews its potential benefits and safety.
What is squid ink?
Squid ink, also known as cephalopod ink, is a dark ink produced by squid.
It acts as a defense mechanism to help animals escape predators by obscuring the predator's line of sight (1).
Inks contain many compounds, including melanin, enzymes, polysaccharides, catecholamines (hormones), metals such as cadmium, lead, copper, etc., as well as amino acids such as glutamic acid, taurine, alanine, leucine, and aspartic acid (1, 2).
The main compound in squid ink is melanin, which is the pigment that causes the ink to darken in color. It also happens to humans and determines the color of your skin (1).
Squid ink has been used for centuries, including in traditional medicine, writing, art, cosmetics, and food additives (1).
Today, due to its unique dark color and rich salty taste, it is mainly used as a food additive for pasta, rice and sauces found in many Japanese and Mediterranean dishes.
Summary: Squid ink is a dark ink produced by squid as a defense mechanism. It contains many unique compounds, including melanin, and has multiple uses, including culinary uses.
Squid ink may have health benefits
Squid ink has been linked to a variety of potential health benefits.
May have antibacterial properties
Test-tube and animal studies have shown that this ink has antibacterial properties that can neutralize harmful bacteria and viruses. (3, 4）。
For example, a test-tube study found that squid ink extract was effective in neutralizing bacteria that usually cause plaque, such as Streptococcus amoebras, Viscous Actinomycetes, Lactobacillus acidophilus, and Candida albicans (5).
Another test-tube study showed that squid ink compounds are able to neutralize bacteria that cause foodborne diseases such as E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes (6).
May have antioxidant effects
Studies have shown that squid ink has powerful antioxidant properties (7).
Antioxidants are compounds that can fight potentially harmful molecules called free radicals. If the levels of free radicals in your body are too high, they can cause cell damage and increase your risk of chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. (8）。
Several test-tube and animal studies have shown that the antioxidant properties of these squid inks come from polysaccharides, a long-chain sugar molecule that has been found to fight off free radicals. (9, 10, 11）。
May help fight cancer
Some evidence suggests that squid ink has anti-cancer properties.
Test-tube studies have observed that this ink may reduce tumor size and the spread of cancer cells. These anti-cancer properties seem to be related to the strong antioxidant properties of inks.
More specifically, test-tube studies have found that squid ink proteins and polysaccharides may inhibit the growth of breast, lung, and prostate cancer cells. (12, 13, 14, 15）。
In addition, animal studies have pointed out that squid monote polysaccharides can prevent potential damage from chemotherapy drugs. (10, 16, 17）。
While these findings are promising, human studies in this area are lacking and more research is needed before strong conclusions can be drawn.
Other potential benefits
Here are more potential health benefits of squid ink:
- May lower blood pressure. Test-tube studies have shown that squid ink contains compounds that may contribute to the dilation of blood vessels, thereby improving blood pressure (18).
- Can fight stomach ulcers. Animal studies have shown that this ink can reduce the production of stomach acid, which can prevent stomach ulcers (19, 20, 21).
- Can improve immunity. An animal study found that squid ink promoted the growth and development of immune cells and enhanced overall immunity compared to control solutions. (22）。
Summary: In test-tube and animal studies, squid ink has been linked to multiple health benefits. However, more human studies of these benefits are needed before strong conclusions can be drawn.
Squid ink uses
For centuries, squid ink has been used for a variety of purposes.
Traditionally, it has been used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat heart and blood problems. In addition, it was widely used in writing, painting, and painting in the 19th century (1, 23).
Today, it is mainly used as a raw material for cooking.
It is most commonly used in Mediterranean and Japanese cuisine, and its dark and savory flavors help enhance the flavor and appeal of sauces as well as pasta and rice.
The salty nature of squid ink comes from its high content of glutamic acid, which is an amino acid and an umami compound. Foods high in glutamate have a salty umami taste (1).
If you want to try squid ink, you can harvest the ink sac from a whole squid. Alternatively, for more convenient products, you can do so in a specialty store or online.
Because of its rich salty taste, you only need to add a few teaspoons to the dish.
It is worth noting that most of the commercially available cuttlefish ink is cuttlefish ink. This is because cuttlefish ink has a richer, tastier taste. Therefore, to get squid ink, be sure to read the label of the product you purchased correctly (1).
Summary: Squid ink has many traditional uses. Today, it is mainly used for cooking. It has a rich salty taste, so you only need to use it in small amounts.
Should you eat squid ink?
Squid ink is a safe food additive that can help enhance the flavor of dishes.
Although it has been linked to multiple health benefits, these findings have only come from test-tube or animal studies. It is uncertain whether the same effect will apply to humans.
In addition, squid ink is usually consumed in small amounts. Therefore, it is unlikely to provide significant health benefits.
There is a lack of evidence that people who are allergic to shellfish may develop symptoms when ingesting squid ink. Still, if you have this allergy, you may need to proceed with caution.
Summary: Squid ink is a safe food additive that can add flavor to your dishes. However, it is unlikely to produce significant health benefits for humans because its intake is small.
ِA summary
Cuttlefish ink is a dark ink produced by cuttlefish as a defense mechanism.
It has many culinary uses and contains unique compounds.
Test-tube and animal studies have linked ink to health benefits, but human studies are lacking. In addition, it is unlikely that small amounts of use will benefit your health.
Still, squid ink can add flavor and variety to your dishes, so you might want to try out its unique culinary properties.