Shrimp pairs a lot of cholesterol with almost no saturated fat. A 3 oz (85 g) serving of cooked shrimp has 161 mg of cholesterol, 54% of the daily value, but only 0.05 g of saturated fat and 84 calories. It also has 20.4 g of protein, about 97% of its calories, which puts shrimp 4th among the 132 foods on this site for protein per 100 g.
In a 1996 trial, people with normal blood fats ate 300 g of shrimp a day, which supplied 590 mg of cholesterol. LDL cholesterol rose 7.1% and HDL cholesterol rose 12.1%, triglycerides fell 13%, and the cholesterol ratios did not worsen. Reviews of dietary cholesterol in general find a small average rise in LDL cholesterol of 6.7 mg/dL and cannot settle what it means for heart disease.
Shrimp turn pink when cooked. The pigment astaxanthin is tied to proteins in the shell, and heat unwinds the protein and frees the pigment. Work on lobster shell shows the same pigment is blue while the animal is alive, and in shellfish most of it sits in the shell, with only low amounts in the flesh. The word “shrimp” is the usual one in North America, while “prawn” is more common in Britain, and the two are often used interchangeably.
Health benefits of shrimp
No finding on shrimp reaches strong evidence, and few trials have tested it. A 1996 trial found that 300 g of shrimp a day raised both LDL and HDL cholesterol without worsening the ratios, reviews of dietary cholesterol in general are mixed, and a large US cohort found no higher heart risk in people who ate the most shellfish. Here is what 13 studies found, strongest evidence first, from cholesterol trials and shellfish cohorts to gout and allergy, including the results that count against shrimp.
Each extra 100 mg of dietary cholesterol a day raised the ratio of total to HDL cholesterol by 0.020 in controlled feeding studies
Meta-analysis of 17 controlled studies (556 people) in which the diets differed only in cholesterol or number of eggs and lasted at least 14 days. Per 100 mg, total cholesterol rose 0.056 mmol/L and HDL cholesterol rose 0.008 mmol/L. This is dietary cholesterol from any food, not shrimp, and the authors conclude it worsens the cholesterol profile.
Eating 300 g of shrimp a day raised LDL cholesterol by 7.1% and HDL cholesterol by 12.1%, and lowered triglycerides by 13%
Randomized crossover trial in people with normal blood fats. The shrimp diet supplied 590 mg of cholesterol a day against 107 mg on a baseline diet with the same fat, and the ratios of total to HDL and of LDL to HDL did not worsen. Two large eggs a day (581 mg of cholesterol) raised LDL by 10.2% and HDL by 7.6%, with a trend toward worse ratios. The shrimp portion was more than three times the 85 g serving on this page.
Ten years after diagnosis, 46% of shrimp-allergic patients passed a shrimp challenge
Follow-up of 17 patients in Thailand who had reacted to a shrimp challenge about 10 years earlier. People with an earlier anaphylactic reaction or a recent reaction were not included. Those who had outgrown the allergy had smaller skin-test reactions at diagnosis and at follow-up. It was a small, selected group, so it shows that allergy can fade in some people, not that it will.
All 15 people with shrimp allergy tolerated 1,500 mg of shrimp-derived glucosamine without a reaction
Double-blind, placebo-controlled challenge with glucosamine-chondroitin tablets, using a synthetic version as the control, in 15 people with a history of shrimp allergy and positive skin and blood tests. No one had an immediate reaction or a delayed one within 24 hours. This tested supplements from specific manufacturers, not shrimp meat, and the authors say it does not cover every product.
Show 9 more studies
Dietary cholesterol raised LDL cholesterol by 6.7 mg/dL in trials, but cohort studies did not link it to heart disease or stroke
Systematic review of 40 publications covering 19 trials (632 people) and 17 cohorts (361,923 people). Total cholesterol rose 11.2 mg/dL and HDL cholesterol rose 3.2 mg/dL. The LDL rise was no longer significant above 900 mg a day, and the cohorts showed no significant link to coronary artery disease or stroke. The authors call the studies too uneven to draw conclusions about heart disease. This is dietary cholesterol in general, not shrimp. The American Egg Board-Egg Nutrition Center and the USDA are listed among the funders.
People who ate the most shellfish had no higher risk of coronary heart disease than those who ate the least
Cohort of 13,355 middle-aged and older US adults in the ARIC study, 1,382 of whom had a coronary heart disease event. After adjustment, the hazard ratio was 0.98 (95% CI 0.82 to 1.18) for high shellfish eaters and 0.96 for medium eaters, against low eaters. Shellfish is a group that includes shrimp, and intake was self-reported.
In a large Chinese cohort, women and men who ate more shellfish had a lower risk of type 2 diabetes
Prospective cohort of 51,963 men and 64,193 women. The top fifth of shellfish intake had a relative risk of 0.86 (95% CI 0.76 to 0.99) in women and 0.82 (95% CI 0.65 to 1.02) in men, which was not significant at that level, though the trend across the fifths was. Diet came from questionnaires, and shellfish covers more than shrimp.
Each extra 300 mg of dietary cholesterol a day went with a 17% higher risk of cardiovascular disease and an 18% higher risk of dying
Pooled data from 6 US cohorts: 29,615 adults followed for a median of 17.5 years, with 5,400 cardiovascular events and 6,132 deaths. Egg intake was no longer linked to risk once dietary cholesterol was taken into account. Diet was self-reported, and the analysis covers cholesterol from all foods, not shrimp alone.
Men in the top fifth of seafood intake had a 51% higher risk of gout than men in the lowest fifth
Cohort of 47,150 US men followed for 12 years, with 730 confirmed new cases of gout. The relative risk was 1.51 (95% CI 1.17 to 1.95) for seafood, 1.41 for meat, and 0.56 for dairy products. Seafood is fish and shellfish together, so the result is not specific to shrimp.
Protein from fish and shellfish went with a 16% higher risk of gout in Singapore Chinese adults
Cohort of 51,114 adults aged 45 to 74, of whom 2,167 reported physician-diagnosed gout by 2010. The hazard ratio for the highest against the lowest quarter of fish and shellfish protein was 1.16 (95% CI 1.02 to 1.32), compared with 1.27 for poultry and 0.86 for soy foods. Fish and shellfish were grouped, so shrimp was not studied alone.
Shellfish was the most common food allergy among US adults, affecting 2.9% of them
Nationally representative survey of 40,443 adults in 2015 and 2016. Convincing food allergy affected 10.8% of adults, and 48.0% of food-allergic adults developed an allergy as an adult. Reports were self-reported and checked against symptom criteria, not confirmed by food challenge, and shellfish includes more than shrimp.
Pooling 40 studies, shrimp allergy was self-reported by 1.90% of people but confirmed by food challenge in 0.50%
Meta-analysis of 40 studies of shrimp allergy. The pooled prevalence was 1.90% for self-reported symptoms, 2.76% by skin prick or blood IgE tests, and 0.50% by food challenge. Results varied widely by region, age and diagnostic method.
In 504 blood samples from inner-city children, shrimp-specific IgE correlated strongly with cockroach and dust mite IgE
Cross-sectional analysis of children from the National Cooperative Inner-City Asthma Study. Shrimp, cockroach and house dust mite share similar proteins, and high cockroach exposure at home went with higher shrimp IgE. The authors note that shrimp IgE found this way might not mean a real reaction to shrimp, and that food challenges would be needed to tell.
Who should be careful with shrimp
Most people can eat shrimp freely. Take a little care if one of these applies:
- Shellfish allergy. Crustacean shellfish, which includes shrimp, is one of the nine major food allergens in the US (FDA), and crustaceans are on the EU list of allergens that must be labeled. Shellfish allergy can start in adulthood, so see an allergist if you think you react.
- Sulfite sensitivity. Some shrimp are treated with sodium metabisulfite to stop black spots, and sulfites have been linked to wheezing, eye and nose symptoms and hives in sensitive people. In the US the label must show sulfites at 10 parts per million or more in the finished food, and in the EU above 10 mg/kg, so check it.
- Advice to limit dietary cholesterol. If your clinician has told you to cut back, count shrimp: 3 oz (85 g) has 161 mg, 54% of the daily value. In the 1996 trial, 300 g a day raised LDL cholesterol by 7.1%.
How to choose, store and eat shrimp
- Plain and cooked: the numbers on this page are for cooked shrimp, 84 calories and 20.4 g of protein in 3 oz (85 g). Batter, oil and butter are not in them.
- Fresh or frozen: fresh shrimp flesh should look clear with a pearl-like color and have little or no odor. Skip frozen packages with frost or ice crystals, which can mean a long wait or thawing and refreezing, and thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Done: shrimp is cooked when the flesh turns firm, pearly and opaque. Most seafood reaches an internal temperature of 145°F (63°C).
Keep fresh shrimp in the refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below, or freeze it. About 80% of the seafood Americans ate in 2023 was imported, and the FDA keeps import alerts that let it detain farmed shrimp from some producers without examining each shipment, because of residues of unapproved animal drugs such as nitrofurans and malachite green. A review of 2000 to 2009 inspection data named shrimp and prawns from Asia among the seafood most often in violation, so it is worth checking the country of origin on the label.
Sources
- Food allergies. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 on the provision of food information to consumers, Annex II. EUR-Lex.
- 21 CFR 101.100, food exempt from labeling. eCFR, U.S. Code of Federal Regulations.
- Atkinson DA, Sim TC, Grant JA. Sodium metabisulfite and SO2 release: an under-recognized hazard among shrimp fishermen. Ann Allergy. 1993.
- Martínez-Alvarez O, Gómez-Guillén MC, Montero P. Role of sulfites and 4-hexylresorcinol in microbial growth and melanosis prevention of deepwater pink shrimp (Parapenaeus longirostris) using a controlled atmosphere. J Food Prot. 2005.
- Selecting and serving fresh and frozen seafood safely. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. 2024.
- Advice about eating fish. U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Environmental Protection Agency. Revised 2021.
- Aquacultured seafood. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Import Alert 16-131: detention without physical examination of aquacultured shrimp, dace and eel from China and Hong Kong SAR. U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
- Love DC, Rodman S, Neff RA, Nachman KE. Veterinary drug residues in seafood inspected by the European Union, United States, Canada, and Japan from 2000 to 2009. Environ Sci Technol. 2011.
- Fisheries of the United States. NOAA Fisheries.
History of shrimp
People have eaten shrimp for a very long time. In 1991, archaeologists suggested that raised paved areas near the coast in Chiapas, Mexico, were platforms for drying shrimp in the sun, though the evidence is circumstantial because thin shrimp shells rot away. Direct evidence of shrimping off the southeastern coast of North America dates to about 600 AD, from shrimp jaws found in archaeological remains. Clay vessels with shrimp decorations turned up in Pompeii, and in the 3rd century AD the Greek author Athenaeus called a young shrimp in fig leaves the daintiest of fish.
The American shrimp industry began with sun-dried shrimp. In 1735, beach seines were imported from France, and Cajun fishermen in Louisiana began catching white shrimp and drying them in the sun. In the mid 19th century, Chinese immigrants who arrived for the California Gold Rush caught small shrimp in San Francisco Bay, dried them, and sold them to China or to the Chinese community in the United States. That fishery declined, and a white shrimp fishery on the South Atlantic and Gulf coasts replaced it.
Engines and freezers made shrimp a mass food. Diesel engines were adapted for shrimp boats in the 1920s, and power winches let small crews haul heavy trawl nets. Canneries replaced sun drying in the 19th century, and freezers replaced canneries in the 20th.
Farming changed supply again. Commercial shrimp farming began in the 1970s and sped up in the 1980s, and in 2007 the harvest of farmed shrimp passed the catch of wild shrimp. By 2010 farms produced 2,720,929 tonnes of whiteleg shrimp, the dominant species, against 781,581 tonnes of giant tiger prawn. Researchers describe farmed tropical marine shrimp as the fastest growing sector of global aquaculture, with disease thought to cost up to 40% of production each year.
The names are loose. Shrimp and prawn are often used interchangeably in fishing and farming, and since the 1990s some Indian aquaculture literature has used “prawn” only for freshwater species and “shrimp” for marine ones, though that is not universal. In Britain, “prawn” is also used for larger ones, those 30 or fewer to the kilogram.
Sources
- Shrimp. Wikipedia.
- Shrimp and prawn as food. Wikipedia.
- Astaxanthin. Wikipedia.
- Cianci M, Rizkallah PJ, Olczak A, et al. The molecular basis of the coloration mechanism in lobster shell: beta-crustacyanin at 3.2-A resolution. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2002.
- Stentiford GD, Neil DM, Peeler EJ, et al. Disease will limit future food supply from the global crustacean fishery and aquaculture sectors. J Invertebr Pathol. 2012.
Frequently asked questions about shrimp
Is shrimp good for you?
For most people, yes. Cooked shrimp has 84 calories, 20.4 g of protein and 0.2 g of fat in 3 oz (85 g), and one serving gives 36% of the daily value for copper. The main worry is cholesterol (161 mg a serving), yet in a 1996 trial 300 g of shrimp a day did not worsen the cholesterol ratios, and a US cohort found no higher heart disease risk in people who ate the most shellfish. No shrimp finding here reaches strong evidence, and allergy is the main risk.
Is shrimp high in cholesterol?
Yes. Cooked shrimp has 161 mg of cholesterol in 3 oz (85 g), 54% of the daily value, but only 0.05 g of saturated fat. In a randomized crossover trial, 300 g a day (590 mg of cholesterol) raised LDL cholesterol by 7.1% and HDL cholesterol by 12.1%, and the ratios did not worsen. Pooled trials of dietary cholesterol in general show a rise in LDL cholesterol of 6.7 mg/dL, so if you were told to limit cholesterol, count shrimp.
Is shrimp high in protein?
Yes. Cooked shrimp has 20.4 g of protein in 3 oz (85 g) and 24 g per 100 g, which ranks 4th among the 132 foods on this site for protein per 100 g. Protein supplies about 97% of its calories, and a serving has just 84 calories.
Is shrimp high in mercury?
No. The FDA and EPA list shrimp under “Best Choices”, the lowest-mercury group. They advise 2 to 3 servings a week from that list during pregnancy and breastfeeding (a serving is 4 oz), and 2 servings a week for children.
Is shrimp good for weight loss?
No study here tested weight loss. Cooked shrimp has 84 calories and 20.4 g of protein in 3 oz (85 g), with almost no fat, so it fills a plate cheaply. Batter, oil and butter add calories that are not in those numbers. Any benefit is a swap for higher-calorie foods, not a proven effect of shrimp itself.
Can you develop a shrimp allergy as an adult?
Yes. In a US survey, 48.0% of adults with a food allergy developed it as an adult, and shellfish was the most common allergy at 2.9%. Self-reports run high: pooled studies found 1.90% of people reported a shrimp allergy but food challenges confirmed 0.50%, so testing by an allergist matters. If you suspect a reaction, ask for confirmatory testing rather than guessing.
Is shrimp bad for gout?
It may raise the risk a little, but the evidence is about seafood in general. Men in the top fifth of seafood intake had a 51% higher risk of gout in a US cohort, and fish and shellfish protein went with a 16% higher risk in Singapore Chinese adults. Neither study looked at shrimp alone. If you have gout, ask your clinician how much seafood fits.
What is the difference between shrimp and prawns?
Mostly the name. The words are often used interchangeably in fishing and farming, “shrimp” is the usual word in North America, and “prawn” is more common in Britain and often means larger ones. Some Indian aquaculture literature since the 1990s uses “prawn” for freshwater species and “shrimp” for marine ones, though that is not universal. The nutrition numbers on this page are USDA values for cooked shrimp.