Shrimp

Shrimp

Shrimp are called prawns in Britain, and in Hebrew they are known as “shrimps” in everyday speech or hasilonim, the standard Hebrew name. All of these names refer to the same animal.

How much protein and how many calories are in shrimp?

100 g of cooked shrimp provide about 24 g of protein and about 99 calories, according to USDA’s record for cooked shrimp. A 150 g serving, using the same values, provides about 36 g of protein and about 149 calories. The figures refer to the edible portion, after cooking, without sauce, breading or frying; other products and cooking methods may give different values.

Shrimp nutrition facts per 100 g, cooked

Source: USDA FoodData Central: shrimp, cooked, record 175180, rounded. Check the sodium on the label, especially for products with brine or additives.

Alongside the protein, shrimp contain a significant amount of cholesterol. To understand what that number means, you also need to look at saturated fat and the diet as a whole.

Cholesterol in shrimp: what changed

For decades many people avoided shrimp because of their cholesterol content. The assumption was that dietary cholesterol translates directly into blood cholesterol.

The evidence changed the picture. The body makes most of the cholesterol in the blood itself (in the liver), and adjusts production to intake: when you eat more, the liver makes less. In 2015 the US Dietary Guidelines removed the numerical limit on dietary cholesterol (which had been 300 mg a day), concluding that there wasn’t enough evidence to support it.

For shrimp specifically: controlled trials that fed participants large amounts of shrimp found a moderate rise in LDL, but also a rise in HDL, so the ratio between them (a more informative risk measure) barely changed. Shrimp are also very low in saturated fat, the dietary factor with a much stronger effect on LDL.

The caveat: some people are “hyper-responders”, in whom dietary cholesterol does have a noticeable effect. People with familial hypercholesterolemia or very high LDL should consult a doctor and not draw blanket conclusions from this.

Health benefits

• An exceptional protein-to-calorie ratio: 24 g of protein in 99 calories. Very few foods can match that, a clear advantage for weight management, building muscle and calorie-restricted diets. The protein is complete and supplies all the essential amino acids.

• Astaxanthin: the carotenoid that gives shrimp their pink-orange color after cooking. It is a particularly strong antioxidant and has been studied for protection against oxidative stress, skin health and muscle function after exercise. Most of the research used high-dose supplements, not food amounts, so it can’t be applied directly to eating shrimp.

• Selenium: for example, a separate USDA record for mixed species of shrimp cooked with moist heat lists about 50 mcg per 100 g. Selenium is essential for the enzyme glutathione peroxidase and for making thyroid hormones.

• Iodine: seafood is one of the significant sources of iodine, a mineral many people in the Western world get too little of. Iodine is essential for thyroid function.

• Vitamin B12 and phosphorus: the same record lists about 1.7 mcg of B12 per 100 g. The selenium and B12 figures are an example from a different composition, not identical to the table above. USDA: shrimp, mixed species, cooked, moist heat.

• Copper and zinc: a good source of both.

• Low in saturated fat: less than 0.3 g per 100 g, dramatically lower than almost any other animal protein source.

Downsides and risks

• Allergy, the most significant downside: shellfish allergy is one of the most serious and most common allergies in adults, and the main allergen is tropomyosin, a muscle protein. Reactions can be anaphylactic and life-threatening. Unlike many childhood allergies, it tends to last for life. There is cross-reactivity with other crustaceans, and sometimes with dust mites and cockroaches (which carry a similar tropomyosin).

• Sodium: fresh shrimp contain about 110 to 150 mg per 100 g, but frozen and processed products are often treated with brine or polyphosphates to retain moisture, which raises the sodium considerably, sometimes to 500 mg or more. Read the labels.

• Sulfites: shrimp are sometimes treated with sulfites to prevent blackening (melanosis). People sensitive to sulfites, especially those with asthma, may react. Labeling is required in most countries.

• Pond farming and antibiotics: most shrimp on the market are farmed in aquaculture, mainly in Southeast Asia. Problems have been reported with antibiotic use, crowding and farming conditions, as well as environmental damage from clearing mangroves. Labels such as ASC or BAP indicate stricter standards.

• Contaminants: mercury levels in shrimp are low, and the FDA counts shrimp among the “safe” choices for pregnant women. There is, however, a risk of bacterial contamination (Vibrio) in undercooked shrimp.

• Overcooking: in culinary terms, shrimp turn rubbery quickly. They need only a few minutes.

• Kashrut: shrimp are not kosher, since they have no fins or scales. A relevant consideration for some readers.

Practical use

Cooking it right: 2 to 3 minutes in total. The exact sign is the shape: cooked shrimp curl into the shape of the letter C. If they close into a tight ring (O), they are already overcooked and rubbery.

What to buy: check the label for added polyphosphates or brine, which raise sodium and add water that you pay for by weight. “Dry-packed” shrimp are better. ASC or BAP labels indicate a better farming standard.

Frozen is often better: most of the “fresh” shrimp at the counter were thawed anyway. IQF frozen shrimp thawed at home are usually fresher.

Pairing: with olive oil, garlic and lemon, a classic that also works nutritionally, since shrimp are almost fat-free and benefit from a healthy fat alongside.

In pregnancy: considered a safe choice for mercury under FDA guidance, provided they are thoroughly cooked.

Summary

Shrimp offer one of the best protein-to-calorie ratios in the food world, 24 g of protein in 99 calories, along with selenium, iodine, B12 and astaxanthin, and almost no saturated fat. The long-standing worry about their cholesterol has weakened considerably since the limit on dietary cholesterol was removed from the guidelines, although hyper-responders should consult a doctor. The real downsides are allergy, which is serious and common in adults, and added sodium and sulfites in processed products.