The Incredible, Edible Octopus

Did you know there's a seafood that can lower your cholesterol? Reduce the blood's tendency to form unhealthy clots? Supercharge your body's supply of vitamin B12? Most Americans don't eat it, but it's readily available, inexpensive, and, well, interesting to eat. It's the octopus.

Eating octopus can lower cholesterol. Scientists do not know exactly why this occurs, but they do know there is some substance or group of substances in the protein of the flesh that stops the liver from producing cholesterol and also accelerates the excretion of cholesterol. Japanese scientists publishing in the International Journal of Epidemiology noted that eating octopus, squid, or shrimp lowers plasma fibrinogen, the protein that forms a framework for blood clots, at least in middle-aged men. And except for beef liver, no food contains more vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 Content of Commonly Available Foods
(micrograms per serving)
Liver, pan fried, 3-1/2 oz 111.8
Octopus, steamed, 3-1/2 oz 36.0
Beef sweetbreads, fried, 3-1/2 oz 16.6
Pork sweetbreads, fried, 3-1/2 oz 16.4
Salmon, canned, 3-1/2 oz 4.4
Most meats 2.0 to 4.0
Cheese, Mexican, Queso Anejo, 1 oz 1.4
Chocolate ice cream, 1/4 cup 0.3
Tempeh, 3-1/2 oz 0.08
Doughnuts, commercial, 1 0.01
Fruits, Grains, Oils, Vegetables 0

Octopus is inexpensive, nutritious, and easy to cook. Nearly everyone who cooks octopus will tell you that you have to tenderize it, usually by some bizarre method, such as throwing the frozen octopus against the sink, dipping it into boiling water three times, marinating it in pineapple juice (which will make the flesh slimy) or soy sauce (which will tenderize the octopus, but isn’t necessary), or, my personal favorite, covering a thawed or fresh with chopped daikon radish and kneading it like a loaf of bread. None of these methods is necessary. Just cook octopus until it is done, always more than an hour and usually more than two hours.