Despite being low in calories, shrimp contains many nutrients, including iodine and antioxidants, that may offer health benefits. But it is high in cholesterol.
Many nutrients are found in high amounts in this food, including iodine, which isn’t found in many other foods.
On the other hand, some people claim that shrimp is unhealthy due to its high cholesterol content.
Additionally, it’s commonly believed that farm-raised shrimp may have some negative health effects compared with wild-caught shrimp.
This article explores the evidence to determine if shrimp is a healthy food to include in your diet.
It’s quite low in calories, providing only 84 calories in a 3-ounce serving (1).
Additionally, the same serving size provides more than 9 different vitamins and minerals (1).
Here’s an overview of the nutrients in a 3-ounce (85-gram) serving of shrimp (1):
Also, shrimp is one of the best foods to get iodine, which is a mineral that many people don’t get enough of. Iodine is required for proper thyroid function and brain health (2).
Shrimp is also a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (3).
A lot of people are afraid of high-cholesterol foods because they think they raise the cholesterol level in your blood and make you more likely to get heart disease.
But studies show that this might not be true for most people, since only 25% of people are sensitive to dietary cholesterol. For the rest, dietary cholesterol may only have a small impact on blood cholesterol levels (4).
This is because your liver makes most of the cholesterol in your blood, and when you eat foods high in cholesterol, your liver makes less of it.
What’s more, shrimp contains several nutrients that may actually boost health, such as omega-3 fatty acids (3).
Studies show that shrimp is one of the few foods that is not high in both cholesterol and saturated fats.
Even though more research is needed to fully understand shrimp’s impact on heart health, it does have many health benefits that may outweigh the cholesterol it contains.
Astaxanthin is a component of algae, which is consumed by shrimp. For this reason, shrimp is a major source of astaxanthin. In fact, this antioxidant is responsible for the reddish color of shrimp cells (7).
When you consume astaxanthin, it may help protect against inflammation by preventing free radicals from damaging your cells. It’s been studied for its role in reducing the risk of several chronic diseases (7).
Getting defined, sculpted abs is a goal for many fitness enthusiasts. But aside from hours sweating at the gym, nutrition plays a huge role in developing strong core muscles. So when meal planning for rock-hard abs, is shrimp a food you should add to your plate?
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll analyze the nutritional profile of shrimp to see if it supports abdominal muscle growth and definition.
Overview of Abs and Diet
First, let’s do a quick recap on abdominal anatomy. Your abs include four key muscles:
- Rectus abdominis – The long, flat muscle running down the center of your stomach
- Transverse abdominis – The deepest muscle that wraps around your core
- Internal obliques – On each side of your rectus abdominis below your ribs
- External obliques – On each side of your rectus abdominis above your hips
Getting visible abs requires strengthening these muscles and reducing body fat percentage to around 10-12% for men and 16-20% for women
Diet is crucial for:
- Providing protein to build ab muscle mass
- Delivering nutrients to power workouts
- Limiting fat accumulation around the midsection
So does shrimp help accomplish these diet goals? Let’s analyze its nutrition.
Benefits of Shrimp for Abs
Here are some of the top nutrients in shrimp that can benefit your ab development:
1. High-Quality Protein
- A 3 oz serving of shrimp contains 18g protein.
- The amino acid profile includes leucine, which stimulates muscle protein synthesis.
- Shrimp protein provides all essential amino acids needed to build and repair abs.
2. Lean Source of Calories
- With 89 calories in 3 oz, shrimp is a low-calorie protein source.
- It provides calories to fuel workouts without excess fat.
- Eating lean proteins like shrimp can help reduce belly fat.
3. Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Shrimp contains anti-inflammatory omega-3s EPA and DHA.
- These healthy fats may enhance fat burning while preserving muscle.
- Omega-3s support muscle recovery from intense ab workouts.
4. Selenium
- Shrimp is one of the richest sources of the mineral selenium.
- Selenium supports thyroid hormone production for a healthy metabolism.
- It acts as an antioxidant to reduce damage from free radicals.
5. Vitamin B12
- A 3 oz serving of shrimp provides over 100% of your daily B12 needs.
- This water-soluble vitamin aids protein synthesis for muscle growth.
- B12 is also needed for red blood cell formation to enhance workout capacity.
6. Iodine
- Iodine is necessary for proper thyroid hormone function and metabolic rate.
- Shrimp can provide over 100% of your recommended daily iodine intake.
- An efficient thyroid metabolism makes it easier to stay lean.
Potential Drawbacks of Shrimp for Abs
Shrimp provides high-quality nutrition for abs in many ways. However, there are a couple potential drawbacks:
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High in dietary cholesterol – Shrimp contains 166 mg cholesterol per 3 oz serving. For some, this may negatively impact blood cholesterol levels.
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Lacks nutrients like fiber – Since shrimp is an animal protein, it does not provide prebiotic fiber or complex carbs. These can help regulate appetite and digestion.
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Can be high in sodium – Frozen and processed shrimp often contains added sodium. Excess sodium promotes fluid retention.
Tips for Incorporating Shrimp into an Abs Diet
Keeping the benefits and drawbacks in mind, here are some tips for adding shrimp to a nutrition plan for six-pack abs:
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Enjoy shrimp up to 2-3 times per week as part of a high protein, fiber-rich meal plan. Don’t overdo shrimp consumption.
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Opt for fresh wild shrimp over processed frozen varieties to reduce sodium content.
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Balance shrimp with high-fiber foods like vegetables, fruits, whole grains, beans and legumes.
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Pair shrimp with healthy fats like avocado, nuts, seeds and olive oil for more omega-3s.
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Watch portion sizes and avoid excessive butter oils or high calorie sauces with shrimp.
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Grill, bake or broil shrimp instead of deep frying to limit excess calories.
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Stay well hydrated by drinking water with high protein shrimp meals to support digestion.
Sample Meal Plan with Shrimp for Abs
Here is a sample high protein, fiber-rich meal plan incorporating shrimp:
Breakfast: Omelet with spinach, mushrooms and 1⁄4 cup shrimp + avocado toast on whole grain bread
Lunch: Shrimp and chickpea salad over mixed greens with lemon vinaigrette
Dinner: Grilled shrimp skewers with roasted Brussels sprouts and sweet potato
Snacks: Edamame hummus with red pepper slices + Greek yogurt with blueberries
This provides balanced nutrition including lean proteins like shrimp, veggies, healthy fats and complex carbs. It fuels your body for ab workouts while limiting fat gain around your midsection.
The Verdict on Shrimp for Abs
Shrimp can be an excellent addition to a diet focused on sculpting six-pack abs. It provides high-quality, muscle-building protein, metabolism-boosting nutrients like selenium and B12, and anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Enjoy shrimp moderately along with plenty of fiber, healthy fats and veggies for optimal nutrition to get lean and defined. Shrimp’s powerful nutrient profile makes it a potential asset on your journey to chiseled abs.
Symptoms of shellfish allergy
Symptoms of shrimp allergies vary and may include (16):
- tingling in the throat
- digestive issues
- breathing difficulties
- skin reactions
Some people with shrimp allergies may have anaphylactic reactions, as well. This is a dangerous, sudden reaction that can lead to seizures, unconsciousness, and even death if it is not treated immediately (16).
If you’re allergic to shrimp, the only way to prevent allergic reaction is to completely avoid eating it.
In some instances, even the vapors from cooking shrimp can trigger a reaction. So, those with shrimp allergies must also avoid situations where they may be exposed to it indirectly (16).
It’s important to choose high quality, fresh shrimp that isn’t damaged, infected, or contaminated.
When purchasing raw shrimp, make sure they’re firm. The shells should be translucent and grayish-green, pinkish tan, or light pink in color. Blackened edges or black spots on the shells may indicate quality loss (17).
Additionally, raw and cooked shrimp should have a mild, “ocean-like” or salty smell. Shrimp with an overwhelming “fishy” or ammonia-like odor is likely spoiled and unsafe to consume.
You should only buy shrimp from a reputable and knowledgeable seller who can answer your questions about where the shrimp came from and how it was handled.
Heart and brain health
Many studies have found astaxanthin may help strengthen arteries, which may reduce the risk of heart attacks. It may also help increase levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good” cholesterol, an important factor in heart health (8).
In addition, astaxanthin may be beneficial for brain health. Its anti-inflammatory properties may prevent damage to your brain cells that often leads to memory loss and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s (7).
Even with these results, more studies on humans are needed to find out what effect astaxanthin in shrimp may have on health in general.
Due to the high demand for shrimp in the United Sates, it’s often imported from other countries.
Between 75 and 80% of the seafood eaten in the United States is imported from other countries, like Thailand, China, Canada, Indonesia, and Vietnam (9).
Although this helps increase access to shrimp, most imported shrimp is farm-raised, which means it’s grown in industrial tanks that are submerged in bodies of water (10).
Farm-raised seafood from other countries is frequently treated with antibiotics due to its high susceptibility to disease. However, the United States does not permit the use of antibiotics in shrimp and other shellfish (10).
For this reason, it’s illegal to import shrimp that contains antibiotics. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for inspecting imported shrimp to ensure it doesn’t contain antibiotics (11).
However, due to the high volume of shrimp imports, the FDA is unable to regulate all of them. Because of this, farm-raised shrimp contaminated with antibiotics has the potential to enter the U.S. food supply (12).
Using antibiotics in shrimp has not been confirmed to have any major adverse health effects. However, it may lead to antibiotic resistance, which can cause outbreaks of diseases that do not respond to antibiotic treatment (13).
If you are worried about antibiotics in shrimp, choose wild-caught shrimp instead. These shrimp are never given antibiotics. Additionally, you can be assured that shrimp caught and prepared in the United States does not contain antibiotics.
Shellfish, including shrimp, are classified as one of the top nine food allergies in the United States, along with fish, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, milk, and soy (14).
The most common trigger of shrimp allergies is tropomyosin, a protein found in shellfish. Other proteins in shrimp that may trigger an allergic reaction include arginine kinase and hemocyanin (15).
8 Incredible Benefits of Shrimp | Health And Nutrition
FAQ
Is shrimp good for belly fat?
Is shrimp OK for your stomach?
Is shrimp a healthy fat?
Is shrimp healthy for losing weight?
Is shrimp healthy?
Shrimp also provide calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and selenium. Shrimp are relatively low in calories, providing just 84 calories per 3-ounce serving. Shrimp is healthier than experts used to think. Here are some of the health benefits you might stand to gain by ordering shrimp more often.
Is shrimp ok on a soft diet?
Yes, you can, but as long as they are well cooked, and preferably cut into small pieces before eating. All very tender meats can go in.
Is shrimp good for lipid panels?
Another study in Mayo Clinic Proceedings notes that shrimp intake was favorably associated with improved lipid panels, says registered dietitian nutritionist Aubrey Redd, owner of Aubrey Redd Nutrition in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania.
Is shrimp good for cardiovascular health?
Shrimp also contains several nutrients linked to improved cardiovascular health, such as the previously mentioned omega-3. Key Point: Shrimp may improve markers of cardiovascular health. As shown in the nutrition facts, shrimp offers a wide range of beneficial nutrients for minimal calories (106 kcal per 100 grams).