Is Shrimp Bad For You?

In this brief guide, we’ll address the search query: “Is shrimp bad for you?” Also, we’ll explore what precautions our readers can take so that shrimp doesn’t make them sick, what the nutritional content of shrimp is, and what are the health benefits of eating shrimp.

Shrimp may be bad for our readers to consume if they’ve been diagnosed with a shellfish allergy, or if they’re sensitive to dietary cholesterol (cholesterol in the foods they eat, rather than the one their liver produces).

Shrimp can also have detrimental effects on a person’s health if it is poorly stored, poorly handled, and poorly cooked, as it does have a risk of transmitting foodborne pathogens that can trigger symptoms of food poisoning.

Therefore, as a precaution, dishes with shrimp may be contraindicated for at risk-individuals, such as the elderly, pregnant women, children, and those with compromised immune systems.

Shrimp, like all seafood, should be sourced from reputable suppliers and distributors, who follow implemented hygiene and safety guidelines such as deep freezing, and iodine soaking.

What precautions can I take so that shrimp doesn’t make me sick?

Precautions our readers can take to avoid becoming sick when eating shrimp include:

Procuring their shrimp from distributors that follow the necessary safety and hygiene measures.
Properly storing their shrimp–this may require freezing or refrigerating, depending on how soon they wish to cook it.
Shrimp should be defrosted in refrigeration, as leaving them at room temperature or even heating them can cause a surge in the growth of bacteria that may have survived freezing.

Shrimp left at room temperature should be discarded, as their bacteria may have surged, and while cooking may neutralize them, it will not degrade the toxins they may have secreted.
Shrimp should be cooked until they’ve reached an internal temperature of 63°C, and transitioned from a shade of gray to bright orange pink.

However, if the shrimp have been handled poorly beforehand, these measures may not be enough to guarantee that they’ll be innocuous.

What is the nutritional content of shrimp?

On average, a 50-gram portion of shrimp will provide:

60 calories – of which 7.7 are sourced from fat
11 grams of protein
0.9 grams of fat (1% of the recommended daily intake) – of which 0.3 grams are saturated (2% of the recommended daily intake), 0.3 grams are polyunsaturated fat, and 0.2 grams are monounsaturated fat.
110 milligrams of cholesterol (37% of the recommended daily intake)
470 milligrams of sodium (20% of the recommended daily intake)
85 milligrams of potassium (2% of the recommended daily intake)

Additionally, the same portion can provide 3% of the recommended daily intake of vitamin A, 3.5% of calcium, and 0.9% of iron.

*Recommended daily intake values are based on a 2000 calories per day diet. An individual’s specific dietary needs may vary, and we encourage our readers to speak with a professional to discern their requirements.

What are the health benefits of eating shrimp?

Eating shrimp has many health benefits. As shellfish, they are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, iodine, and various vitamins and minerals.

Omega-3 fatty acids are important antioxidants that can help protect cells from damage inflicted by oxidative stress.

Chronic exposure to oxidative stress can trigger an (early) onset of diseases such as circulatory problems, heart disease, liver disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer, cognitive disorders, and many more.

Iodine is an essential element as it helps our thyroid regulate our metabolisms and many associated functions.

Shrimp are high in cholesterol, and as a result, are often contraindicated for individuals at risk or diagnosed with heart disease and other circulatory problems. However, studies have shown that roughly 75% of people are not sensitive to dietary cholesterol, and therefore, the cholesterol in shrimp may not negatively impact them.

While nutritious, shrimp may pose dangers to a person’s health, especially if they’ve been poorly handled, or an individual is allergic to shellfish. In either case, shrimp are contraindicated.

We encourage our readers to prioritize their health, and to observe all safety guidelines when purchasing and preparing seafood dishes.

Conclusion

In this brief guide, we’ve addressed the search query: “Is shrimp bad for you?” Also, we’ve explored what precautions our readers can take so that shrimp doesn’t make them sick, what the nutritional content of shrimp is, and what are the health benefits of eating shrimp.