The surprising health benefits of oysters

When listing top foods with health benefits, things like kale, blueberries, and even dark chocolate may come to mind. Oysters, however, don’t typically make the cut. I won’t argue that these mollusks should be considered a superfood, but Oysters contain overwhelmingly more good qualities than bad, which makes me feel a whole lot better about all of those raw bar cocktail hours I’ve frequented.

First on the list: Vitamin B12, which is only found in animal foods, leaving most vegetarians deficient in this important nutrient. (Fun fact: only the bacteria in animal products can manufacture this vitamin, which makes it even harder to come by.) B12 is essential, however, as it keeps nerves and red blood cells healthy and plays a key role in nervous system functions. To my surprise, it turns out this is the only vitamin found in abundance in our slippery friends: a whopping 226% per serving.

While that’s dramatic, it’s actually the plethora of minerals that give oysters some serious bragging rights. The hard shell you slurp them out of? That’s a calcium carbonate gift to you. And while respectable, not as much so as their super high zinc content. Oysters have more zinc per serving (76 mg) than any other food! So when you stop by Old Ebbit Grill for late night happy hour, you can say you need an immunity boost and you woouldn’t be lying.

In close second to zinc comes iron – which we just need to, I don’t know, carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of the body. Duh.

And the holiest of holy grails: Omega 3s. Thought you could only get those in oily fish? Nope. Oysters have these heart healthy fats too, and in droves.

Lastly, and maybe most impressive, oysters are complete proteins, meaning they contain all of the essential amino acids. Six medium oysters contain 4.4 grams of protein and only 49 calories and 1.3 grams of fat. Never feel guilty again about going for the full dozen. You may, however, have remorse for the four martinis that accompanied the meal. I’m not judging.  

So in the spirit of no judgments, here are some great places to get oysters in Washington, D.C, my home for the last 8 years. Check out each for their happy hour and late night specials:  

• Fiola Mare, Georgetown
• Hanks Oyster Bar DuPont and Capitol Hill 
• Johnny’s Half Shell, Capitol Hill 
• Old Ebbit Grill, Downtown 
• Pearl Dive Oyster Palace, Logan Circle 
• Rappahannock Oyster Bar at Union Market, NoMa 

This post was originally published by The DC Ladies, written by me.