However, researchers now have a better understanding of what contributes to heart disease and higher cholesterol. It seems that shrimp may, after all, be an excellent addition to a healthful diet.
High-Cholesterol Foods
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all of your cells. It is produced by your liver, helps keep your cells from breaking down, and is involved in the production of hormones and vitamins. Additional cholesterol in your body comes from consuming animal-based foods.
Cholesterol comes in two major forms: LDL (low-density lipoprotein), or “bad” cholesterol, and HDL (high-density lipoprotein), or “good” cholesterol.
Consuming some cholesterol in your diet can be perfectly safe, but because your body makes all the cholesterol you need, it’s not necessary to consume any through the foods you eat. Experts recommended that you consume as little dietary cholesterol as possible.
Why You Should Avoid Cholesterol
Cholesterol circulates throughout the bloodstream, and too much of it can have negative effects on your body, especially your heart. High levels of “bad” cholesterol can raise your risk of heart disease or stroke.
When you have too much LDL cholesterol in your system, it can form plaque, which is a buildup on the walls of the blood vessels. This buildup narrows the blood vessels, which blocks the healthy flow of blood in the body and can potentially cause a heart attack or other problems. For this reason, experts recommend consuming less than 300 milligrams of dietary cholesterol per day.
Foods With Cholesterol
1. Egg Yolks
Eggs are frequently considered one of the worst sources of dietary cholesterol. A single egg contains about 186 milligrams of cholesterol, which is more than half of the maximum daily recommended intake. All of that cholesterol is found in the yolk.
2. Cheese
Cheese is another big offender when it comes to cholesterol. A single slice of Monterey Jack cheese, or 21 grams, contains 18.7 milligrams of cholesterol. While a little cheese in your diet won’t hurt, it can quickly add up to a major source of dietary cholesterol.
3. Shrimp
Despite being a low-fat food, shrimp are surprisingly high in cholesterol. A single 4-ounce serving of shrimp has 170 milligrams of cholesterol. That’s more than half of your recommended daily intake.
4. Organ Meats
Organ meats such as liver are known to be rich in vitamins and nutrients. While this makes them an excellent part of many diets, they aren’t a great choice for people trying to reduce their cholesterol. A 3-ounce serving of beef liver, for example, contains 333 milligrams of cholesterol.
5. Sardines
Similar to shrimp, sardines are a potent seafood source of cholesterol. An ounce of sardines contains as much as 40 milligrams of cholesterol, and it’s easy to eat more than an ounce at a time.
6. Fast Food
Fast food tends to be high in fried fats and almost always involves some sort of animal product, which can make it bad for your cholesterol levels. Studies have shown that regularly eating at fast-food restaurants leads to an increase in cholesterol and may even lower “good” cholesterol.
Cholesterol-Free Alternatives
1.Egg Whites
Egg whites are cholesterol-free and can be used to replace whole eggs in many recipes.
2.Low-Fat Cheese
Low-fat cheeses tend to be lower in cholesterol than full-fat cheeses.
3.White Meats
Instead of dark meats like beef and pork, look to options like chicken instead. Even if you eat the skin, chicken breast has less than a quarter of the cholesterol per serving compared with beef liver.
4.Water-Packed Tuna
Tuna is lower in cholesterol than sardines, especially when packed in water rather than oil. An ounce of water-packed tuna contains only 10.2 milligrams of cholesterol.
5.Baked Foods
Fast food is often fried in hydrogenated oils, which are high in trans fats and can raise LDL cholesterol levels. Baked foods do not add any fats or oils and may therefore be lower in cholesterol.
6.Beans
If you want a protein boost without the cholesterol, beans are naturally cholesterol-free. Beans are also linked to lower levels of blood cholesterol in general.
Show Sources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “LDL and HDL Cholesterol: “Bad” and “Good” Cholesterol.”
FoodData Central: “Beef liver, braised.”
FoodData Central: “Cheese, Monterey.”
FoodData Central: “Chicken breast, rotisserie, skin eaten.”
FoodData Central: “Sardines, cooked.”
FoodData Central: “Shrimp.”
FoodData Central: “Tuna, canned, water pack.”
The Journal of Nutrition: “Regular Consumption from Fast Food Establishments Relative to Other Restaurants Is Differentially Associated with Metabolic Outcomes in Young Adults.”
Mayo Clinic: “Eggs: Are they good or bad for my cholesterol?”
Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews: “The effects of cholesterol on learning and memory.”
Nutrition, Metabolism & Cardiovascular Diseases: “Non-Soy Legume Consumption Lowers Cholesterol Levels: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.”
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services: “Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020.”
Is shrimp high in cholesterol?
Eating shrimp as part of a balanced diet can offer a person several key nutrients, and it may be good for their heart and cardiovascular health.
Doctors previously recommended against eating shrimp as part of a heart-healthy diet, citing the high levels of cholesterol it contains.
However, researchers now have a better understanding of what contributes to heart disease and higher cholesterol. It seems that shrimp may, after all, be an excellent addition to a healthful diet.
Even for people with high cholesterol, the advantages of eating shrimp appear to outweigh the disadvantages.
Learn more about the benefits of eating shrimp in this article.
The United States Department of Agriculture note that 100 grams (g) of shrimp contains 189 milligrams (mg) of cholesterol.
The 2015–2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggest eating as little dietary cholesterol as possible. They do not recommend a specific amount, but they do say that a person who follows a healthful eating pattern will consume around 100–300 mg of cholesterol per day.
In the past, doctors thought that all cholesterol was bad for health. However, experts now believe that high density lipoprotein (HDL), or “good,” cholesterol may balance out the negative impact of low density lipoprotein (LDL), or “bad,” cholesterol, resulting in a healthful balance.
In other words, “good” HDL cholesterol may help reduce the risk of heart disease, which LDL cholesterol increases.
In 1996, a group of scientists found that eating shrimp increased the levels of LDL cholesterol, but that levels of HDL cholesterol also rose. They suggested that shrimp might support heart health rather than making it worse.
Foods high in saturated and trans fats can also increase LDL cholesterol levels. However, 100 g of shrimp contains less than 0.3 g of fat, and most of this is unsaturated. In other words, the fat content of shrimp is unlikely to increase levels of LDL cholesterol.
In one 2018 study , researchers noted that most foods that are high in cholesterol are also high in saturated fat. Shrimp and egg yolk are exceptions. Both are low in saturated fat but high in other nutrients. The authors suggest that shrimp and egg are healthful foods that will not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
The American Heart Association (AHA) even list shrimp as a food that can lower cholesterol levels — as long as people do not fry it.
Elsewhere, the AHA claim that shrimp contains some omega-3 fatty acids. This is a healthful type of fat that can benefit the cardiovascular system and other bodily functions.
This article provides some tips on lowering cholesterol levels.
Eating shrimp may not increase cholesterol levels, but people should consider a number of factors when including it in the diet. The following sections detail these factors.
Other ingredients
Although shrimp may be heart-healthy, some cooking methods may not be.
To ensure that shrimp is as heart-healthy and low in cholesterol as possible, a person can:
- bake it, boil it, grill it, or cook it with little to no oil
- season it with spices, garlic, and herbs
- add lemon juice to it
They should try not to:
- fry or sauté it in butter or oil
- serve it in a creamy or buttery sauce
- add unnecessary salt when cooking and eating it
- serve it with over processed carbohydrates, such as white pasta
Pollutants
At the store, people should always check the packaging or ask the seafood department where the shrimp came from. Shrimp can pick up contamination from pollution in the sea and as a result of unregulated shrimp farming practices.
However, even the information on the label cannot guarantee that shrimp is safe. Both farmed and wild-caught shrimp run a risk of containing pollutants.
Products with labels saying “sustainably farmed” or “MSC certified” usually indicate better choices. MSC stands for the Marine Stewardship Council.
Mercury is a particular concern with some types of seafood. However, according to the AHA , the mercury content in shrimp is likely to be low.
Storage and cooking
People should try to only buy shrimp from reliable sources, as improper storage can increase the risk of food poisoning.
It is important to keep shrimp cold. In a refrigerator, store fish at 40°F or colder for up to 2–3 days. Keep it in the coldest part of the fridge. To store for longer than 2 days, put it in a plastic box and freeze it. Do not let store-bought frozen shrimp defrost.
After cooking, cool the shrimp quickly and put it back in the fridge within 2 hours.
Also, be sure to prepare and cook it properly. Bacteria proliferate at 40–140°F, so people should remove shrimp from the fridge and cook it at once until the flesh becomes opaque. The inside needs to reach a temperature of 145°F to cook.
Allergies
Some people may have an allergic reaction to shrimp. Shrimp are shellfish, so people with a shellfish allergy should avoid them.
People with shellfish allergies should also avoid anything that may have come into contact with shrimp, including any foods prepared with the same utensils.
Signs of an allergic reaction include:
- hives or a rash
- swelling
- difficulty breathing
If a person has any of these symptoms, they need immediate medical attention, as they may be experiencing anaphylaxis. This is a severe allergic reaction that can quickly become life threatening.
In this article, learn how to recognize anaphylaxis and what to do if it occurs.
Sustainability
Overfishing has led to many types of marine life becoming endangered. For those concerned with eating sustainable shrimp, Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafoodwatch.org provides this page to help a person choose wisely.
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