Hi, there foodies!
Do you love slurping those delicious mussels? Whether you are scooping
them out Classic French style or devouring them in your Thai broth,
this crustacean definitely adds some serious flavor to your food.
Mussels are claimed to be the best seafood nutrition-wise. Adding this
powerful shellfish to your diet can keep you in great health.
In today's video let's discuss what happens to your body when you eat mussels.
Does it improve your memory? What about great skin? Wait a minute,
can it make asthma go away? We are discussing all that and more...
1. Improves thyroid function This underrated mollusk is a
storehouse of many macronutrients. Out of those, Selenium and Iodine play a key role in improving
thyroid function. Thyroid hormone cannot be synthesized without Iodine and Selenium.
The recommended daily intake of Selenium for average adults is 55 micrograms.
But a one cup serving of mussels provides almost 68 micrograms of selenium.
If you take pills for thyroid, talk to your doctor about these gourmet foods.
Additionally, selenium also removes the free radicals that are produced while
forming the thyroid hormone. It enhances the effectiveness of the thyroid hormone.
Do you know of any other natural foods that improve thyroid function? Sound off in the
comments below and start a conversation with our ever-growing Bestie community.
2. Manages weight Getting your weight
under control gets quite difficult if you are a meat lover. Most dietitians also recommend
you to stay away from red meat if you are on a weight loss journey. It's probably because
most red meat is cooked wrong, has lots of inherent fat or comes in a huge portion size.
Having fresh mussels can be a healthy replacement for red meat and put an
end to your meat cravings. It has an equal amount of proteins when compared to red meat.
An animal study revealed that an obesogenic diet rich in mussels lowered cholesterol and
protected against weight gain in mice. These protein rich shellfish have almost
40% of your recommended dietary allowance of proteins, less saturated fat, and almost 25%
fewer calories than red meat. But don’t fry them. That would defeat the entire purpose.
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3. Improve skin health
You may get fresh or frozen blue or green lipped varieties of mussels near you. If you always pick
up shrimp, crab, or lobster, then it's about time you experience a new flavor from the same
family of fish. The goodness of mussels is also available in powdered form for medicinal purposes.
Mussels are chock-full of nutrients that can keep your skin radiant and glowing.
Green mussels especially can make your skin plump and youthful. You must have seen a few
over-the-counter capsules that are used for slowing down the aging process of your skin.
Most of them contain extracts of green-lipped mussels.
Monosaccharides, zinc, and omega 3 fatty acids create a perfect blend
of properties that can keep skin inflammation
away. They also can help ward off some serious skin diseases like Psoriasis and Eczema.
Monosaccharides are particularly important for younger peeps as it helps in the growth
of hair and nails. It also helps improve the skin turnover rate and naturally exfoliates dead skin.
4. Prevents asthma Asthma is a serious
respiratory disorder related to poor lung health. The airways and the lungs
are always inflamed. That is why asthmatic patients often have difficulty breathing.
They often breathe through the mouth, have shortness of breath, and are tired all the time.
One study showed that a few people consuming green-lipped mussel extract regularly had
a significant reduction in wheezing during the day. If you already have asthma and need a boost
from your diet then having green-lipped mussels would be the perfect addition.
Are air pollutants destroying your lungs at the core? Before we go ahead,
make sure to watch our video on 19 foods that improve unhealthy lungs and help you breathe easy.
Coming back to why you should be eating more mussels
5. Improve heart health Get ready to hear some scary statistics.
Experts say that one American gets a heart attack approximately every 40 seconds. While the number
of heart patients is skyrocketing, we are becoming more aware of things that we put into our bodies.
Having healthy food habits is a prime factor for lengthening your heart's life.
Saturated fat is the worst enemy of your heart. But since mussels are low
in total saturated fat you can safely have them without being scared for your cardiac health.
It will not cause blockages or thinning of the lumen of the blood vessels of your heart.
In fact, studies have shown quicker recovery rate after a cardiac arrest.
Additionally, there are great stores of Omega 3 fatty acids that are particularly important
to regulate the heartbeat. It thereby reduces arrhythmia and heart attacks in the long run.
6. Prevents anemia
Anemia is a blood disorder that affects many females and children. It affects almost 25%
of the population globally. It generally occurs when your blood does not have enough healthy red
blood cells or RBCs. RBCs are the transporters of oxygen in your system. Less red blood cells
will indirectly cause poor oxygen supply to the vital organs of your body causing anemia.
Green mussels contain almost 11 micrograms of iron that completes 50 to 60% of your recommended daily
requirement of iron. And if you’re over 50 it completes your iron requirement for the day.
7. ​​Improves fertility
If you've been trying to bring new life to this world there's
a good chance that eating mussels regularly can bring some good news.
It can be used for boosting both male and female fertility in different ways.
Mussels are rich in folic acid and Vitamin B12. The deficiency of this vitamin can cause estrogen,
a female hormone, to fluctuate. It can even cause miscarriage in advanced pregnancy.
Having mussels will give you abundant vitamin B12 and help you sustain a pregnancy. It also
increases the viscosity of the cervical mucus plug that protects the fetus from
infection and premature birth. In men, it can increase the viscosity of seminal fluid too.
These benefits need more research, but nonetheless, eating mussels won't hurt a bit.
8. Strengthens bones and joints
Mussels are distant cousins of clams. They can live in both salt and freshwater. Their general
preferred food is green algae. Some believe that they help keep the lakes and rivers algae-free.
They have elongated, asymmetrical shapes and are bi-valved. They are available in different colors
like blue, brown, grey, black and the flesh is silverish. The edible portion is gritty and chewy.
Despite so many different varieties, green-lipped has the upper hand when
it comes to extra nutrition. Sore joints hamper daily activities like walking,
getting out of bed, and sitting without discomfort. Spongy bones
with poor strength-bearing capacity also may arise as you age. Chondroitin sulfate is a
joint pain reliever that is naturally present in mussels. It also supports teeth and bone health.
Mussels contain Vitamin C that promotes the strength of your ligaments and tendons.
Even with strong bones, you won't be able to move if you have weak ligaments and tendons. Vitamin C
accelerates the production of antibodies and keeps you healthy by offering protection from pathogens.
9. Boosts brain health Let's face it - aging is inevitable.
It not only changes our body from the outside but also affects our internal organs. The brain is
the controlling unit of your body. But with age, its capacity to be in control starts diminishing,
as the brain cells start shrinking. Cooking mussels is really easy. You
can just boil them in water for 3 to 6 minutes. That is literally nothing for
the tons of benefits you are getting in return. Not to mention the yummy taste.
Mussels are loaded with DHA and Vitamin B12 that are absolutely essential to prolong brain changes.
A 3 Oz serving would be sufficient to give you enough nutrients as 3 to 5 fish oil supplements.
According to research, DHA is the only omega 3 fatty acid that can significantly avoid aging
and form new brain cells. That’s why most health drinks and baby formula are fortified with it.
Vitamin B12 has some surprising effects on your memory too. A 3 Oz serving of
mussels will have a whopping 340% of your recommended daily requirement of vitamin B12.
It not only helps you think clearly and remember events but also elevates your mood.
Do you want to be smart even in the later years of your life? Then you
need something extra. Just like mussels, other superfoods also enhance brain power.
Let’s keep the conversation going with a couple of more brain health-related videos, shall we?
Watch the 9 best foods to boost your brain function and memory or
click on nine brain-boosting drinks you need to know about.
Go ahead, click one. Or better yet, watch both, and learn more about how to sharpen your brain!
Do you love eating mussels? Let us know in the comments below!