Shrimp, a shellfish, is the most widely consumed type of seafood. Shrimps are mostly sold frozen in either whole or meat form. A lot of people oppose their consumption because of the high levels of cholesterol they contain. Despite that, shrimp are packed with many essential nutrients, especially iodine.
Ignoring other aspects, we want to know: Is shrimp high in potassium?
Shrimp is not high in potassium. One piece of shrimp offers 8.5 mg of potassium. If we talk about the per serving amount of potassium, it will be 145 mg of potassium in 3 ounces (85 g) of shrimp. A potassium-rich food contains more than 500 mg of potassium per serving. So, shrimp is not high in potassium.
Keep reading to know more.
Table of Content
Is Shrimp High In Potassium?
Shrimp is not high in potassium. An indication of whether a given food has high levels of a certain nutrient is given by a standard. According to that standard, if the food contains less than 300 mg of potassium per serving, it must be included in potassium-low food.
As discussed earlier, the amount of potassium in shrimp is 145 mg per 3 ounces. It does not provide a person with much potassium, fulfilling only 4% of their daily requirements.
Potassium In Cooked Shrimp
The potassium content of shrimp increases slightly when cooked. Three ounces or 85 grams of shrimp per serving contains about 220 mg of potassium in it. This amount is higher than uncooked shrimp, which offer 145 mg of potassium per serving.
Potassium In Shrimp Cocktail
Shrimp cocktail contains much more potassium in it as compared to raw shrimp. From one cup of shrimp cocktail, you can get about 502 mg of potassium.
So, one who wants to increase the potassium intake, can use a shrimp cocktail rather than consuming cooked shrimp.
Is Frozen Shrimp High In Potassium?
Frozen shrimp contains almost the same amount of potassium as present in raw shrimp. This means frozen shrimp is also low in potassium.
Nutrition Facts Of Shrimp
Shrimp is low in calories. The number of calories in one shrimp is 8. Despite this, shrimp can provide other nutrients. The shrimp nutrition includes:
- Carbohydrates present in shrimp are very low. Then, how many carbs are in shrimp? 3 ounces of shrimp offer only 1.3 grams of carbohydrates, including zero dietary fibers and zero sugar in them. This value is for raw shrimp, but can be increased during cooking, as many ingredients, mainly bread, is used while cooking, which can increase the carbohydrate content of shrimps.
- Are shrimps high in fat? Fats are also present in fewer amounts. 3 ounces of shrimp provide only 1.4 grams of fat. There is no trans fat in shrimp. Although a small amount of saturated fat, almost 0.4 grams, is present in 3 ounces of shrimp. The fats in shrimp are mostly from omega-3 fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats amount is 0.5 grams per 3 ounces of shrimp. This distribution of fats makes shrimp quite healthy, protecting against many heart diseases.
- Shrimp is a good source of protein. What is the amount of protein in shrimp? About 19 grams of protein are present in three ounces of shrimp. You can get almost all essential amino acids, which have to be supplied through diet, from it.
- Shrimp is a rich source of vitamins. Vitamin B12 and vitamin A are present in considerable amounts in shrimp. Minerals like iron, iodine, zinc, calcium, manganese, selenium are also supplied from shrimps,
Health Benefits Of Shrimp
The benefits of eating shrimp are listed below:
Source Of Antioxidants:
Shrimp is rich in a pigment called astaxanthin, which is an antioxidant. Astaxanthin comes from algae, which are eaten by shrimps.
Antioxidants prevent cell damage by suppressing the oxidation of cells by free radicals present in the body. They neutralise the oxygen reactive species in the body to prevent oxidation, which otherwise can lead to serious chronic disorders, including cancer and heart disorders.
Astaxanthin, acting as an antioxidant, also prevents inflammation in your body.
Cardiovascular Health:
Shrimp contains two significant components that can promote cardiovascular health, astaxanthin, and choline. Astaxanthin is responsible for increasing the good HDL cholesterol level in the blood and also strengthening the walls of arteries, maintaining normal blood pressure. Choline from shrimp affects the homocysteine level in the blood. All these facts promote the health of the heart.
Brain Health:
Due to the presence of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, shrimp can promote brain health. Damage to the brain cells is prevented, which could lead to chronic brain disorders such as Alzheimer’s. Further, the choline present in shrimps also proves beneficial for cognitive functioning. Further, choline can protect against dementia, which can lead to memory loss.
Bone Health:
Shrimp is a healthy source of many micronutrients including minerals like calcium, magnesium, selenium, iron along with protein. This nutritional composition prevents many bone disorders, including osteoporosis in women.
Reduce The Risk Of Cancer:
Shrimp contains selenium along with antioxidants in it. These components reduce the risk of cancer in the body.
Is It Safe To Eat Shrimp Everyday
Although shrimp is not richer in potassium, it contains a relatively high amount of cholesterol in it. Regular consumption of shrimp can increase the cholesterol level in the blood, which may lead to several chronic disorders. But if a person is not suffering from any kind of cholesterol sensitivity and has a healthy diet routine, then he may eat shrimp daily but in a limited amount. Excess of anything is bad, so one should be careful while taking shrimp daily.
Furthermore, some people are allergic to shrimp. So, they should not consume shrimp regularly.
Side Effects Of Eating Shrimps:
Is shrimp bad for you? Side effects of eating shrimps are listed below:
- Seafood is often rich in mercury. In seawater, there is mercury present that can easily dissolve in water, and this mercury is then absorbed by sea creatures through the water. Then, following the food chain, this mercury circulates in all creatures of the sea, including shrimp. Shrimp is high in mercury, which can lead to mercury poisoning in a person. Mercury poisoning can result in anxiety, depression, stress, memory loss, cognitive issues, etc.
- One should not eat shrimp if she is pregnant. Due to the possibility of mercury transferring from mother to child, which can have severe side effects.
- Shrimps are abundant in cholesterol. It is not recommended to eat high cholesterol foods, as it can lead to several chronic disorders, including heart diseases. But recent studies show that it is not high cholesterol levels that can cause complications, but amounts of saturated fat in a food that can cause complications. Shrimp contains negligible amounts of saturated fats, but still, precautions are preferable. One must avoid high consumption of shrimp.
- Many people are allergic to the consumption of shrimp. Shellfish including shrimp is one of the top eight foods that can cause allergies in the US. Shellfish allergies are caused mainly by tropomyosin, as well as other proteins such as arginine, hemocyanin, and kinase. A shrimp allergy can manifest in various ways, including digestive problems, nasal congestion, and skin reactions. Shrimp allergy sufferers can even suffer from anaphylaxis if they consume shrimp. This can cause seizures and even death.
- Shrimps contain a high amount of purine, which can cause a rise in uric acid, leading to kidney failure.
How To Buy High-Quality Shrimp?
One should keep the following facts in mind while buying shrimp to get the best shrimps to eat.
- Shells that are translucent in colors, such as grayish-green, pinkish tan, or light pink, are desirable.
- Shrimp must be fresh and should not be infected or damaged.
- Indicators of quality loss are blackened edges or black spots on shells.
FAQs
- How much sodium is there in shrimp?
Shrimp is high in sodium. 3 ounces of shrimp provide 805 mg of sodium. It can fulfill about 34 percent of the daily value (DV %) of sodium in our body. A high intake of shrimp can raise the sodium level in the blood, leading to high blood pressure.
- How many calories are there in shrimp?
Shrimps are low in calories. 3 ounces of shrimp offer only 101 calories. Although shrimp is low in calories but can provide many other essential nutrients, including vitamins and other minerals.
- Is shrimp high in cholesterol?
Yes, shrimps are high in cholesterol. 3 ounces of shrimp offer 179 mg of cholesterol, which is a richer amount. This amount fulfils 60 % of the daily required value of cholesterol. But this cholesterol rarely can cause complications, because shrimps are very low in saturated fats. It is saturated fat that can cause complications, not cholesterol.
Conclusion
Potassium in shrimps is not very high. A moderate amount of potassium is present in shrimp. 3 ounces of shrimps offer 145 mg of potassium. You should add some other food to your diet to fulfil your daily potassium needs.
Shrimps provide some health benefits but also can cause severe allergies due to some proteins and other complications due to the presence of mercury in them.
