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:
| Nutrition Facts |
Mollusks Oyster Eastern Wild R
|
| Serving Size 100g |
| Calories 68 |
| % Daily Value* |
| Total Fat 2.46g |
4% |
| Saturated Fat 0.772g |
4% |
| Cholesterol 53mg |
18% |
| Sodium 211mg |
9% |
| Total Carbohydrate 3.9g |
1% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g |
0% |
| Sugar 0g |
~ |
| Protein 7.1g |
~ |
| Vitamin A |
2% |
Vitamin C |
6% |
| Calcium |
5% |
Iron |
37% |
| *Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs. |
|
|
| Nutrition Facts |
Mollusks Oyster Eastern Farmed
|
| Serving Size 100g |
| Calories 59 |
| % Daily Value* |
| Total Fat 1.55g |
2% |
| Saturated Fat 0.443g |
2% |
| Cholesterol 25mg |
8% |
| Sodium 178mg |
7% |
| Total Carbohydrate 5.5g |
2% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g |
0% |
| Sugar ~g |
~ |
| Protein 5.2g |
~ |
| Vitamin A |
1% |
Vitamin C |
8% |
| Calcium |
4% |
Iron |
32% |
| *Percent Daily Values
are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending
on your calorie needs. |
|
|
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.