Mussels

Mussels are part of the mollusk family of shellfish. This means that they are a sea filter and usually eat by pumping water through their bodies. They can therefore easily contain concentrated pollutants and have also been referred to as “garbage eaters”.

Generally mussels are not a food I recommend you eat very often unless you know they have come from clean waters. The majority of mussels we have available in Australia come from New Zealand and their waters are pretty clean. So only eating mussels on a rare occasion is advised. But if you suffer from gout, mussels are best avoided completely.

The positives, they can strengthen the liver the kidneys, help with lower back pain, intestinal blockage, abdominal swelling and vertigo.

They contain good levels of B vitamins, particularly vitamin B12. They also contain iron, manganese, potassium, phosphorus, zinc and selenium.

They are an acquired taste and texture being particularly rubbery/chewy and they can be gritty. They can be eaten raw, cooked in or out of their shell, canned or frozen.