In every seafood (not see food) diet, shrimp is bound to show up simply because of how it is regarded as a staple, in addition to our fish dishes. Especially on those who are on a pescatarian diet, shrimps are heaven-sent since they offer a distinct flavour profile and texture that differs from fish. Besides that, shrimps are also deemed to be packed full of nutrition, providing one with the protein and nutrients that they need for the proper functioning of their body and all of its organs. Before you run off to the supermarket, read these facts on these crustaceans and why you shouldn’t skimp on shrimp.
How Healthy Are Shrimps?
To answer that question, first, you need to understand the nutritional profile of shrimps. To begin with, shrimps are extremely low in calories and they provide 84 calories in a single serving. This would mean that you are unlikely to encounter bulges at your waistbands by making shrimp your main course each day. Secondly, you are likely to find more than 20 different types of vitamins and minerals that your body would need to function like vitamin B12, iron, phosphorus, niacin, zinc and magnesium. While you might baulk at the need for these vitamins, they actually serve a very important purpose to keep your body fine-tuned and running at optimal speed.
Shrimps Help Build Your Bones
Let it be known that milk and cheese are not the only two on the menu that can enhance your bone strength. It has been found that shrimp can be included in this list as well since they contain most of the essential bone-building nutrients like calcium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorus and vitamin D. When you consume shrimp, you are helping your body prevent bone loss and promote the growth of new bone tissue to make your bones much stronger.
Shrimps Are Great For Your Skin
One of the reasons why you find your skin suffering in recent days is because of overexposure in the sun. When that happens, your skin takes a hit and you might start observing signs of damage like freckles, itchy skin and peeling from the dehydration of your skin. Because of how shrimps contain anti-oxidants, it would help buffer the effects of free radical generation on your skin that would accelerate the damage and wear placed on your skin. If you didn’t already know, shrimps also have a special carotenoid anti-oxidant called astaxanthin that would help shield your skin from the harmful UV rays. Not only are you getting great value in filling your tummy up, but you are also applying a protective layer over your skin against the harsh rays of the sun.
Shrimps Promote Weight Loss
Due to the leptin in them, the consumption of shrimps actually helps with regulating your hunger and does the job of diverting your nutrients to your muscle cells as opposed to turning them into fat. Similarly, the iodine in shrimp would also help those with an iodine deficiency. For those who are enduring an iodine deficiency, they would find their weight fluctuating from their poor metabolism and concentration and that is no good. Adding shrimps into your diet would stimulate your thyroid hormones and boost your immune system function that would help you shed the pounds and keep you lean and trim. Similarly, you would need protein to synthesise more muscle for your lean and trim body. Protein can be obtained from a number of meats like beef and chicken, but shrimp works well since it is extremely lean and would function as a treat for muscle building.
Final Note
A reason why the entire world loves shrimps by the tail is because of how easy it is to introduce that into your diet. On certain days, you can whip yourself a shrimp salad and on other days, bite into a po’ boy made with fried shrimp and french rolls. The possibilities really are limitless when you think about it and the best way to eat shrimp is to get inventive with it.
While you might be convinced by now that shrimp is amazing, you definitely need to ask your family if you have had any past history with shrimp since you might have an allergy to it that you don’t know about. Across the world, shrimp allergies are one of the top eight common food allergies and a likely reason behind this is a protein found in shrimps called tropomyosin, a protein that might trigger an allergic reaction. If you are starting to feel tingling in the mouth, encounter digestive issues or suffer from skin reactions after consuming shrimps, you ought to be careful with your food intake. In some instances, being in the presence of shrimps might trigger such a reaction so you ought to check yourself before you wreck yourself.