Health Benefits Of Caviar That Might Surprise You

Caviar is fish roe or eggs that come from sturgeon fish. The sturgeon is a family of fish whose lineage can be traced all the way back to the Jurassic period, according to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and which makes its home in the Black and Caspian Seas as well as in the Pacific Northwest and Southern Atlantic coasts of the United States (per Caviar Emporium). Their eggs are harvested, strained to remove the membrane and fatty tissue, and then cured through the use of non-iodized salt to create the delicacy we know today as caviar.

While caviar's reputation as a luxury food is well known, its abundance of health benefits may come as a surprise. Caviar is ripe with nutrients including omega-3s, iron, selenium, and more than double your daily vitamin B12 needs (via Healthline). In a 1-ounce serving of caviar, you'll also find 7 grams of protein and small amounts of calcium and vitamins A, D, and E. It's no wonder that nutritionists consider caviar to be a "nutritional powerhouse" (per Cleveland Clinic). 

Caviar is good for you, inside and out. A 2021 study published in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found that elements of caviar have the potential to rejuvenate skin. At the end of a 12-week period in which subjects utilized a facial serum consisting of caviar extract, skin smoothness was found to have improved by 60%, dryness by over 80%, improvement in the appearance of fine lines by 30%, and a 16% increase in skin firmness.

Additionally, DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid found in caviar, may help reduce inflammation. In a 2020 study, a 34-week trial involving twice-daily DHA supplementation to older adults showed that DHA hindered four different types of inflammatory proteins within the body. Not only that, but increased DHA intake may help combat male infertility, as research has shown links between a lack of DHA and low sperm quality (via Healthline).

Lastly, caviar may also benefit our mental health. A 2014 meta-analysis involving patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) symptoms — both formally diagnosed and undiagnosed — showed improvement in symptomatology through omega-3 treatment, particularly with EPA and DHA, both of which are found in caviar.