Eating crab sticks every day, healthy or dangerous?

Crab stick is a cheaper and easier to prepare alternative to fresh crab meat. Even though it is classified as a processed food, its nutritional content is also predicted to be no less than other types of seafood. If so, do eat crab stick every day is good for health?

How crab stick made?

Crab stick basically not crab meat, but fish with white flesh that has been processed in such a way that the taste and texture resembles crab. Before being formed into crab stick, this processed food is known as surimi.

The fish meat is first separated from the bones and other unnecessary parts. The fish meat is then mashed and mixed with egg whites, starch, and other additives. This mixture is heated, then shaped to resemble fresh crab meat.

Producer crab stick sometimes adding crab extract to enhance the taste. However, the extract does not create any nutritional value crab stick to be the equivalent of a crab. The nutrients you get from eating crab stick and crab is of course different.

Nutritional content crab stick

Source: Cook's Info

One hundred grams crab stick contains 95 calories, while fresh crab contains 151 calories. Even though it is low in calories, it is mostly calories crab stick comes from carbohydrates and other additives, not protein like fresh crab.

Protein and fat content in crab stick also not as much as fresh crab. One hundred grams crab stick contains 7.6 grams of protein and 0.4 grams of fat, while fresh crab contains 13.8 grams of protein and 3.8 grams of fat.

The most nutrients you will get from eating crab stick are carbohydrates. Crab stick contains 14.9 grams of carbohydrates derived from starch and added sugars. In contrast, fresh crab contains absolutely no carbohydrates.

In addition to the various nutrients above, crab stick also has a wide variety of vitamins and minerals. Except for phosphorus, almost all vitamins and minerals are on crab stick lower than fresh crab.

Can you consume crab stick every day?

Crab stick actually has a variety of nutrients that are beneficial to health. However, these processed foods also contain dyes, preservatives, and other additives that are bad for health if consumed in excess.

Eat crab stick will expose your body to the following additives:

Carmine. Have another name 'crimson lake’, ‘natural red',' C.I. 75470 ', and' E120 ', this substance serves to give a red color to the surface of the crab stick. Exposure carmine excess can trigger allergic reactions, dizziness, and nausea.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG). People who are sensitive to MSG can experience dizziness, lethargy, muscle stiffness, and nausea.
Preservative. Crab stick usually contains preservatives in the form of sodium benzoate and some phosphate compounds. Consumption of phosphate compounds has the risk of having long-term impacts on the kidneys.
Carrageenan. This compound serves to solidify crab stick and make it more durable. In animal studies, carrageenan has been shown to increase the risk of inflammation of the digestive tract.

Like other processed foods, crab stick should not be consumed in excess. Even though it is low in calories and contains nutrients, eat crab stick every day will expose your body to various additives.

So, you may add occasionally crab stick into the salad, turn it into sushi, or make it a low-calorie snack alternative. However, limit consumption and still make natural food ingredients as a source of your nutrition.