Eastern Oysters: A Nutritional Comparison of Farm Raised Vs. Wild Caught
According to the article for the top ten foods highest in copper wild caught oysters provide far more copper than farm raised. Interestingly wild caught oysters also provide more zinc, iron, vitamin B12 and most every other vitamin and mineral. Below is the complete nutrition facts comparison for wild caught vs. farm raised oysters:
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The wild caught oysters contain more fats and proteins, and fewer carbohydrates, making them more balanced. They also have more calcium, iron, and vitamin A. What can explain the increased amounts of copper and zinc? It seems to me that not all wild caught oysters will have greater quantities of these metals, and so the mineral profile would depend largely on where the oysters are caught. However, on average, wild caught will likely provide more minerals than farmed oysters.
Are all these extra minerals good for you? It depends on how much you eat. Indeed, it can be easy to consume too much iron, zinc, and copper when eating oysters often leading to diarrhea, or even blood nose. Thus, it is best to just eat no more than 3-4 wild caught oysters and enjoy all the vitamins and minerals for the calorie.
