What Vitamins Can Oysters Give to the Body?
While their soft and fleshy texture might make them an acquired taste for some people, adding oysters to your diet benefits your health. They come packed with protein, and a 6-ounce portion of oysters provides your entire daily protein food intake for the day, according to dietary guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Oysters' nutritional content also includes minerals -- especially iron, zinc, selenium and copper -- as well as a number of essential vitamins that support your health.
Oysters serve as an excellent source of vitamin B-12. Each 6-ounce portion contains 27.2 micrograms of the vitamin. While that might not sound like much, it's actually more than 10 times your daily B-12 requirements, according to the Institute of Medicine's intake guidelines. Your body uses this vitamin to produce red blood cells, regulate the activity of your genes and support nervous system function. Adding oysters to your diet can help prevent the sometimes permanent nerve damage that can result from B-12 deficiency.
Oysters also provide your body with vitamin C. Consuming vitamin C keeps your blood vessels strong and healthy, because it helps you produce the collagen that helps keep your blood vessel walls intact. You'll also reap other health benefits associated with a high vitamin C intake, including a lower risk of coronary heart disease and some types of cancer, explains the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. A 6-ounce portion of oysters contains 14 milligrams of vitamin C -- 16 percent of the recommended daily intake for men and 19 percent for women, according to the Institute of Medicine.
Consuming oysters also helps you get more niacin, or vitamin B-3. Niacin activates two coenzymes, called NAD and NADP, which help you break down food into energy and store excess energy in the form of fatty acids. Getting enough niacin also supports communication between cells, aids in new cell growth and helps your body repair damaged DNA. A 6-ounce serving of oysters contains 3.4 milligrams of niacin and provides 24 and 21 percent of the recommended daily intake for women and men, respectively, according to the Institute of Medicine.
Oysters also give your body vitamin A. Each serving offers 459 international units of vitamin A -- 15 percent of the daily vitamin A intake requirements for men and 20 percent for women, according to the Institute of Medicine. Like niacin, vitamin A facilitates new cell growth, and helps newly born cells develop into functional tissue. Vitamin A also supports the function of rod cells -- the specialized cells in your retinas that detect changes in light.
Sylvie Tremblay holds a Master of Science in molecular and cellular biology and has years of experience as a cancer researcher and neuroscientist. Based in Ontario, Canada, Tremblay is an experienced journalist and blogger specializing in nutrition, fitness, lifestyle, health and biotechnology, as well as real estate, agriculture and clean tech.