Department of Cellular and Molecular Nutrition, School of Nutritional Sciences and Dietetics, Tehran University of Medical Sciences (TUMS), Tehran, Iran.
Institute of Aquaculture, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling, Pathfoot Building, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
Nutrients. 2021 Mar 29;13(4):1124. doi: 10.3390/nu13041124.
The world's ever-growing population presents a major challenge in providing sustainable food options and in reducing pressures on the Earth's agricultural land and freshwater resources. Current estimates suggest that agriculture contributes ~30% of global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Additionally, there is an increased demand for animal protein, the production of which is particularly polluting. Therefore, the climate-disrupting potential of feeding the planet is likely to substantially worsen in the future. Due to the nutritional value of animal-based protein, it is not a simple solution to recommend a wholesale reduction in production/consumption of animal proteins. Rather, employing strategies which result in the production of low carbon animal protein may be part of the solution to reduce the GHGs associated with our diets without compromising diet quality. We suggest that farmed mussels may present a partial solution to this dilemma. Mussel production has a relatively low GHG production and does not put undue pressure on land or fresh water supplies. By drawing comparisons to other protein sources using the Australian Food and Nutrient Database and other published data, we demonstrate that they are a sustainable source of high-quality protein, long-chain omega-3 fatty acids, phytosterols, and other key micronutrients such as B-12 and iron. The aim of this review is to summarise the current knowledge on the health benefits and potential risks of increasing the consumption of farmed mussels.
世界人口的不断增长给可持续的食物供应带来了重大挑战，也给地球的农业用地和淡水资源带来了压力。目前的估计表明，农业对全球温室气体（GHG）排放的贡献约为 30%。此外，人们对动物蛋白的需求也在增加，而动物蛋白的生产特别污染严重。因此，未来养活地球的气候破坏潜力可能会大幅恶化。由于动物蛋白的营养价值，建议全面减少动物蛋白的生产/消费并不是一个简单的解决方案。相反，采用生产低碳动物蛋白的策略可能是减少与饮食相关的温室气体排放而不影响饮食质量的解决方案的一部分。我们认为养殖贻贝可能是解决这一困境的部分方案。贻贝的生产过程产生的温室气体相对较少，不会对土地或淡水供应造成过大的压力。通过使用澳大利亚食品和营养数据库以及其他已发表的数据与其他蛋白质来源进行比较，我们证明贻贝是高质量蛋白质、长链欧米伽-3 脂肪酸、植物甾醇和其他关键微量营养素（如 B-12 和铁）的可持续来源。本文的目的是总结关于增加养殖贻贝消费的健康益处和潜在风险的现有知识。
