The Oyster is One of the Richest Sources of Zinc

They say that the richest sources of zinc - an essential mineral that is absolutely needed at every stage of life - are animal foods. These include eggs, beef, red meats, lean turkey, and dairy products. Shellfish, like crabs, are also good sources of zinc. But none of these will ever catch up to the oyster which is considered the "king of zinc."

The oyster is a mollusk, one of several groups of species considered primitive. It has two valves (or shells) that do not easily yield to pressure nor are easily penetrated. These valves are fastened by a flexible, ligamentous joint (as a hinge) and held together with a strong muscle. The left and right valves (rounded and flattened, respectively) serve as the defensive covering for the soft body flesh of the oyster. Oysters differ slightly in shape according to species.

The name oyster has been given to an assortment of bivalve mollusks. However, not all of these are considered true oysters. True oysters include those found on the United States' east coast, in most European coasts, and in the coasts of Japan. Others are found in the Gulf of Mexico and in the coasts of Portugal. All these true oysters mentioned are edible.

Archaeological diggers of ancient Rome have come upon heaps of junked shells of oysters, mussels, and scallops - proof that oysters have been cultured for thousands of years. The Romans were known to have imported oysters from the North Sea. Also, the first man-made oyster beds were known to have been created by the Romans as a means of meeting the demand.

The oyster is a rather strange creature in that it has both female and male reproductive organs and goes through a continual course of sex change. Depending on the temperature and salt content of the water, the oyster may produce eggs as either a female or a male. An oyster releases about a million eggs (on the average), normally on a receding tide. The fertilized eggs drift for about fifteen days before finally settling.

Despite being very small in size, the oyster larva has a minute shell made complete by the inclusion of a foot and muscles. Once the larva's swimming stage comes to a conclusion, it stretches forth its foot, seeks something solid, and settles on it firmly. The larva is known at this stage as an oyster spat.

Back to its being edible, oysters are a real treat at any time of the year. However, eating raw oysters can make you sick; in worst, though rare, cases, it can be fatal. To lower risk, there is a prescribed guide that you must heed: Eat oysters during the eight months with the letter R in them - from September to April. The reason for this is that the common saltwater bacterium called Vibrio vulnificus (known to cause muscle aches, fever, and a lowered blood pressure in susceptible people), which may be present in raw oysters, breeds best in warm condition. The eight months mentioned are, of course, the colder months of the year. [Read the Original Article]