Green Lipped Mussels: It’s all in the lips

Not just juicy, but nutritious too!

New Zealand is among the short list of nations known for mussel production. A mussel is a type of shellfish like clams and oysters. A special type of mussel endemic to New Zealand is the Green Lipped Mussel. It’s named quite so because of the green colour bordering the (“lips”) edges of its shell, which makes it distinct. It was actually the Maoris in New Zealand who first discovered that it had healing properties more than a century ago.

Green Lipped Mussels are nutrient-rich sources of riboflavin, thiamine, vitamin C, folate, phosphorus, and zinc. Also added into this mix are vitamin B12, manganese, iron, and selenium. More importantly, these mussels contain the real muscle when it comes to fatty acids, namely eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These two are essential for this mussel’s anti-inflammatory and brain boosting properties.

Below are some of the specific health benefits that should make you take an interest in Green Lipped Mussels:

Do your joints feel like they’re being persistently squeezed by a 5m long python? Do you suffer from any of the more than 140 types of arthritis? Yes, it can be as painful as that! And yes there are really that many different kinds of arthritis! More than 3 million Australians suffer from some type of joint pain. New Zealanders aren’t spared either with around half a million affected by joint pain, young or old, at some point in their lives. If you’re among them, then green lipped mussels might just provide some kind of joint pain relief for you.

Numerous researchers have found evidence of substances like omega-3 fatty acids in green lipped mussels which might prevent your joints from producing pain chemicals (anti-inflammatory). Compared to the usual pain medications for your arthritis (like non-steroidal anti-inflammatories), they don’t make your stomach ache and spit blood at the same time. Some dog lovers even supplement their best friend’s diet with extracts of green lipped mussels. Lucky arthritis-free dogs…
Do you know what a wheeze is? It’s a sign of asthma. Wheezing is a type of whistling sound your airways make during exhalation if you have an asthma attack. It’s unpleasant and very uncomfortable. Chemical messengers called leukotrienes are responsible for narrowing your airways producing that bothersome note. A study inferred that extracts from green lipped mussels improved the mild to moderate symptoms of asthma among their subjects.

Asthma and its main sign, wheezing, bother 1 in 7 children in New Zealand. Jumping to Australia, they have a slightly higher incidence with 1 in 10 people affected. If you know someone who has asthma, you can suggest adding green lipped mussels to their treatment regimen.
Green lipped mussels protect your stomach too (gastroprotective). Just when you think you’ve had enough of green lipped mussels’ health benefits, there's more. A study documented that the extracts of this nutritious shellfish showed fighting power against the formation of stomach ulcers among rats fed with anti-inflammatory drugs. They extrapolated that people may also benefit from this gastroprotective property of green lipped mussel extracts.

Your lips should NOT be sealed…try green lipped mussels

In summary, green lipped mussels have anti-inflammatory (fight inflammation), gastroprotective (fight ulcer formation), and anti-asthmatic properties. Oh, by the way, let’s not forget their juicy and delicious taste when steamed right. If you have a known allergy to shellfish or seafood, ask your healthcare practitioner before consuming green lipped mussels. If you do mind eating a plate (or a whole bucket) of green lipped mussels, you can consume them in supplement form. Alternatively, green lipped mussels are available as extracts, both oil and powder. You can also conveniently take them in capsule form.