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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.


The Research
 
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. 
 
Research done by Childs et al. concluded that shellfish consumption can increase HDL cholesterol and provide positive changes in the ratio between LDL and HDL.  They also concluded that even though shrimp is high in cholesterol and low in some fats, that shrimp had no change in cholesterol levels.

Even though shellfish is high in cholesterol, there is research that supports moderate consumption of shellfish in people’s diets.  Shellfish is full of healthy fats that have been shown beneficial in heart health, and low in saturated fats which makes this a perfect low-fat, low-carb alternative food.  Shellfish also have high quality proteins that help aid in muscle recovery.
 
If you have history of high cholesterol, you should seek advice from your doctor to see if shellfish would be a good option for you.   Eating shellfish can be beneficial to your health as long as you stay away from the creamy lobster sauce and butter.  So go ahead and enjoy your shellfish and know that research supports the benefit of eating it with the intent improving your blood levels for cholesterol and triglycerides


 
More:

 

The Most Heart Healthy Shellfish Known To Man? >>
 
 
 

 

 

References:

Silva, DE. Seidman, CE. Tian, JJ. Hudgins, LC. Sacks, FM. Breslow, JL. Effects of Shrimp Composition on plasma lipoproteins.  Am. J. Clin. Nutr. November 1996. Vol. 64(5); pp. 712-715.
Childs, MT. Dorsett, CS. King, IB. Ostrander, JG. Yamanaka, WK. Effects of Shellfish consumption on lipoproteins in normolipidemic men.  Am. J. Clin. Nutr. June 1990. Vol. 51(6);PP. 1020-1027.
Shellfish off the Cholesterol Blacklist. (2006). Mayo Clinic: Health Letter. English Ed. Vol. 24(4); pp.7
Written by Jaylab Pro Nutrition on Jan,02 2023Medically reviewed by Jayson Hunter RD. on Jan,02 2023

About Jayson Hunter & Jaylab Pro

Jaylab Pro was founded by Registered Dietitian Jayson Hunter. Jayson has been recognized as one of America's foremost weight loss experts by America's Premier Experts™. He has also been featured in USA Today for this accomplishment. Jayson is also a best-selling author having co-authored multiple books in health & fitness and business growth. Jayson and the Jaylab Pro team are proud to create content that helps improve the lives of millions of people around the world. We hope you enjoy it just as much as others have.

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