Oysters aren't just a delicious seafood delicacy. There are also a ton of health benefits when it comes to eating fresh oysters, and not just eating raw oysters.
6 Delicious Health Benefits of Oysters
These tasty mollusks are known for having all sorts of benefits for your health, including heart health, and when it comes to weight loss. These shellfish delicacies are full of essential vitamins, minerals, and organic compounds and are a great source of protein, vitamin D, zinc, iron, and copper, according to Healthline. Plus, they have high levels of Vitamin C, phosphorus, niacin and riboflavin. If you're interested in adding more oysters into your health and wellness plans, read on.
1. Bone Health
Thanks to all the healthy minerals in oysters, they can help keep your bones strong. Calcium, iron, zinc, phosphorus, and selenium specifically help increase bone durability and can help protect you from conditions like osteoporosis.
2. Sexual Health
Oysters are known as a popular aphrodisiac. Why? Because they have been found to increase testosterone levels in men, according to Smilizer. That's due to their high zinc content, which has been shown to improve sexual drive. (They're also just great in general if you're dealing with zinc deficiency!)
Oyster Knife
3. Low-Calorie Count
Oysters have a low-calorie count, according to the Cleveland Clinic. For example, in a 6-count serving of oysters that are medium-sized, you'll consume less than 50 calories...unless you fry them, but even then, the calorie count on this healthy food isn't bad.
4. Good for Heart Health
Their low-calorie quality makes oysters great for heart health, but these little treats have other properties that help to keep your heart healthy, too. For instance, oysters are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, which are regarded as healthy fat or cholesterol.
Research has shown they can reduce the risk of plaque accumulation in the blood vessels and improve overall cardiovascular health as well. The amount of vitamin E in oysters also increases the strength of cellular membranes, which health protect against the risk of heart disease, the Gourmet Food Store reported.
5. Great for the Immune System
Oysters are a good source of essential minerals and nutrients and are chock full of vitamins and minerals that help with your immune system health, including zinc and Vitamin D. The Michelin guide also reported that just six medium oysters provide about 5 percent of your daily magnesium needs and 4 percent of your daily potassium needs.
?6. Anti-Inflammatory Properties
As a final health benefit of oysters for our list, oysters are a strong source of omega-3 fatty acids, which means they can help with regulating inflammation. So if your dietitian is on your case about getting more of those acids or supplements into your diet, consider going out for some oysters on the half shell.
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