What Shellfish Can Do To Your Body

One of the most widely consumed foods believe or not is shellfish.   Since shellfish has been on the blacklist for so long, there is considerable worry as to the health benefits of shellfish.


The first thing that needs to be done is eliminate the perception that shellfish is bad for us.    Shellfish was put on a food “blacklist” back in the 1960’s or 1970’s because of the high content of cholesterol that was found in them.    

Researchers tested shellfish using a process that was not reliable, and clumped all the findings for both under the category of cholesterol. 

Shellfish come in many different varieties, the most well know being clams, lobster, and shrimp.  Lobsters are considered a delicacy in many different areas around the world, because of the unique taste of the meat.  Lobsters are bottom feeders and shrimp tend to swim, and are quite fast swimmers when needed.

The Debate

 Time to set the record straight on consumption of shellfish!   Shrimp can have as much as 251 mg of cholesterol per 100 gram serving.    However, even though there are higher levels of cholesterol, shellfish are very low in saturated fat, and high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.   Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats have both been shown beneficial in lowering cholesterol in the body. 

Powerful Nutrients

There are many powerful nutrients found in shellfish that our bodies need for optimal performance.  They include many non-essential and essential vitamins and minerals, plus high quality proteins.   Nutrients include:

Choline - one of the essential vitamins that our bodies need, is typically consumed in the diet.  Choline is important for cell membrane structure and helps in anti-inflammatory responses.   Choline has also been shown to help prevent breast cancer in women, and prevent neural tube defects in fetuses in pregnant women.

 Vitamin A - another essential vitamin that can be found in both plant and meat sources, this vitamin is important in bone growth, reproduction, and vision.  

Calcium - mineral that is important in keeping bones strong and healthy.   Calcium also plays an important role in cell physiology.

Research done by Silva, concluded that moderate shrimp consumption can significantly increase HDL(good) cholesterol and alter the ratio between HDL and LDL cholesterol.  They also concluded that moderate shrimp consumption can also reduce triglyceride levels.