Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsBenefitsCholesterol ContentCooking TipsBuying Tips
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Benefits
Cholesterol Content
Cooking Tips
Buying Tips
Doctors and health experts used to warn people to limit their intake of shrimp, scallops, clams, and other shellfish because they were believed to be too high in cholesterol. Thatadvice has changed. Now they know dietarycholesterol, like that in shellfish, has little or no effect on blood cholesterol for most people.
This article looks at the health benefits of shellfish, how to include it in a low-cholesterol diet, and what to look for when buying it.
Understanding Blood and Dietary Cholesterol
Pedro Castellano / E+ / Getty Images
Shellfish Benefits
Shellfish includes crustaceans, like shrimp and crab, and mollusks, like clams, oysters, and scallops. These foods, and seafood in general, are lower in calories than meat, a good source of protein, and very low in fat.
The fats they contain aremonounsaturatedandpolyunsaturated fats.Those are commonly referred to as good fats. They improve blood cholesterol and lower your heart disease risk.
That’s in contrast tosaturated fatfound in certain foods, which prompts your body to produce “bad” cholesterol and increases heart disease risk.
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. Shrimp is a good source of:
Scallops contain:
Clams are high in:
Shrimp, scallops, and clams are also low inmercury, so they can be enjoyed on a regular basis, per the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Bad Cholesterol: What You Need To Know
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.
Cholesterol Content of Protein FoodsFood ItemPer 100 gramsBeef90 mgLamb71 mgPork sausage70 mgBacon107 mgChicken thigh132 mgChicken breast104 mgSalmon63 mgWhite fish57 mgEggs372 mg (per 1 egg)Cheese100 mgAlthough the cholesterol content of many of these protein foods is lower than some shellfish, the saturated fat content is much higher in beef, lamb, sausage, bacon, and cheese. Eating too much saturated fat causes the body to make more LDL cholesterol, which in turn, raises your risk of heart disease.Is it OK to eat shellfish every day?Fish and shellfish that are low in mercury are safe to eat two to three times a week, or 8 to 12 ounces per week, according to the FDA. Young children and women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or nursing should avoid fish with a high mercury content.Should Pregnant Women Eat Shrimp?Keeping Shellfish Dishes Low in CholesterolAlthough 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.These tips can ensure the shellfish you eat is heart-healthy and low in cholesterol:Use heart-smart cooking methods, such as stir-frying, grilling, pan-frying, searing, sautéing, or baking.Use olive oil, lemon juice, cocktail sauce, or seasonings to add flavor to your meals.Try seasonings such as garlic, tarragon, freshly grated ginger, and fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, and dill.Avoid cooking methods that are high in fat, such as breaded and fried or deep frying. Try to avoid using butter because it is an unhealthy fat. Dipping shellfish in butter or dressing it with buttery sauces can make for ahigh-cholesterolmeal.6 Steps to a Heart-Healthy DietBuying ShellfishWhen shopping for shrimp, look for:Flesh that’s transparent, not cloudyA sweet scent of fresh seawaterFresh-caught or frozen, wild-caughtIf a package of shrimp smells fishy or like ammonia or bleach, do not use it.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:WhiteFirmSlightly moistNot shredded or mangledPackaging 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. Any clams or hard-shell mollusks that don’t close, or that have chipped or cracked shells, should be discarded.In general, look for shellfish that are clean, covered in ice, and smell like the ocean.SummaryDespite containing moderate to high levels of dietary cholesterol, shellfish can be a good part of a low-cholesterol diet. Saturated fat and carbohydrate content have a bigger impact on blood cholesterol.Although a few types of shellfish are higher in cholesterol than red meats, they are very low in saturated fat (unlike red meats). 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.What to Avoid With a Shellfish Allergy
Although the cholesterol content of many of these protein foods is lower than some shellfish, the saturated fat content is much higher in beef, lamb, sausage, bacon, and cheese. Eating too much saturated fat causes the body to make more LDL cholesterol, which in turn, raises your risk of heart disease.
Is it OK to eat shellfish every day?Fish and shellfish that are low in mercury are safe to eat two to three times a week, or 8 to 12 ounces per week, according to the FDA. Young children and women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or nursing should avoid fish with a high mercury content.
Is it OK to eat shellfish every day?
Fish and shellfish that are low in mercury are safe to eat two to three times a week, or 8 to 12 ounces per week, according to the FDA. Young children and women who are pregnant, planning to become pregnant, or nursing should avoid fish with a high mercury content.
Should Pregnant Women Eat Shrimp?
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.
These tips can ensure the shellfish you eat is heart-healthy and low in cholesterol:
Avoid cooking methods that are high in fat, such as breaded and fried or deep frying. Try to avoid using butter because it is an unhealthy fat. Dipping shellfish in butter or dressing it with buttery sauces can make for ahigh-cholesterolmeal.
6 Steps to a Heart-Healthy Diet
Buying Shellfish
When shopping for shrimp, look for:
If a package of shrimp smells fishy or like ammonia or bleach, do not use it.
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. Any clams or hard-shell mollusks that don’t close, or that have chipped or cracked shells, should be discarded.
In general, look for shellfish that are clean, covered in ice, and smell like the ocean.
Summary
Despite containing moderate to high levels of dietary cholesterol, shellfish can be a good part of a low-cholesterol diet. Saturated fat and carbohydrate content have a bigger impact on blood cholesterol.
Although a few types of shellfish are higher in cholesterol than red meats, they are very low in saturated fat (unlike red meats). 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.
What to Avoid With a Shellfish Allergy
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.Dietary guidelines for Americans. 9th Edition.
Harvard University, T.H. Chan School of Public Health.Cholesterol.
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.Scientific report Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee: advisory report to the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Part D. Chapter 9: dietary fats and seafood.
U.S, Department of Agriculture FoodData Central.Shrimp, cooked.
Venugopal V, Gopakumar K.Shellfish: nutritive value, health benefits, and consumer safety.Compr Rev Food Sci Food Saf. 2017;16(6):1219-1242. doi:10.1111/1541-4337.12312
U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central.Scallops, cooked.
U.S. Department of Agriculture FoodData Central.Clams.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration.Advice about eating fish.
U.S. Department of Agriculture.FoodData Central.
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