Top 5

Necessary Minerals from Seafood

A Cornucopia of Minerals

Unless you have an allergy or health problem that does not allow you to readily take in these minerals, you need them. All five minerals are necessary for optimum health, and seafood provides a rich source of all five. Here is a listing of the top five minerals found in seafood.

Potassium

Potassium is an important mineral that once ingested becomes an electrolyte in the body. Haul fish and especially all shellfish are excellent sources of potassium with scallops having the highest concentration per portion. For instance, one serving of scallops contains 480mg of potassium. Since adults need about 3,500mg per day, finding sources high in potassium is important.

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Selenium

Many adults are deficient in selenium, as absorption of selenium is dependent on the source, meaning the body is unable to breakdown some sources of selenium. You may be more familiar with this regarding calcium. Most of us know that not all calcium sources are equal. The same is for selenium. Fish is an excellent source of selenium, and it found that selenium concentrations are not affected by exposing fish to high heat, i.e. cooking fish. Selenium aids in a vast array of human health conditions from treating cancers, AIDs, arthritis to heart disease. Those suffering from these conditions are often found as deficient in selenium.

Zinc

Most adults are deficient in zinc. Zinc is a necessary mineral for the body, because it promotes antioxidant reactions and helps treat and shorten the length of the common cold. Men should have at least 11mg of zinc per day, and women should have about 8mg. In just one medium-sized oyster, there are 76+mg of zinc.

Iodine

Unless you have an unfortunate allergy to iodine, iodine is an excellent mineral for the body. Iodine is needed for the proper functioning of the thyroid gland. If one is deficient in iodine, this person can have symptoms of fatigue, depression and swelling of the thyroid. Both cod fish and seaweeds in general have very high amounts of iodine. One serving of cod can provide up to 66% of the daily requirement of iodine, and dried seaweed can provide even more, up to a whopping 3000%! (There is now research that supports that those allergic to iodine are actually not allergic to iodine at all. It is likely an allergy related to how the body deals with a protein specific to fish.)

Copper

Along with zinc, copper also promotes antioxidant reactions in the body. Copper is needed in your body’s metabolism and aids in absorption of nutrients. It is a necessary mineral to support best development and growth, especially in bones. Copper is said to help with low bone mineral density. Oysters are hands-down the best source of copper. A half dozen steamed oysters have 120% of the suggested daily requirement. Lobster and clams are very high in copper too. Also, copper and zinc work together well together in the body. Finding foods rich in both maintains the proper balance or ratio of copper to zinc necessary.

These are the top 5 minerals found in seafood. There are others, such as calcium, sulfur, sodium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, and fluoride (Your body needs fluoride, but get if from natural food sources versus water or toothpaste.) Other micronutrient minerals found in fish that the body needs are vanadium, cobalt, nickel, chromium, lithium (seaweed), and phosphorus.

Seafood is a mineral cornucopia.