The benefits of eating shrimp and its harm to the body

Shrimp is one of the most abundant marine assets in Indonesia. Besides being consumed as a side dish, shrimp is also consumed as other food ingredients, for example shrimp paste and crackers. Besides being delicious, what are the benefits and nutritional content of shrimp, huh? Can you eat as much shrimp as you can? Let's look at the following reviews.

Nutritional content and benefits of eating shrimp

One of the benefits of eating shrimp is its protein content, which is low in fat. A 3-ounce serving (roughly 15 to 16 large prawns) contains 101 calories, 19 grams of protein and only 1.4 grams of total fat. In the shrimp meat is also presented the content of calcium, potassium and phosphorus which are a source of vitamins A and E which are good for the body.

In addition, the fat in shrimp is a good source of unsaturated fat for the body. Unsaturated fats can help increase levels of good cholesterol in the blood. Like fish, shrimp is also a source of seafood that contains omega 3 fatty acids.Natural omega 3 fats are known to reduce inflammation and the risk of heart disease.

The U.S Department of Agriculture advises the public to eat a minimum of 8 ounces of fresh, cooked seafood several times a week.

Danger of eating shrimp if too much

Even though it contains protein that is good for the body, eating shrimp can also contain high cholesterol, you know! A small, 3.5-ounce serving of shrimp supplies about 200 mg of cholesterol for the body in one meal. For people who are at high risk of heart disease, this figure means that they have met their cholesterol intake for a full day. For everyone else, 300 mg of cholesterol is the fair limit.

In addition, considering that shrimp is a seafood product that is often exported and imported to various parts of the world, sometimes in the process of shipping shrimp, shrimp must be preserved using certain ingredients. One of the preservatives used for shrimp is 4-hexylresorinol, this preservative is used to prevent discoloration in shrimp.

Research published by the American Chemical Society found that 4-hexylresorinol it also contains xenoestrogens. This substance has an effect that is shown to increase the risk of breast cancer in women and reduce sperm count in men.

Meanwhile, a 2012 study published in Environmental Health found that environmental exposure to xenoestrogens was associated with several cancers such as lung, kidney, pancreatic and brain cancer.

Eating mostly shrimp can make the body excess sodium

Indeed, there are many benefits of eating shrimp that you can get for your health. However, eating mostly shrimp can be harmful to the body. The reason is, shrimp is a food source that contains high enough sodium.

Three ounces of shrimp has 805 mg of sodium. In comparison, one teaspoon of salt contains 2,000 milligrams of sodium. So, be careful adding salt to your shrimp menu, because even a little extra sodium can push you past the recommended limit every day.

Consuming mostly sodium can increase the risk of hypertension, heart disease and osteoporosis. WHO, which is also the world health organization, recommends limiting adult sodium intake in a day only needs 2,300 mg. That doesn't count if you eat other side dishes.