Surprising Health Benefits of Caviar
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Known as a luxurious seafood delicacy, caviar is the roe, or eggs, of different varieties of sturgeon fish. The most common varieties are osetra, beluga, kaluga, sevruga, sterlet, and hackleback.
Caviar’s color and size vary depending on the variety. Typically, it looks like small pearls in colors ranging from pale green to black.
And while salmon roe is often referred to as red caviar, it’s not true caviar.
Caviar has a slimy texture and a salty, fishy taste, and it pops in your mouth. It’s typically served in small amounts on its own, as a garnish, or on top of plain crackers, cucumber slices, or toast that won’t overpower its mild ocean flavor.
Besides being a culinary experience, enjoying this delicacy may provide numerous health benefits.
Here are six health benefits of caviar that are backed by science.
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- A nutritional powerhouse
Even when served in small amounts, caviar boasts an impressive nutritional profile.
A 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of caviar provides (1Trusted Source):
Calories: 75
Protein: 7 grams
Fat: 5 grams
Carbs: 1 gram
Vitamin B12: 236% of the Daily Value (DV)
Selenium: 34% of the DV
Iron: 19% of the DV
Sodium: 18% of the DV
As you can see, just one serving packs more than double your daily vitamin B12 needs. Vitamin B12 is essential for the development and function of your nervous system, as well as the production of DNA and red blood cells (2Trusted Source).A single serving of caviar also provides small amounts of calcium and vitamins A, D, and E (1Trusted Source).
Lastly, this delicacy is a great source of omega-3 fatty acids called eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Perhaps surprisingly, these fatty acids are behind most of its potential health benefits.
The 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that you get 250 mg of EPA and DHA each per day. Conveniently, a 1-ounce (28-gram) serving of caviar provides 800 mg of EPA and 1,080 mg of DHA, which more than covers the recommended amounts (1Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).
SUMMARY
Caviar is an excellent source of vitamin B12 and the fatty acids DHA and EPA. It also provides selenium, iron, and sodium, among other vitamins and minerals.- May reduce signs of skin aging
Being rich in omega-3 fatty acids, caviar has been studied for its skin health benefits.
A recent test-tube study suggested that DHA from caviar extract may stimulate adipocytes — or fat cells — to produce adiponectin (4Trusted Source).
Adiponectin is a molecule that improves your skin’s wound-healing and anti-inflammatory processes, promotes collagen synthesis, and prevents the breakdown of collagen fibers (4Trusted Source).
Because collagen is important for your skin structure, researchers believe its extract may reduce signs of skin aging (4Trusted Source).
Further, a 12-week study in 35 women with mild to moderate signs of skin aging observed that a serum containing caviar extract and other ingredients improved skin smoothness, firmness, and dryness along with fine lines and crow’s feet (5Trusted Source).
However, it’s unknown whether administering caviar extract on its own would have the same effects (5Trusted Source).
Ultimately, because research in this field is limited to the use of caviar extracts in test-tube studies or in humans in combination with other ingredients, further research is needed to better understand the skin benefits of eating fresh caviar.
SUMMARY
Caviar’s DHA content may help reduce wrinkles and other signs of skin aging, although further research in this field is needed.RELATED VIDEOS
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3. May improve brain and mental health
Maintaining a healthy mind is important throughout life. Promisingly, research suggests that EPA improves mood disorders and DHA maintains brain structure. Thus, the omega-3 fatty acids in caviar may promote brain and mental health (6Trusted Source).Omega-3 fatty acids are key elements of brain cell membranes that help fight inflammation. Researchers have speculated that reducing inflammation in the brain can reduce mental health decline seen in Alzheimer’s disease (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
Additionally, studies have found that people with depression often have lower levels of omega-3 fatty acids, suggesting that a lack of this nutrient may be a risk factor for depression (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source, 10Trusted Source).
Some research even suggests that supplementing with 1–2 grams of omega-3s per day may provide antidepressant effects with no serious side effects or interactions with common antidepressant medications (10Trusted Source, 11Trusted Source).
While some studies suggest that supplementing with EPA may be best for treating depression, others have found a combination of EPA and DHA — as found in caviar — to be more effective (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source).
Keep in mind that not all studies conclude that omega-3s provide antidepressant effects, and no studies directly link caviar with brain and mental health. More research is needed on these topics.
- A nutritional powerhouse
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I only recently learned that beluga caviar is the healthiest for the human body. I found such caviar at https://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/caviar/beluga-caviar-01458 and have already ordered one jar for Christmas. Of course, not everyone likes the taste of fish, but believe me this is a unique product that will only benefit your body.