It is important to keep your cholesterol at a healthy level. Eating foods with too much cholesterol has adverse effects of the health of the body. Seafood naturally contains cholesterol, but the amounts and effects may not be as scary as people think. You can enjoy all types of seafood in your diet and still maintain good cholesterol levels.
Effects
Some types of seafood have positive effects on cholesterol. Fatty fish, such as salmon or mackerel, increases HDL levels in the blood. HDL is known as "good" cholesterol. Other fish, such as sardines and tuna, contain beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids and lower triglyceride levels in the blood as well. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), including seafood in your diet may help to prevent cardiovascular disease.
Misconceptions
Shellfish is often avoided by many because of the thought that it raises bad cholesterol levels. According to a study at the University of Washington, this is a misconception and shellfish pose no danger to cholesterol levels. This study found that some of the most commonly eaten shellfish, including oysters, crabs, clams, shrimp and mussels, showed no evidence of raising cholesterol levels. Shrimp had no effect on cholesterol levels. Crabs and clams actually lowered the LDL levels (bad cholesterol). Mussels and oysters also lowered LDL, while raising HDLs. Fish is also good for increasing good cholesterol in your blood.
Size
Seafood is a part of a healthy balanced diet. The AHA recommends that no more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day is healthy for adults. Most of the commonly eaten seafood selections are well below this parameter. For example, 3 oz. of lobster contains 61 mg of cholesterol; 3 oz. of crab contains 80 mg of cholesterol. There are 166 mg in a serving of 15 shrimp, and 48 mg in a serving of five mussels. Six oysters contain 58 mg of cholesterol, and a serving of four scallops has less than 34 mg.
Considerations
You can increase the amount of cholesterol in your seafood by how you choose to prepare it. Deep frying, and using butter and sauces will increase the cholesterol content of seafood or any other food. Try broiling, grilling or baking when preparing seafood and cook with very little oil.
Warning
The key to maintaining healthy cholesterol levels in any food is moderation. If you eat an excessive amount of seafood containing cholesterol, your cholesterol intake from other foods should be modified so that you don't exceed the recommended 300 mg per day.
