How Healthy Are Oysters?
Beneficial to ecosystems and humans, oysters also provide an array of health benefits.
Oysters are saltwater bivalve mollusks that live in marine habitats such as bays and oceans.
They’re a vital part of the ecosystem, filtering pollutants out of the water and providing habitats for other species, such as barnacles and mussels.
There are many different types of oysters — and their briny, flavorful meat is considered a delicacy around the world.
Though well known for their supposed aphrodisiac qualities, these mollusks have a lot to offer in terms of health benefits.
This article reviews the impressive health benefits — but also risks — of eating oysters and explains the best ways to prepare them.
Oyster nutrition facts
Oysters have a hard, irregularly shaped shell that protects a gray, plump inner body.
This inner body — known as the meat — is highly nutritious.
In fact, a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of cooked wild eastern oysters provides the following nutrients
- Calories: 79
- Protein: 9 grams
- Carbs: 4 grams
- Fat: 3 grams
- Zinc: 555% of the Daily Value (DV)
- Vitamin B12: 538% of the DV
- Copper: 493% of the DV
- Selenium: 56% of the DV
- Iron: 40% of the DV
- Manganese: 20% of the DV
- Phosphorus: 12% of the DV
- Vitamin E: 9% of the DV
- Riboflavin: 9% of the DV
- Calcium: 7% of the DV
Oysters are low in calories yet loaded with nutrients, including protein, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals.
For example, a 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving provides more than 100% of the DV for vitamin B12, zinc, and copper, plus a good amount of selenium, iron, and manganese.
These tasty mollusks are also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, a family of polyunsaturated fats that play important roles in your body, including regulating inflammation, supporting heart and brain health, and protecting against type 2 diabetes
For more information you can read the full article on: Healthline
