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benefits of eating shellfish

Benefits of Eating Shellfish

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benefits of eating shellfish

BENEFITS:

A low fat source of high quality protein.

A rich source of minerals, including calcium, fluoride, iodine, iron, and zinc.

A good source of B group vitamins.

DRAWBACKS:

Some are high in cholesterol.

Susceptible to spoilage and environmental contamination.

Can provoke allergies in some people.

benefits of eating shellfish

Shellfish is the catch all term applied to mollusks and crustaceans water dwelling creatures that wear their skeleton on ht outside. Mollusks, such as oysters and mussels, lead a sedentary life inside rigid shells, which they affix with thread like excretions to rocks or pilings, but octopus and squid, which are free swimming and have no shells (squid have a transparent internal quill or beak), are also mollusks. Another exception is snails, which are mollusks that live on dry land or in the water and move about, carrying their shells.

The soft bodies of crustaceans, such as lobster, shrimp, and crab are covered by hinged plates of chitin, like suits of armor that allow mobility but shield them from predators. Soft shell crabs are taken in the molting season, when they have discarded their old shells but before the new shells have hardened. Most of the shellfish we consume comes from the sea, although a few local specialties, such as Louisiana craw fish, are fresh water crustaceans.

benefits of eating shellfish

NUTRITIONAL VALUE:

Shellfish are amount our most valuable sources of high quality protein. In contrast to protein from warm blooded animal, shellfish protein is very low in actual fat. Most varieties however contain fairy high levels of cholesterol, which is not a fat, although it is in the same lipid family. The harsh warning about the cholesterol content of shell fish have been tempered recently with the realization that it appears to have relatively little effect on the actual levels circulating in the bloodstream. This is probably because shellfish are very low in saturated fat, the lipid most likely to raise blood cholesterol levels. Shellfish also contain fewer calories, weight for weight, than other sources of animal protein do.

benefits of eating shellfish

A 4 ounce serving of shellfish provides a fine array of B vitamins, with 10% of the thiamine, 15% of the riboflavin and 50% of the niacin we need daily. Shellfish are especially rich in minerals, including calcium, phosphorus and fluoride needed for healthy bones and teeth, copper to help in the production of blood cells, connective tissue, and nerve fibers, iodine for thyroid gland function, iron for healthy red blood cells, magnesium for metabolism, and zinc for the immune system and reproductive health. Given the excellent nutritional value, the taste appeal, and the versatility of shellfish, it’s a mystery that Americans eat so little of it. Per person consumption averages less than 3 pounds ay year, compared with 64 pounds of beef and more than 90 pounds of poultry.  

benefits of eating shellfish

POTENTIAL DANGERS:

If grown in polluted waters, shellfish may be contaminated with bacteria and carry a particular risk for hepatitis, so don’t gather shellfish at the seashore or near wharf pilings or built up areas. In stead, buy them from fish markets and food stores that keep shellfish well covered with ice or in the case of lobsters, in tanks with circulating water aerated with oxygen. Shallow water shellfish, such as calms and mussels, are the most susceptible to pollution, sea scallops and other deep water varieties are less likely to be exposed to waste. French shellfish may be covered with ice chips and stored for several hours at 32F. Eat them on the day they are purchased.

Oysters are available year round, but the old rule of eating them only in the months with the letter R remains a sound one. During the non R summer months, warmer water temperatures may promote bacterial growth.

From time to time, swarming plankton cause the phenomenon known as red tide in coastal water. Shellfish exposed to the red tide ingest the microorganisms, which produce a toxin that can survive cooking. The symptoms of red tide poisoning usually appear within 30 minutes of consuming contaminated fish, they include facial numbness, breathing difficulty muscle weakness and partial paralysis. Never take shellfish from red tide areas, because of their susceptibility to spoilage, shellfish should be kept alive until they are ready to be cooked or served raw. Buy clams, mussels, and oysters only if the shells close tightly when tapped. An open shell indicates that the shellfish has died and is therefore unsafe to eat. Conversely, when steaming or boiling mollusks in the shell, discard many that fail to open at the end of the specified cooking time.

Fresh shellfish, whether in the shell or shucked, should smell briny, without any hint of iodine or fishiness. Oysters and clams show their freshness by flinching when you squeeze lemon juice on them.

benefits of eating shellfish

Shrimp and crabmeat are exceptions to the live shellfish rule. Most shrimp are trimmed and frozen in bulk at sea then thawed for sale at onshore retail markets. Shrimp processed in this way should be labeled”previously frozen”. Most crabmeat is cooked in the shell, or extracted and pasteurized, then frozen. Shellfish that is frozen or canned is usually read to eat as purchased, because crabmeat is separated from the shell by being passed through rubber rollers, however, it should be picked over to remove shell fragments.

Don’t eat lobster tomalley or crab mustard, soft organs that filter impurities and may have high levels of toxins.

benefits of eating shellfish

PREPARING SHELLFISH:

Like finned fish, shellfish have fragile flesh that should be cooked just to the point where its protein coagulates. Cooked too long, the tissues toughen or dry out and fall apart.

Commercially prepared shellfish are often needlessly high in calories and fat because they are coated with batter or bread crumbs and intended for frying.

The butter dips and sauces frequently served with shellfish add calories and saturated fat. Cocktail sauce is lower in calories and fat. Cocktail sauce is lower in calories and fats than tartar and other Mayonnaise based dips. Minced shallots blended with lemon juice and herbs complements clams, lobster, and other shellfish. To make a calcium rich sauce, you can pound the shells of shrimp and lobster smooth, and then boil them down with clam juice, lemon juice, white wine and herbs.

benefits of eating shellfish

A CsayaMON ALLERGEN:

Many people are allergic to shellfish and an allergic reaction to one type often means that the other should be avoided to. A severe reaction, with widespread hives, swelling, and difficulty breathing,, indicates possible anaphylaxis, a life threatening emergency. People allergic to shellfish may react to the iodine used in many of the dyes administered for contrast X rays. Tell your doctor if you have ever experienced and allergic reaction to shellfish. 

benefits of eating shellfish

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