Shrimp can be part of a heart-healthy diet. The crustaceans are low in fat and calories while providing protein, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B-12. Shrimp also contains a significant amount of cholesterol. The type of cholesterol in shrimp, however, may not have a negative impact on your health.
Amount in Shrimp
A 3-oz. serving of steamed or boiled shrimp contains 166 mg of cholesterol. The American Heart Association recommends you limit cholesterol to 300 mg per day. If you have been diagnosed with high cholesterol or are on a cholesterol-lowering medication, aim for just 200 mg per day. While a 3-oz. serving of shrimp will not put you over these limits, if you consume just an egg and 1 tbsp. of mayonnaise in addition, your total cholesterol intake will be 432 mg for that day.
About Cholesterol
Some cholesterol is necessary to aid in cell development and hormone production, but high cholesterol levels, particularly high levels of LDL, or "bad," cholesterol, can raise your risk of developing heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer in the United States, according to 2011 information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A high cholesterol level may be a result of genetics, poor diet and a lack of physical activity. In addition to your total cholesterol number, you should also be aware of your ratio of low to high density lipoproteins -- or bad to good cholesterol. Bad cholesterol, or low-density lipoprotein (LDL), clogs your arteries, while good cholesterol, or high-density lipoprotein (HDL), helps scrub bad cholesterol from your system and deliver it to your liver for disposal. A higher amount of HDL is desirable.
Research
The type of cholesterol in shrimp may not have negative effects on your diet. A hallmark study published in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition" in 1996 found that a diet containing over 10 oz. of shrimp daily, with 590 mg of dietary cholesterol, increased participants levels of good cholesterol by 12 percent and bad cholesterol by 7 percent. The researchers concluded that the net impact of shrimp consumption was not negative as it did not make the ratio of total cholesterol to HDL or the ratio of LDL to HDL worse. As a result, the Rockefeller University researchers recommended that moderate amounts of shrimp can be part of a heart-healthy diet for people with normal cholesterol levels.
Considerations
Shrimp is lower in fat and calories than many other meats, so the American Heart Association also advocates moderate consumption of the seafood. The way shrimp is prepared also determines its heart-health. Fried shrimp or shrimp sautéed in butter, such as scampi, contains considerable calories, fat and additional cholesterol. If you choose to eat shrimp, choose grilled, roasted, boiled or steamed versions.
References
- "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; Effects of Shrimp Consumption on Plasma Lipoproteins; ER De Oliveira e Silva, et al.; 1996
- American Heart Association: Common Misconceptions about Cholesterol
- American Heart Association: Meat, Poultry and Fish
- MayoClinic.com; How Important is Cholesterol Ratio; Thomas Behrenbeck, M.D.; January 2010
- USDA: Nutrient Database
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; Heart Disease is the Number One Cause of Death; Jan. 31, 2011
