Health Benefits of Periwinkle are discussed in this article. Periwinkle is very nutritious and its unique health benefits cannot be overemphasized.

Health Benefits of Periwinkle

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This article is not written in favor of the plant called ‘Periwinkle’, it is rather written in favor of the seafood called ‘Periwinkle’.

Periwinkle is a seafood that is commonly eaten in the Asian continent as well as the southern part of Nigeria. It is scientifically called ‘Littorina littoral.

This small edible sea snail has an operculum and gills. When eaten, depending on how it is prepared, it tastes so sweet and satisfying.

Because of how sweet it is, some people just consume the seafood without a second thought about the benefit of the seafood.

Periwinkle is not just about the shell. It has flesh that is often covered with a cap on its head. This fleshy part is filled with protein and omega-3 fatty acids and good enough, it has very low fat in it.

The USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference gave a nutritional data analysis for snails in general and according to their report, snails (with periwinkle inclusive) are filled with 80% of water, 15 percent of Protein, and 1.4 percent of fat.

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Health Benefits of Periwinkle

The benefits of Periwinkle are based on the nutrients that it constitutes. As earlier mentioned, periwinkle is rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Since our bodies do not produce this polyunsaturated fat, eating periwinkle supplies the fat to our body, and the fat improves the health of our brain through the process of developing cell membranes that work actively in the cell membrane.

By doing this, the polyunsaturated fat produced by periwinkle helps to improve our memory. That is not the only benefit of omega 3 fatty acids, another benefit is that the omega 3 fatty acid helps to prevent heart-related diseases by drastically reducing the danger of high blood pressure.

When you consume periwinkles, you automatically reduce the levels of LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood.

Periwinkle serves as a great source of iron which is very important for the adequate production and formation of red blood cells as well as for transporting vitamins around the body.

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When a person does not have adequate iron in his or her body, it could lead to health conditions such as anemia and often time, undue tiredness.

The seafood also contains a great amount of phosphorous which acts as a passage of the energy which is used for the metabolism of fats and starches.

When it comes to dental health, phosphorus helps and supports the teeth and gums making them healthy and free from germs.

Seafood is a naturally rich source of protein and periwinkles are not left out of the queue. An average periwinkle is made up of 15% protein and you don’t need a soothsayer to tell you the importance of protein to your overall growth.

When a person is deficient in protein, such a person is prone to diseases like kwashiorkor. A person who has adequate protein in his or her body will easily get healing from wounds.

In Africa, where children grow very short, it can be linked to the deficiency of Protein. Rather than discard this seafood, it should be eaten more in combination with many other nourishing foods as it will help in rapid cell generation to increase the growth and development of a person.

If you have ever looked for a supplement that contains all the vitamins that are required by your body, you should start eating as much periwinkle as you can get because aside from what is listed above, it has been scientifically proven that all the nutrients that you want for your body to grow properly are embedded in periwinkle, this makes it seafood that is not supposed to be for a selected few but for all.

To expectant mothers or women who want to get pregnant, do well to eat as many periwinkles as you can because it helps in the healthy development of the fetus.

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Conclusion

To get the best out of periwinkle, you need to learn adequately how to prepare it to enhance its rich health benefits.

You don’t have to only put it in soups, you can equally prepare it and eat it alone, then you’ll experience the richness of this miraculous seafood.