Is Shrimp Healthy? 6 Shrimp Nutrition Facts to Know

Love shrimp? Registered dietitians weigh in on whether this crustacean is good for you.

Shrimp nutrition basics

When you dig into runt scampi, no doubt you ’ re thinking about the delectable taste. But what about the health benefits ? When it comes to shrimp nutriment, you ’ re in luck, because the seafood is oh-so-good for you .
“ Shrimp is rich in protein and contains many beneficial nutrients—including omega-3 fatty acid fatso acids, selenium, vitamin B12, iron, zinc, and iodine, ” says Cindy Chou, a chef and registered dietician dietician at Healthy Feels in Santa Monica, California.

“ It ’ s besides low in saturate fat and a source of astaxanthin, a carotenoid that gives shrimp its pink color after cooking. ”
research in the journal Marine Drugs found that astaxanthin has anti-inflammatory properties that may help increase HDL “ full ” cholesterol, although more research is needed, Chou notes .
What else should you know about prawn nutritional data ? Let ’ s take a look .

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Different types of shrimp

Did you know that many different types of shrimp exist ? Yup, and there are more than you probably realize .
good in Florida, four runt species are harvested commercially, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. These include pink shrimp, brown university shrimp, white shrimp ( grey with a blue, red, or green undertone on the leg and tail ), and royal red runt ( typically deep bolshevik but sometimes a grey pink color ) .
then, on the Atlantic slide, you ’ ll frequently find brown shrimp—while on the northerly Gulf seashore, lemon-yellow runt are more prevailing. You ’ ll besides see aristocratic prawn, whiteleg runt, and many other varieties that come from around the world .
When you ’ rhenium buy runt, you ’ ll find them fresh and frozen, angstrom well as solid, with the head off, with the carapace on, peeled, peeled and deveined, and with the tail on. Wow, that ’ s a set of varieties !
And then there ’ randomness “ regular ” and “ elephantine ” shrimp, but you can disregard those labels. “ Shrimp size is unregulated, so labels like ‘ large ’ or ‘ elephantine ’ are misleading, ” says Jess DeGore, a registered dietician and health coach in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania .
“ rather, look for a compass of numbers such as ’ 16-20, ’ which indicates the number of individual prawn it takes to make up one pound. ”

Where shrimp comes from

In the United States, you ’ ll see prawn from a assortment of places. These locales include the United States ( Florida and Oregon ), Canada, Latin America, Ecuador, Asia, and Mexico .
To see which are the best choices in terms of sustainability and mercury content, the Environmental Defense Fund ( EDF ) has a helpful seafood selector. You can besides look for the Marine Stewardship Council ( MSC ) blue label on a product ’ south software to know that you ’ re buying sustainable seafood .
The shrimp that the EDF gives the highest ratings include northern prawn sourced from the United States and Canada ; pink runt from Oregon ; giant star fresh water prawn in the United States, Canada, and Latin America ; point prawn from Canada ; and spot prawns from the United States .
The lowest-rated shrimp in terms of sustainability include bluing shrimp, Chinese white prawn, imported shrimp and prawns, pink shrimp from the Gulf of Mexico and Mexico, and giant tiger prawn .

Shrimp health benefits

One of the biggest benefits that shrimp boasts : the eicosapentaenoic acid ( EPA ) and docosahexaenoic acid ( DHA ) omega-3 fatty acid fatty acids it contains .
“ Shrimp has a across-the-board variety of health benefits due to its high omega-3 fatty acid fatso acid content and that it contains a low level of mercury compared to other fish options, ” DeGore says .
“ It has an abundance of vitamins and minerals—and it ’ s one of the best food sources of tincture of iodine, an important mineral required for proper thyroid function and genius health. ”
You besides get a big suffice of vitamin B12 .
“ Vitamin B12 is significant in the make of red rake cells, ” notes Brynn McDowell, a register dietician at the Domestic Dietitian in Livermore, California .
And shrimp boasts an incredible 20 grams of protein per 3-ounce cooked portion—making it an excellent reservoir of protein. “ Shrimp are chiefly made up of water and protein, making it a great, low-calorie addition to meals, ” McDowell adds .
( here are the best fish to eat. )

Shrimp and disease prevention

Because of the amazing nutrients that shrimp provides, the seafood may help prevent certain diseases. In fact, the omega-3 fatty acid that shrimp contains may help prevent cardiovascular disease, found a follow-up report in Nutrients .
“ Studies show that increasing your consumption of EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acid by 1 gram per day may reduce your hazard of cardiovascular disease by 5.8 percentage, ” Chou says. “ For reference point, a 3-ounce serve of shrimp contains approximately 0.12 grams of each. ”

Eating shrimp besides helps decrease inflammation in the body. “ free radicals are precarious particles in the body that can damage cells and run to inflammation, ” McDowell says. “ Research indicates that chronic inflammation can lead to higher instances of previous aging and diseases such as heart disease, certain cancers, dementia, and diabetes. Antioxidants help the body fight unblock radicals. ”
Plus, runt boasts iodine. “ This is an crucial mineral for thyroid and brain health, ” Chou says. “ Adequate iodine inhalation is important for preventing goiter. ”
Goiter is an abnormal enlarge thyroid gland that can make it hard to breathe or swallow. You ’ ll get extra thyroid-benefitting nutrients from runt. “ We need selenium, zinc, copper, tincture of iodine, and calcium for our thyroids to function by rights, and shrimp contains all five of these minerals, ” McDowell says .

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Shrimp nutrition facts

Shrimp ’ s nutrition rate is reasonably incredible. here are the nutrition facts, including the recommend casual values ( DVs ) —for a 3-ounce serve of cooked shrimp .

• Calories: 84
• Total Fat: 0 g (0 percent DV)
• Protein: 20 g (40 percent DV)
• Carbohydrates: 0 g (0 percent DV)
• Sodium: 94 g (5 percent DV)

How much shrimp to eat

just how much runt is very well to eat ? Well, the 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans say adults should aim for two 4-ounce servings of seafood per workweek. however, many experts recommend eating up to 12 ounces per workweek .
“ The Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) suggests that eating up to three 4-ounce servings of seafood per week is considered safe, ” says Chou, who notes that shrimp contains lower levels of methylmercury than many other types of seafood .

Risks and side effects of shrimp

Allergic reaction

probably the most crucial thing to know about shrimp, in terms of potential risks, is that it ’ randomness one of the eight major food allergens. That means people with an allergy may experience severe and sometimes dangerous anaphylaxis when consuming it .
“ More balmy reactions to be mindful of include a stodgy nose, sneezing, antsy skin, hives, tingling in the mouth, abdominal pain, and nausea, ” DeGore says. If you ’ re allergic to shrimp, avoid eating it and chat with an allergist about keeping an EpiPen on hand in shell of emergency .

Iodine and mercury

other risks include over-consuming mercury or tincture of iodine. “ Although it ’ south highly improbable, eating besides much shrimp could lead to high levels of tincture of iodine or methylmercury, ” Chou says .
“ For adults, the adequate upper inhalation horizontal surface ( UL ) of tincture of iodine is 1,100 micrograms per day. Three ounces of prawn contains 13 micrograms, which means you would have to eat more than 15 pounds per day to reach that level. ” And since the level of methylmercury in shrimp is low, eating 12 ounces or less each workweek shouldn ’ thymine be a concern, she adds .

Gout

additionally, eating excessively much mollusk may lead to an increased risk of gout, a form of incendiary arthritis, Chou adds. Of course, a diet with variety show avoids this issue .
“ It ’ s important to remember that the goal of a healthy diet and life style is kind and that excessively much of any one thing is not ideal, ” McDowell says .

Cholesterol

If you ’ re worried about the cholesterol that runt contains, don ’ deoxythymidine monophosphate be besides implicated. While runt contains 161 milligram of cholesterol ( 54 percentage DV ) per 3-ounce serve, stream research suggests saturated fat has a bigger affect on the body ’ s cholesterol levels, versus dietary cholesterol .
“ The American Heart Association indicates that the key to reducing cholesterol levels in the body is to focus on limiting foods high in impregnate and trans fats, ” McDowell says .
“ Shrimp is abject in saturated fatness and doesn ’ metric ton check any trans fats. however, people with gamey cholesterol or cardiovascular disease should always consult with their doctor and/or registered dietician for specific recommendations and guidelines on high-cholesterol foods in their diets. ”

How to eat shrimp

Courtesy Kelsey Pezzuti, MS, RD

You can enjoy runt in indeed many delectable recipes ! “ Shrimp is super versatile and can be prepared in a overplus of ways—grilled, sautéed, broiled, poached, sou vide, and boiled, ” DeGore says .
You do have to take some steps to make it cook for cook, though .
“ Prior to cook, always clean and devein runt by cutting through the husk opposite the tail and picking out the ‘ vein ’ that runs along the back, ” says DeGore, who notes the “ vein ” international relations and security network ’ t very a vein ; it ’ s actually the shrimp ’ s digestive nerve pathway ! training with tail and shell is optional.

Of course, how you prepare shrimp will affect the healthfulness of the meals you prepare. “ Often, prawn is breaded, fried, or served in a butter sauce, which means that extra calories, saturated fats, and trans fats might be added, ” McDowell says .
Chou prefers steaming or boiling .
“ If you don ’ metric ton mind the excess work of desquamation, steaming, or seethe, runt with its shell on adds supernumerary bouquet and depth in relish. As a chef, I besides use prawn shells to make flavorful seafood stocks and sauces. ”

Shrimp recipes to try