Mussels and clams are considered to be very healthy. However their natural ‘job’ is cleaning seawater. Considering all the pollution in the oceans which is filtered by the mussels, how can they still be healthy and not be considered dirty or even toxic ?
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One of the problems you’re running into is that “healthy” with respect to food is pretty hard to define, but people selling food are very happy to tell you that their product is super mega healthy for everyone.
E.g. blue mussels are relatively high in calories, are slightly under one percent saturated fat, and have no fibre. Do those things make then healthy? Depends on what you need and what you’re getting.
If you’re not getting enough calories, then high calories in mussels is good.
If you’re not getting enough fibre, mussels aren’t helping you at all.
Saturated fat is easier – you should aim for zero saturated fat. But even so, if you’re already high in sat fat, even the small amount in mussels might be worth avoiding.
On top of that, mussels stay in one spot, so if there’s local contaminants like mercury or lead they can build up pretty high. And people often eat oysters and mussels in one swallow, so you’re more likely to eat several before noticing that they’re off.
So, this is long because it’s complicated, but the takeaway is this: “health” claims are always marketing, so don’t try to use health claims to understand the world
One of the problems you’re running into is that “healthy” with respect to food is pretty hard to define, but people selling food are very happy to tell you that their product is super mega healthy for everyone.
E.g. blue mussels are relatively high in calories, are slightly under one percent saturated fat, and have no fibre. Do those things make then healthy? Depends on what you need and what you’re getting.
If you’re not getting enough calories, then high calories in mussels is good.
If you’re not getting enough fibre, mussels aren’t helping you at all.
Saturated fat is easier – you should aim for zero saturated fat. But even so, if you’re already high in sat fat, even the small amount in mussels might be worth avoiding.
On top of that, mussels stay in one spot, so if there’s local contaminants like mercury or lead they can build up pretty high. And people often eat oysters and mussels in one swallow, so you’re more likely to eat several before noticing that they’re off.
So, this is long because it’s complicated, but the takeaway is this: “health” claims are always marketing, so don’t try to use health claims to understand the world
They are filter feeders, not bottom feeders. Commercially harvested clams, mussels, and oysters come from very clean watersheds.
If there are toxins or heavy metals in the water, then they will take in and be able to get rid of those pollutants. I grew up in Cleveland and you don’t want to eat anything filtering that water.
What mussels actually eat is algae and other microbes in the water. This isn’t “dirty”, it’s just cells. In the process, mussels may also filter out sediment particles, but they aren’t actually incorporating those into the body, it’s just being excreted as waste.
Mussels can definitely accumulate toxins, especially during harmful algal blooms when toxic algae are present. That’s why they close the fishery at those times. And they can absorb pollutants if they live in polluted water. But other than that, they aren’t particularly likely to contain anything toxic.
They are filter feeders, not bottom feeders. Commercially harvested clams, mussels, and oysters come from very clean watersheds.
If there are toxins or heavy metals in the water, then they will take in and be able to get rid of those pollutants. I grew up in Cleveland and you don’t want to eat anything filtering that water.
They are filter feeders, not bottom feeders. Commercially harvested clams, mussels, and oysters come from very clean watersheds.
If there are toxins or heavy metals in the water, then they will take in and be able to get rid of those pollutants. I grew up in Cleveland and you don’t want to eat anything filtering that water.
What mussels actually eat is algae and other microbes in the water. This isn’t “dirty”, it’s just cells. In the process, mussels may also filter out sediment particles, but they aren’t actually incorporating those into the body, it’s just being excreted as waste.
Mussels can definitely accumulate toxins, especially during harmful algal blooms when toxic algae are present. That’s why they close the fishery at those times. And they can absorb pollutants if they live in polluted water. But other than that, they aren’t particularly likely to contain anything toxic.
What mussels actually eat is algae and other microbes in the water. This isn’t “dirty”, it’s just cells. In the process, mussels may also filter out sediment particles, but they aren’t actually incorporating those into the body, it’s just being excreted as waste.
Mussels can definitely accumulate toxins, especially during harmful algal blooms when toxic algae are present. That’s why they close the fishery at those times. And they can absorb pollutants if they live in polluted water. But other than that, they aren’t particularly likely to contain anything toxic.
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