Shrimp are a great source of antioxidants and selenium. They have good taste and nutritional value. A quarter of all seafood consumed in the world comes from these crustaceans.
A bit of history
Shrimp are closely related to crabs and lobsters. They live in almost every corner of the globe and differ greatly in color, size and appearance. The lion's share of these crustaceans is edible.
Cooking recipes and the first methods of catching shrimp are described in ancient Roman and ancient Greek books. In those days, they were caught in small quantities - by hand or using special traps. For a long time, shrimp was considered an expensive and rare delicacy.
They are now caught with ladders or raised on farms. Shrimp are artificially bred in Southeast Asia, South and North America, Australia. On the Russians' table are mainly inhabitants of underwater farms. The smallest shrimp are inhabitants of cold ocean waters, and the largest are inhabitants of warm fresh waters.
What are the benefits of shrimp
Shrimp are different. However, the edible part of any representative of these crustaceans is the muscular abdomen, which is called the tail. Any variety of these crustaceans is considered a valuable source of protein. In raw shrimp meat, it is from 14 to 20%. At the same time, it is devoid of coarse connective fibers and is well absorbed without creating an unnecessary load on the enzyme system.
Shrimp is a concentrated source of astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant. 100 grams of shrimp meat contains up to 4 mg of this substance. Astaxanthin is very beneficial for the prevention of immune disorders, cancer and diabetes.
It is astaxanthin that gives shrimp their characteristic red-pink color.
Shrimp meat is rich in selenium, which is necessary for the prevention of cardiovascular pathologies and for the normal functioning of the nervous system. Selenium from shrimp is well absorbed by the human body.
Despite the fact that the meat of these crustaceans is quite high in cholesterol, it is considered an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids. 100 grams of shrimp contains about 360 mg of these substances.
From 100 grams of shrimp, you can get the daily value of the amino acid tryptophan, a quarter of the norm of vitamin B12, 20% - iron, 15% - phosphorus, 11% - zinc.
How many calories are in shrimp
Shrimp meat poses no danger to the waist. What these crustaceans do not feed, even in ideal conditions, is fat. Different types of these crustaceans contain from 0.7 to 2.3 grams of fat. Their calorie content ranges from 70 to 115 calories per 100 grams. For comparison, boiled chicken breast is at least twice as high in calories.
The less culinary manipulations are performed with the shrimp, the more nutrients will be retained in it. The ideal option is to steam these crustaceans. In this case, their calorie content will be minimal.
