Are Shrimp A Healthy Food?

No one knows what first prompted a human being to pluck the odd-looking shrimp out of the ocean to use it as food, but the nutritional value of this seafood makes it a clear winner. Shrimp, despite the bad rap it gets for cholesterol content, is a healthy option for your diet. It serves up complete protein, vitamin D, phosphorus and a range of B vitamins.

Basic Nutrition

Eat a 3-oz. serving of shrimp, and you add 89 calories to your daily calorie totals. If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, this accounts for 4.4 percent of the quantity you may consume every day. A serving of shrimp has 1.4 g of fat, only 0.3 g of which is saturated. You also take in few carbohydrates. One portion provides 0.8 g, but you need 225 to 325 g to meet your energy requirements for the day. The 18.4 g of protein per serving in shrimp make it a good option to help satisfy your nutritional needs for this macronutrient. In addition to supplying energy, protein boosts your immune function.

Minerals

Shrimp contains 17 percent of the daily recommended intake of phosphorus, which makes it a smart choice for kidney function. This seafood also serves as a rich source of copper and iron, with 11 percent of the amount you should consume each day. You also take in less than 10 percent of the potassium, calcium, magnesium and zinc your body requires daily.

Vitamins

Including shrimp in your meal plan helps you meet your daily needs for vitamin D. Each serving provides 32 percent of the recommended daily value. Your body uses the vitamin D in shrimp to help absorb calcium and regulate the amount of calcium and phosphorus in your bloodstream. A serving of this seafood contains 16 percent of the vitamin B-12 you need each day, as well as lesser amounts of other B vitamins, including thiamine, riboflavin, vitamin B-6 and niacin, all of which change the food you eat into energy. You also get small amounts of vitamins A and C.

Cholesterol

One 3-oz. serving of shrimp contains 147.9 mg of cholesterol, roughly half the cholesterol you should consume in a day. While physicians and nutritionists discourage the consumption of cholesterol in high quantities, trans fat has more bearing on your cholesterol level than dietary cholesterol. You may still include shrimp in your diet if you have high cholesterol. Just monitor your meal plan to avoid eating more than 300 mg of cholesterol per day or eat shrimp as a special treat.

Benefits

While mercury, a potentially dangerous contaminant, is present in all seafood, shrimp contains low levels, making it safe for most people to consume without health concerns. If you are pregnant you should limit your consumption somewhat, but you can still eat up to 12 oz. of shrimp per week. Shrimp contains high quantities of omega-3 fatty acids -- 0.29 g per 3-oz. serving. This healthy fat serves up heart healthy benefits, and also benefits cognitive functions.