Shellfish and seafood are an important part of the human diet. These foods contain many nutrients your body needs to sustain health and prevent disease. Shellfish and other seafood contain certain nutrients in higher concentrations than foods from plants and animals that grow on dry land. Consult your nutritionist about your diet and the benefits of eating shellfish and seafood.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Shellfish and seafood, particularly finfish, such as salmon and halibut, are healthy sources of protein, fat, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Compared with other protein sources, such as meat, fish has the highest concentrations of long chain omega-3 fatty acids -- healthy fats that may lower your risk of cardiovascular disease. These omega-3 fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid and are in highest concentrations in anchovies, wild salmon, mackerel, sable, whitefish, sardines, tuna, herring, rainbow trout, mussels, oysters and halibut. The American Heart Association recommends that you eat at least two 3.5 oz. servings of fish per week to lower your cholesterol and blood pressure, slow the growth of atherosclerotic plaque and reduce your risk of heart disease, abnormal heartbeat, heart attack and stroke.
Vitamin B-12
Vitamin B-12, also called cobalamin, has the largest chemical structure of any vitamin, yet your body needs it in the smallest quantity. The primary function of vitamin B-12 is to develop red blood cells, which transport oxygen from your lungs to the cells throughout your body. It also produces DNA and RNA and supports neurological activity. Vitamin B-12 is exclusively in animal products, not in plant-based foods. Shellfish, such as clams, mussels and oysters, have the highest concentrations of B-12.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D plays a significant role in bone growth and metabolism, stimulation of the immune system and absorption of calcium from foods into your blood. Vitamin D deficiency is a global epidemic, which may affect over half the world's population. Unlike other vitamins and nutrients, your body makes vitamin D after exposure to sunlight for at least 15 minutes each day. It stores excess vitamin D levels in fat cells for future use. Vitamin D is naturally in only a few types of food, particularly fish, such as sardines, herring, mackerel and tuna. It is also in fish liver oil from cod and other fatty fish.
Selenium
Selenium is a trace element and antioxidant you need in small quantities, Selenium participates in chemical reactions alongside certain enzymes called selenoproteins. The primary functions of selenium are to stimulate your immune system, protect you from viral infections, assist in developing sperm cells and protect these cells and the thyroid gland from harmful chemicals. A deficiency of selenium can increase your risk of death from HIV. The richest sources of selenium are shellfish and seafood, such as shrimp, crabmeat, salmon and halibut and organ meats, such as liver.
References
- Washington State Department of Health; Health Benefits of Fish; 2010
- University of Michigan Integrative Medicine; Healing Foods Pyramid; 2010
- American Heart Association; Fish and Omega-3 Fatty Acids; 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute Oregon State University; Vitamin B12; 2010
- Medline Plus; Vitamin D; 2010
- Vitamin D Council; Vitamin D Deficiency: A Global Epidemic; May 14 2011
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