Shrimp is one of the most common types of oysters
Shrimp is a very nutritious substance and provides large amounts of specific nutrients such as iodine that are not found in abundance in many other foods. On the other hand, some people claim that shrimp are unhealthy due to their high cholesterol.
In addition, it is generally believed that farmed shrimp may be less effective than caught shrimp. In this article, we examine whether shrimp is a healthy food that you should include in your diet?
Low in calories but nutritious
Shrimp is very low in calories and only 84 grams of it is a complete meal and has no carbohydrates. About 90% of the calories in shrimp come from protein and the rest from fat.
In addition, one serving contains more than 20 different vitamins and minerals, including 50% of your daily requirement of selenium, a mineral that may help reduce inflammation and promote heart health. Here is an overview of the nutrients in a 84 gram shrimp serving:
- Calories: 84
- Protein: 18 g
- Selenium: 48%
- Vitamin: B12%
- Iron: 15%
- Phosphorus: 12%
- Zinc: 9%
- Magnesium: 7%
Shrimp are also one of the best food sources of iodine, an important mineral that many people are deficient in. Iodine is needed for proper thyroid function and brain health. Shrimp are also a good source of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, in addition to the antioxidants astaxanthin, which may have several health benefits.
Shrimp has high cholesterol!
Shrimp often receive bad negative shocks due to their high cholesterol. One 85-gram serving contains 166 milligrams of cholesterol. This is about 85% more cholesterol than other seafood such as tuna.
Many people are afraid of high cholesterol foods because they believe that it raises your blood cholesterol and can lead to heart disease. However, research shows that this may not be true for most people because Only a quarter of people are sensitive to dietary cholesterol.
In other cases, dietary cholesterol may have only a small effect on blood cholesterol levels. This is because most of your blood cholesterol is produced by your liver, and when you eat foods high in cholesterol, your liver produces less.
In addition, shrimp contain several nutrients that may promote good health, such as omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidants astaxanthin.
One study found that adults who ate 300 grams of shrimp a day had their good HDL cholesterol levels reduced by 12 percent and their triglycerides by 13 percent. Both are important factors in reducing the risk of heart disease.
Another study found that 356 women who regularly ate oysters, including shrimp, had significantly lower triglyceride levels and blood pressure than women who did not eat oysters in their diet.
Research has also shown that people who regularly eat shrimp are less likely to develop heart disease than those who do not. Although more research is needed to examine the role of shrimp in heart health, it has several beneficial properties. Which may be higher than cholesterol
Shrimp contain antioxidants
The primary type of antioxidant in shrimp is a carotenoid called astaxanthin. Astaxanthin is one of the algae consumed by shrimp. For this reason, shrimp is the main source of astaxanthin. In fact, it is the antioxidant responsible for the red color of shrimp cells.
When you take astaxanthin, it may protect against inflammation by preventing free radical damage to your cells. This case has been studied because of its role in reducing the risk of several chronic diseases.
First, many studies have shown that astaxanthin may help strengthen blood vessels, which may reduce the risk of heart attack. It may also help raise “good” HDL cholesterol levels, an important factor in heart health.
In addition, astaxanthin may be beneficial for brain health. Its anti-inflammatory properties may prevent damage to your brain cells, which often leads to memory loss and neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Use of antibiotics in farmed shrimp
Due to the high demand for shrimp in the United States, it is often imported from other countries. More than 80 percent of shrimp consumed in the United States comes from outside countries such as Thailand, India and Indonesia.
Although this helps increase access to shrimp, most imported shrimp are farmed, meaning that they are raised in industrial tanks submerged in water.
Seafood grown from other countries is often treated with antibiotics due to its high susceptibility to disease. However, the United States does not allow the use of antibiotics in shrimp and other oysters.
For this reason, importing shrimp containing antibiotics is illegal. The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for inspecting imported shrimp to make sure there are no antibiotics.
However, due to the high volume of shrimp imports, the FDA is unable to regulate all of them. Because of this, farm-raised shrimp contaminated with antibiotics can enter the US food supply.
A study examining the antibiotic content of seafood purchased in the United States found that a sample of farmed shrimp contained a detectable amount of sulfadimethoxine, an antibiotic not approved for use in shrimp in the United States.
The use of antibiotics in shrimp has not been proven to have many negative health effects. However, it may lead to antibiotic resistance, which can lead to the spread of disease that does not respond to antibiotic treatment.
If you are concerned about antibiotics in shrimp, it is best to choose wild-caught shrimp, which can never be treated with antibiotics. In addition, you can be sure that shrimp caught and produced in the United States do not contain antibiotics.
Sensitivity to shrimp
Oysters, including shrimp, along with fish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk and soy are classified as one of the eight major food allergies in the world.
The most common cause of allergies to shrimp is tropomyosin, a protein found in oysters. Other proteins in shrimp that may cause an allergic reaction include arginine kinase and homocyanin.
Symptoms of allergies to shrimp vary, and may include tingling in the mouth, digestive problems, nasal congestion, or skin reactions after eating.
Some people with shrimp allergies may also have anaphylactic reactions. This is a dangerous sudden reaction that, if left untreated, can eventually lead to seizures, anesthesia and even death. If you are allergic to shrimp, the only way to prevent allergic reactions is to avoid eating it whole.
In some cases, even the steam from cooking shrimp can react. Therefore, people who are allergic to shrimp should also avoid situations that they may come into contact with indirectly.
Concluding remarks
This food may have several health benefits. It is rich in several vitamins and minerals and is a rich source of protein. Eating this food may also improve heart and brain health due to its omega-3 fatty acids and the antioxidant astaxanthin.
Although shrimp are high in cholesterol, they have not been shown to have a negative effect on heart health. Eating shrimp may actually help lower “bad” triglyceride and LDL cholesterol levels.
Despite the health benefits of shrimp, there are some concerns about the quality of farmed shrimp, such as possible contamination with antibiotics. However, there are many steps you can take to ensure you get high quality shrimp, such as buying it from reputable suppliers.
In general, shrimp is a healthy food that can be well balanced in the diet.
