They have benefits that make them heart-healthy foods.
The fats they contain aremonounsaturatedandpolyunsaturated fats.Those are commonly referred to as good fats.
They improve blood cholesterol and lower your heart disease risk.
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The American Heart Association recommends eating seafood, especially fatty fish, at least twice a week.
Shellfish are excellent sources of heart-healthy nutrients and do not appear to contribute to heart disease or high cholesterol.
How Much Cholesterol Is in Shellfish?
This table lists the cholesterol content of different types of shellfish per 100 gram (3.5 ounce) serving.
The 2020-2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend dietary cholesterol amounts between 100 mg and 300 mg per day.
For comparison, here is the cholesterol content of other protein-containing foods.
Is it OK to eat shellfish every day?
Keeping Shellfish Dishes Low in Cholesterol
Although shellfish is heart-healthy, some cooking methods may not be.
The way shellfish are often prepared is what can turn a dish into a high-cholesterol one.
have a go at avoid using butter because it is an unhealthy fat.
Dipping shellfish in butter or dressing it with buttery sauces can make for ahigh-cholesterolmeal.
Scallops in grocery stores are usually wet-packed.
That means they’re shucked on a boat and put in cold water to preserve them longer.
They should be:
Packaging should be firmly closed and not allow for any odor to escape.
Much like shrimp, they should not smell fishy or have an ammonia- or bleach-like odor.
For clams, oysters, and all hard-shell mollusks, the shells should be tightly closed when purchasing.
Give any open-shelled clams a tap.
If they’re alive, they’ll close up.
In general, look for shellfish that are clean, covered in ice, and smell like the ocean.
Saturated fat and carbohydrate content have a bigger impact on blood cholesterol.
Consuming two to three servings of fish and shellfish per week is recommended as part of a heart-healthy diet.
Common cooking techniques and recipes for shellfish involve breading, frying, butter, and heavy sauces.
These can all contribute to high blood cholesterol, so look for heart-healthy ways to prepare shellfish.
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