Whether boiled, baked, fried, or steamed, shrimp is extremely popular, accounting for a quarter of seafood consumption in the US. However, questions are being raised about its benefits or concerns about health. But what benefits can shrimp offer, and should those who enjoy it be concerned about its consumption?
Vannamei Shrimp Rich in Nutrients
Wild shrimp contain an impressive amount of nutrients. Your body needs to function. We’ll list the vitamins and minerals it has and what they do below.
Selenium: It acts as an important antioxidant, especially for the health of your thyroid, and helps boost your immune system.
Vitamin B12: Keeps the body’s nerves and blood cells healthy and also helps make DNA the genetic material in all cells.
Iron: The primary purpose of iron is to carry oxygen throughout the body in the haemoglobin of red blood cells. It also helps to remove CO2 from your body.
Phosphorus: Phosphorus with calcium are the building blocks of your bones. It also plays a vital role in nucleic acids, cell membranes, and the body’s energy production.
Niacin: Helps convert food into energy with the help of enzymes. Niacin repairs DNA and functions as an antioxidant. It considerably lowers cholesterol and improves brain and skin functioning.
Zinc: Essential for gene expression, immune system, enzymatic reactions, DNA synthesis, protein synthesis, healing scars, growth, and development.
Magnesium: This nutrient regulates muscle and nerve functions, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure levels. Aids in making proteins, bone, and DNA.
Iodine: This is used in the thyroid gland to make thyroid hormones that aid in growth and development. Iodine is important in brain development and brain function.
The Health Benefits of Vannamei Shrimp for Your Body
The caloric content of shrimp matches its weight in grams, i.e., one gram of shrimp offers one calorie and so on. That being said, 85 grams (approximately 3-ounces) of shrimp supplies 85 calories while also providing 20 grams of protein, less than one gram of both carbohydrate and fat, and 120 milligrams of cholesterol. Shellfish is also a significant source of astaxanthin, the reddish pigment providing shrimp with its displayed colour, the notorious omega-3 fatty acid, and other valuable nutrients, including selenium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, and vitamin D.
1. Weight Loss and Maintenance
Shrimp is low in calories, while the amount of protein and nutrients is sufficient. Consumption of nutrient-rich and high-protein foods is constantly encouraged for weight loss and maintaining a healthy, lean physique.
Calories represent the amount of energy stored in food. When you consume more calories than you burn per day, your body stores the extra calories, you eat as body fat.
Vannamei Shrimp is a very low-calorie food. Each three-ounce serving of shrimp you eat contains only 84 calories, which is incredibly low compared to other types of food.
For example, a three-ounce serving of grilled chicken breast contains 125 calories, about 1.5x more calories per serving than shrimp. For this reason, shrimp is an excellent low-calorie ingredient that you can use to prevent yourself from gaining some extra weight.
2. Eye Health
Astaxanthin has proven to be quite a valuable player in maintaining good eye health. That includes protecting the retina against oxidative damage, particularly from excessive sunlight exposure. Preliminary data suggests that Astaxanthin, along with other nutrients, might improve problems affecting the centre of the eye.
3. Bone Strength
Vannamei shrimp contain both phosphorus and vitamin D. Working with calcium, the supplied nutrient can help strengthen bones, reducing the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis later on down the road.
4. Mood Booster and Brain Health
Shrimp contains tryptophan, which is believed to trigger a mood-lifting hormone called serotonin. The combination of shrimp’s omega-3 and vitamin B12 content may improve brain function, keep it sharp and alert, and prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Eating shrimp helps improve brain and heart health because of the vast array of nutrients already listed and the omega-3 fatty acids it contains.
Omega-3 fatty acids are one of the most unreliable nutrients that our society chronically does not eat enough of, mainly because they are the only seafood.
Omega-3 fatty acids play an essential role in brain function and development. It has been shown to enhance cognitive ability in children who consume it during their development and whose mothers have consumed omega-3s during pregnancy.
Omega-3s have also been shown to enhance brain performance in those with mild types of brain issues like mild cognitive impairment and age-related cognitive decline.
The bottom line is that seawater shrimp is a much more healthy food that offers many health benefits for those who eat it. Of course, you’ll want to get high-quality shrimp that don’t contain any harmful chemicals.
In addition, our company is also committed to protecting the ocean by reducing the impact of destructive fishing practices. Through fair trade, fishermen will earn additional income by investing in projects to support their local ecosystem and the communities that produce these wonderful lobsters.
5. Cancer Prevention
The potent antioxidant properties of both Astaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids may exhibit protective and inhibitory effects on cancer, therefore reducing the growth of cancer cells. And interestingly, beyond consuming it, researchers are now using shellfish as a means to trace its incredible vision for clues in detecting cancer.
6. Skin Protection
Along with sunscreen and other skin-protecting precautions, supplementation with Astaxanthin may reduce skin wrinkling by improving skin elasticity and providing skin moisture. Astaxanthin may also reduce skin damage from ultraviolet (UV) light, ultimately reducing the risk of skin cancer.
7. Prevents Heart Disease
Although the high cholesterol content has stirred concern about shrimp consumption, research indicates that there is actually no harm in consuming that beloved shellfish. In fact, shrimp may actually protect against heart disease thanks to its omega-3 fatty acid content, as evidence has shown that shrimp consumption can lower LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides. while HDL (or “good”) increases. Cholesterol. Shrimp also supplies omega-3 fatty acids, known for their role in heart health and anti-inflammatory properties.
8. Women’s Health
Shrimp can be an essential food item to benefit women’s health. Astaxanthin has been shown to reduce the hot flashes, joint pain, and moodiness that often come to the fore during menopause. The contribution of omega-3 fatty acids may reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome, also known as mood swings, tender breasts, food cravings, fatigue, irritability, and depression. Are included.
Cautions
Although shrimp can reel in extensive health benefits, there are fishy cautions that should be considered. It is important to stay wary of…
Shrimp fraud.
When ordering and purchasing shrimp, you may not think twice what you are about to consume really is not shrimp. However, some restaurants may actually be serving mock meats that resemble the shellfish, whether or not they realize it themselves. In fact, a study produced by Oceana revealed out of 143 products tested, only 30 per cent were misrepresented as shrimp.
They also found “that consumers are often provided with little information about the shrimp they purchase, including where and how it was caught or farmed, making it difficult, if not impossible, for them to make informed choices.”
Contamination.
The shrimp may be naturally or chemically contaminated, including the impurities of dioxins, PCBs, hormones, and antibiotics. In fact, most of the shrimp consumed is imported from “farms,” or large industrial tanks or shallow, man-made ponds. And without tight environmental care and control, harmful bacteria can begin to grow and pollute the shrimp.
Shrimp allergy.
Crustaceans are considered to be one of the top food allergens, even being one of the most dangerous and sending more people to the hospital than other allergens. However, those allergic to shellfish are also not necessarily allergic to other fish varieties and vice versa. Find more information on shellfish allergies here.
Conclusion
Ultimately, you should remain cautious of the type of shellfish consumed, as even wild-caught shrimp may be feasting on potentially toxic compounds at the bottom of the ocean. And as mentioned above, it may be difficult for consumers to know what exactly they may be purchasing and consuming.
So if you are to choose, and after understanding the potential precautions, try finding a product that confirms its origin, including “wild-caught in the U.S.A.” Shrimp should also not be slimy, though it should smell like the sea. A strong ammonia odour may indicate spoiling or bad shrimp. But still, you can enjoy and obtain the eight health benefits of shrimp shown above!