Have you ever considered how the U.S. became so shrimp-obsessed? Shrimp is the most popular seafood in the U.S., with a yearly consumption of around 4 pounds.
While shrimp is one of the world’s healthiest and most popular shellfish, excessive eating may cause heart problems and allergic reactions. In addition, high cholesterol and sodium levels in shrimp contribute to the development of cardiovascular disease if over 300 grams of shrimp get consumed.
If you want to learn what you need to know about shrimp, such as how to prepare it, what benefits they give, the dangers of overeating, and more, then continue reading this article.
What Are The Risks Of Overeating Shrimp?
You might not have considered the dietary implications of eating too much shrimp. While shrimp are extremely low in calories, with an average-sized shrimp only containing seven calories, eating a dozen shrimp will only add 84 calories to your daily consumption. You are likely consuming nearly as many calories with the dipping sauce you use with the shrimp.
The Risk For High Blood Pressure
While shrimps are generally nutritious, excessive consumption can increase the risk of developing hypertension. Shrimp contain high dietary cholesterol and frequently get prepared with butter and salt. Eighty-one percent of butter is fat, and salt raises blood pressure.
The Risk Of Bacterial Infection
Vibrio is a bacterium found in marine organisms. Infected individuals develop Vibriosis. This bacterium gets transmitted through the consumption of raw shrimp, other raw shellfish, or raw fish. Similarly, E Coli got detected in some shrimp.
To avoid the infection, only consume shrimp that gets cooked. Additionally, knowing the origin of the shrimp is advantageous because farmed shrimp are more likely to contain bacteria and cause food poisoning.
Causing Allergic Reactions
Some individuals can tolerate shrimp, but only in limited quantities. However, excessive shrimp consumption can cause allergic reactions such as hives, facial and other body swellings, difficulty breathing, diarrhea, and even fainting.
How Much Shrimp Can A Person Eat In A Day?
The Food and Drug Administration considers shrimp safe for children to eat because they are considered the “best choice” shellfish. Unless they have an allergy to shellfish or shrimp, children ages 1 to 3 can eat three medium-sized shrimp or about an ounce’s worth.
Children aged 4 to 7 can eat six medium-sized shrimp, or about 2 ounces, daily. Shrimp can be consumed in quantities of up to 4 ounces per day by children 11 years and older. Children can eat up to three servings of shrimp per week because they are high in nutrients.
According to research, adults can eat up to three servings of shellfish or shrimp a week. Because of this, adequately cooked shrimp is essential, and raw shrimp, such as in sushi or sashimi, must be avoided. Knowing where the shrimp comes from is also a good idea.
Pregnant and lactating women can eat shrimp without fear of harm. Shrimps, for example, have been found to have low mercury content. With just 99 calories per 100 grams, shrimp is also a great source of nutrients for a baby’s growth and development. Pregnant and lactating women can eat up to 4 ounces of shrimp per serving and up to 2-3 servings per week.
How Much Is Too Much
Healthy individuals can consume cholesterol up to 300 mg per day. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 100 grams of shrimp contain 187 mg or 63% of the daily recommended cholesterol intake. Eating less than 100 grams of shrimp daily should not negatively impact your health.
People with high cholesterol levels, on the other hand, should limit their intake of shrimp. More than twice the dietary cholesterol limit gets found in a serving of shrimp (about 15 jumbo shrimps). Fatty liver disease is also more likely to occur because of this.
However, we can only assume that exceeding the recommended serving size of shrimp is excessive. Whether it’s farmed or wild shrimp, frozen or fried shrimp, or imported shrimp, all shrimp are susceptible to this. The serving includes shrimp shells and tails.
Bacteria And Contaminants From Shrimp
A recent study by Arizona State University examined over a dozen shrimp samples from 11 countries. Even wild shrimp contained detectable levels of five different antibiotics. Antibiotic use in food production has contributed to the rise of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, a significant public health concern.
This finding is critical. Overall, shrimp is a bit of a mixed bag regarding nutrition, but Americans consume more shrimp than any other seafood item. If you’re one of these people, then it would be in your best interest to educate yourself on the benefits and drawbacks of shrimp, eat it sparingly, and focus on finding, preparing, and ordering the healthiest options possible.
How Bad Is Farmed Shrimp
Safe, clean, and well-regulated shrimp fisheries can get found in the U.S.. Unfortunately, shrimp that got imported from outside the country, where this is not the case, is most likely what you’re eating right now.
92% of shrimp in the U.S. comes from Thailand, Vietnam, or India, where there are no regulations. Due to our open market for questionable shrimp, the U.S. imports from Europe and Japan and get all their discarded shrimp for meager prices.
Shrimp imported from some countries may get contaminated with pesticides, banned or legal antibiotics, and other chemicals that are not healthy to ingest because of the questionable conditions in which they get raised. Two samples of farm-raised shrimp from India and Thailand got discovered in a test of 30 supermarket-bought imported shrimp.
In the samples, levels of carcinogen and nitrofurazone were more than 28 times higher than permitted by the FDA. Chloramphenicol, a second antibiotic banned in food production in the U.S., was detected in samples at more than 150 times the allowed limit.
Legal and illegal antibiotics, viruses, and other bacteria got discovered in farmed shrimp imported from Vietnam, India, or Thailand. In addition, due to the farming method, a thick sludge of food and excess feces can build up and decompose in overcrowded pools.
It is common for viruses and bacteria to decimate entire colonies and sicken customers found in shrimp bred in these pools. For example, raw frozen shrimp can be up to 60% contaminated by bacteria such as vibrio and E. coli, leading to food poisoning and other health problems like dehydration, diarrhea, or even death.
Do you believe the FDA will protect you from these viruses and bacteria? Unfortunately, the Food and Drug Administration only tests 2% of all the imported seafood, so you won’t know if your shrimp is of good quality or if it will make you sick before it’s too late.
Mislabeled/ False Advertising Shrimp
There is still a lack of regulation on farmed shrimp that gets imported industry, which means that even basic facts about these shrimp are likely to be misrepresented. Shrimp fraud was widespread when Oceana, a marine conservation group, conducted a study.
Thirty-one percent of the shrimp samples tested from over 100 grocery stores and restaurants got mislabeled. When determining whether their shrimp was caught or farmed, Oceana says that many consumers cannot make an informed choice because it is almost impossible to tell the difference.
You may be eating shrimp produced in farm pools without knowing if a farm uses antibiotics, pesticides, or other harmful chemicals to grow shrimp. Imported shrimp may get mislabeled, but we have little control over the situation as consumers. Avoiding importing shrimp altogether may be more manageable until the industry gets a better grasp on the problem caused by dangerous pool farming.
Do You Need To Devein Shrimp?
It is personal preference and not of cleanliness, to remove the vein. However, it is not harmful to consume. If the vein is particularly dark or thick, you may want to devein the shrimp for a cleaner appearance. Larger shrimp may also have veins with a coarser texture, which can be unappealing.
Therefore, it is best to devein them if you do not like the texture or taste. However, if the veins are not readily visible or the shrimp are small, there is no need to remove each vein individually.
Healthy Alternative To Frying Shrimp
Shrimp can also get cooked by boiling or steaming it. Boiling gives the cook a little more leeway to make a mistake, resulting in overcooked shrimp. Boiling shrimp can sometimes overcook them, making it difficult to promptly remove the crustaceans from the pot. Shrimp that are withered and rubbery can be the result of this. In addition, the flavor of the shrimp can seep into the boiling water.
Shrimp’s flavor is better preserved when steamed rather than fried or pan-seared. Because you use less water, you also don’t have to wait as long for the water to boil with steaming, saving you time. When your water reaches a boil, it’s time for dinner.
How To Prepare Shrimp
Overconsumption of shrimp can be harmful if cooked with the wrong ingredients. A stick of butter contains 243 mg of dietary cholesterol and 92 grams of fat, making garlic butter shrimp a popular dish in recent years. In addition, most shrimp recipes include a lot of salt, which raises blood pressure.
Pull the head and legs off if it is still attached and beginning at the head end, and remove the outer shell. Depending on how you intend to present the shrimp, the final segment of the shell and the tail tip can get left on for decorative purposes. Place shells in a sealed plastic bag and either discard them or freeze them for use in shellfish stock.
Alternately, you can leave the shell on and use kitchen scissors to cut along the outer edge of the shrimp’s back, thereby exposing the vein. The shells have a lot of flavors, and thus, there are advantages to cooking shrimp with their shells intact.
Using a small paring knife, cut the outer edge of the shrimp’s back, about 1/4 inch deep. Discard the vein beneath the surface if you can see it with the tip of your knife or finger. If you cannot see the vein, you should disregard it. Return the peeled and deveined shrimp to the ice or ice water in the bowl until ready to use.
The Health Benefits Of Shrimp
Shrimp is an excellent selenium source. This mineral is necessary for optimal thyroid function, fertility promotion, and infection and inflammation prevention. Additionally, this crustacean contains trace amounts of omega-3 fatty acids and iodine. Because your body requires so little of these micronutrients to survive, even a tiny amount can be beneficial.
Eating 100 grams of shrimp provides these nutrients:
- Calories: 99
- Protein: 24 grams 48% of the Daily Value
- Potassium: 259mg 7% of the Daily Value
- Selenium 69% of the Daily Value
- Vitamin B12: 35% of the Daily Value
- Phosphorus 17% of the Daily Value
- Zinc 11% of the Daily Value
- Calcium: 7% of the Daily Value
- Magnesium 9% of the Daily Value
On top of being low in calories, shrimp fats are healthy because most are polyunsaturated and omega-3 fatty acids. Both contribute to maintaining heart health. Shrimp is also an excellent protein source, essential when dieting, particularly for muscle maintenance.
Because shrimp are so delicious and addictive, it is easy to incorporate them into one’s diet. However, watching your weight, you’ll want to exercise extra caution when cooking the shrimp. As saturated fats get found in butter and salt that hold on to water, increasing weight, it is counterproductive to add these two ingredients.
Antioxidant astaxanthin, abundant in shrimp, helps keep your eyes healthy. Astaxanthin has been critical in maintaining excellent eye health and protecting the retina from U.V. damage for many years. In addition, shrimp and shellfish contain phosphorus and vitamin D, which help strengthen your bones and help prevent fractures by combining the nutrients with calcium.
How To Find High-Quality Shrimp
It is essential to select fresh, high-quality shrimp that is not damaged, infected, or contaminated. Ensure that raw shrimp is firm before you purchase the shrimp. Translucent shells should be grayish-green, pinkish-tan, or light pink. Blackened edges or spots on the bodies may indicate a decline in quality.
In addition, both raw and cooked shrimp should have a light “ocean-like” or salty odor. Shrimp with a strong “fishy” or ammonia-like smell is likely spoiled and should not get consumed. You should purchase shrimp from a knowledgeable and trustworthy vendor who can answer your questions about the shrimp’s country of origin and handling methods.
Conclusion
Shrimp has many benefits and can be good for your health, but overeating can cause problems like high blood pressure, bacterial infection, allergic reactions, and more. It is also essential to prepare the shrimp correctly before eating it.
References
- https://www.mashed.com/149791/what-you-need-to-know-before-you-eat-another-bite-of-shrimp/
- https://www.health.com/nutrition/calories-in-shrimp
- https://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/shrimp-health-benefits
- https://www.thelist.com/231483/when-you-eat-shellfish-every-day-this-is-what-happens-to-your-body/
