Why does eating oysters increase your happiness?
There aren’t a lot of food products that stir up the conversation the way oysters do. Say oysters, and all sorts of associations come to mind. We like to joke about oysters, and wink playfully while alluding to the effect of oysters on our love life. It would be a cliché to assume it’s men who think that way; women play the ‘oh-la-la’ card just as well.
Although the effect oysters have on our libido has never been scientifically proven, the rich amount of zinc influences our level of dopamine. Dopamine is a “happy hormone”; it brings about a feeling of well-being. Ah, there’s the relationship with oysters. We therefore like to call oysters “happy fast food.” After eating oysters, one feels rejuvenated and energized.
Now that we know the positive effect of oysters on our mental state, let’s get deeper into their unique taste and the joy of eating them. While attempting to construe the almost mystical taste, one falls back on describing the salineness, the sweetness, the brininess, and the umami taste. It’s a concoction of flavors that surface, at one point or another. While chewing the oyster, -and chewing is a must- often little sounds of total bliss are uttered. Looking at someone savoring an oyster, you see them close their eyes while letting their taste butts enjoy an hurricane of different flavors.
Recently, the Wall Street Journal published an article about ‘The lifelong Power of Close Relationships’. It states that the Harvard Study of Adult Development has found that personal relationships are the most important factor in long-term health and happiness. Participants of the study claim that their relationships with family and friends are the most valuable in life. Investing time and energy in our relationships, evades loneliness when growing older and boosts our happiness.
What better way to invest in those relationships then to invite family & friends to the dinner table? And would it not even be a better idea to enjoy a couple of dozens of oysters? Imagine, after knowing what you know now about oysters, how awesome you will feel!
