Health Facts

     Incredible taste and texture aside, you should gain peace of mind knowing the benefits of wild caught shrimp. Wild shrimp contains selenium, vitamin B12, phosphorus, choline, copper, iodine, vitamin B3, zinc, vitamin E, vitamin B6, Omega-3 fats, pantothenic acid, vitamin A and magnesium. At nearly 26 grams per 4-ounce serving, shrimp ranks as a very good source of protein and provides over half of the Daily Value in each serving ranking as the 8th best source of protein. Approximately 90% of the calories in shrimp come from protein, and the rest come from fat.

     At only 7 calories per shrimp, we can eat a relatively large amount of this shellfish without using up too many of our daily calories. For example, a person eating 1800 calories per day could consume 20 shrimp and only be “spending” about 8% of his or her daily calories. This very low calorie cost would not be so remarkable if it were not for the fact that shrimp provides us with significant amounts of so many nutrients. We usually have to eat foods with far greater calorie content to get the nutrient richness provided by shrimp. For example, those same 20 shrimp that provide us with about 140 calories also provide us with 25 grams of protein or 50% of the Daily Value. They also provide nearly 2 micrograms of vitamin B12-over 80% of the Dietary Reference Intake level for adults. When this nutrient richness list for shrimp is continued across the list of other vitamins and minerals provided by this fish, it becomes striking how much nourishment can be provide by shrimp for less than 10% of a total day’s calories.

     On the other hand, some people claim that shrimp is unhealthy due to its high cholesterol content. However, research shows this may not be the case for most people, as only a quarter of the population is sensitive to dietary cholesterol. For the rest, dietary cholesterol may only have a small impact on blood cholesterol. This is because most of the cholesterol in your blood is produced by your liver, and when you eat foods high in cholesterol, your liver produces less. What’s more, shrimp contains several nutrients that may actually boost health, such as omega-3 fatty acids and astaxanthin antioxidants.