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Is Crab Meat Good for Weight Loss

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Do you wonder what crab meat tastes like or what special is there on crab meat? If yes, you’re in the right place. If you like seafood, you will definitely like crab meat. So, lets find out Is Crab Meat Good for Weight Loss?

Juicy, gentle, and heavenly. A plate of juicy crab meat is not only a pleasure for stomach, but also a nutritional bliss! Because today we will tell you about crab meat which is dense with so much nutrition.

What Are Crabs?

Crabs are terrestrial and aquatic organisms commonly found in coastal areas. Similar to shrimps and crayfish, crabs are crustaceans that belong to the arthropod family. They have a hard outer covering made up of a protein called chitin and has four pairs of legs with two large claws.

Male crabs are larger and more fleshy than female crabs. It is estimated that there are about 4500 species of crabs that can be found in both freshwater and saline water. Blue crabs, king crabs and snow crabs are some of the most consumed varieties of crabs.

Is Crab Meat Good For Weight Loss?

The answer is yes! The reason is clear. This is because crab meat contains a variety of healthy nutrients that are good for your body. One of the nutrition is lean protein.

As you may already know, people who go through a weight loss diet are advised to consume food with high protein content to help build strong muscle tissue and control their cravings during the diet.

The crab is good as it also contains high protein that you need. However, make sure you are not consuming too much, as crabs also has high cholesterol. Moreover, for people who are particularly allergic to crab meat among the seafood, it is better to avoid eating them and turn to other foods that have the same high protein levels.

Is Crab Meat Really Good For Weight Loss? If So Why?

Crab meat is good for your weight loss diet as it contains major minerals, vitamins and proteins to support your body. In addition, crabs also contain less calories and fat which is only 82 calories for 3 ounces of crab per serving.

However, there are some drawbacks in consuming crab meat, although the benefits of crab are higher than these risks. Finally, crab meat is good for your weight loss diet because;

1. Crab Meat Has High Protein Levels.

The daily recommendation of protein for men is 56 grams and for women is 46 grams and if you consume about 3 ounces of crab meat you already get about 16.45 grams of protein for these daily recommendations.

As we have already mentioned above, protein is essential for your body especially during diet as it helps your body to build up strong tissues and muscles. This is enough for your body as crab is a good source of protein. In addition, it supplied about 20 amino acids to support new protein production.

2. Crab Meat Contains Omega-3 Fatty Acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids are the most powerful healthy nutrients you can get from seafoods, including crab meat. These fats help in reducing hypertension and in the end it can help to reduce the risk of heart diseases.

In addition, omega-3 fatty acids are help to reduce triglycerides known as HDL by increasing the amount of good cholesterol. Also, it helps in preventing blood clothing and fighting infections.

Read Now: Fish Oil – Health Benefits, Dosage and Side Effects

3. Crab Meat Contains Vitamin B12.

Another essential nutrient during a weight loss diet is vitamin B12 and crab meat is an excellent source of this vitamin. Is crab meat good for weight loss diet? Yes, it’s because eating only 3 ounces of crab meat can give you 9.78 micrograms of vitamin B12.

This vitamin is essential for supporting the production of red blood cells for your body and it also helps in supporting normal brain function. According to the National Institute of Health, having vitamin B12 for your body can help to reduce the risk of heart diseases.

4. Crab Meat Contains Healthy Minerals.

In addition to those useful vitamins, crab meat also contains healthy minerals like sodium. Since the crab is obtained from salty sea water, it definitely contains sodium. However, limit your intake of sodium if your blood pressure is at a high level.

But, certainly your body still needs a small amount of sodium because one of the important benefits is that it helps in maintaining fluid in your body and plays an important role for muscle contractions and enzyme operations.

Meanwhile, healthy adults need to limit their consumption of 2,300 mg of sodium per day or less. But, those who have heart disease need to reduce their intake by about 1,500 mg or less.

In addition to sodium, crab meat contains phosphorus useful for strengthening your bones and teeth, potassium and calcium to support healthy body cells which is good not only for strengthening your bones but also for overall health maintenance of the body.

Information About Crab Meat Cholesterol.

Is crab meat good for weight loss if they contain cholesterol? There is nothing wrong with food, as long as you know how to limit yourself from eating them. Too much cholesterol in your diet can increase low density lipoprotein levels. Thank you that crab meat may have slightly higher cholesterol levels, but they also have low saturated fat content.

Mercury Levels Inside Crab Meat.

The next thing you may need to worry about is the mercury level in crab meat. Like any other seafood obtained from sea water, crabs also bring some mercury content inside their body.

However, this does not mean that you should avoid eating seafood. You only need to choose low mercury content like crab meat. yes! Crab meat is low in mercury and thus you can eat them safely in medium quantities.

Additional Tips For Eating Crab Meat In Your Diet.

When you understand that crab meat is good for your weight loss diet, you need to know how to prepare and cook meat as extra ingredients can add more calories and cholesterol to crab meat dishes.

For diet, make sure you don’t add high calorie sauces or dips. You can make healthy salads by spraying crab meat on top of it. You can also make some soups or healthy stock with crab meat. Another good recipe is to fill the crab meat in your sandwich.

If you still suspect that crab meat is good for weight loss or not you may try to ask your experts or nutritionist. They will help you find good food to support your diet. Ask them if you can consume crab meat with certain conditions.

Read Now: DASH Diet Plan For Hypertension or Blood Pressure

Health Benefits of Crab Meat.

Crab meat contains valuable nutrients like protein that are essential for muscle formation. It is also rich in selenium and folate which are good for your health. If you’re wondering if crab meat is healthy, the answer is, yes! Here are some of the possible health benefits of crab meat.

1. Can Help To Reduce The Risk of Heart Diseases.

Heart
Heart

Crab meat contains a large amount of omega-3 fatty acids that help to reduce the risk of heart diseases. It can also help to prevent obesity. Research shows that consuming food rich in omega-3 fatty acids helps in lowering LDL cholesterol and reduces the risk of cardiovascular problems.(1)

2. Improving Bone Health.

Crab meat is rich in calcium and phosphorus which is essential for bone formation and strength. Studies show that consumption of seafood such as crabs can help to reduce calcium deficiency.(2)

3. Improve Eyesight, Reduce Inflammation & Prevent Arthritis.

Studies show that crabs can help to improve muscles and eyesight and reduce inflammation. The presence of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in crab meat can help to improve inflammation and eyesight.

It can also help to prevent arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. Studies also show that low diet in long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids can lead to neurological problems.(3)

4. Help Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease And Dementia.

Seafood such as crab meat contains long-range omega-3 fatty acids and plasma fatty acids. Small studies show that eating seafood like crabs can have a positive effect in reducing the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. More research is needed to find out its effectiveness.(4)

5. Help In Weight Management.

Crab meat also contains omega-3 fatty acids. Studies shows that eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids can help to reduce appetite. Crab meat contains zero carbs, you can include it in your low carb diet for weight loss.

Crab meat as a delicacy is hugely popular around the world. Its fantastic taste and potential health benefits make it a great culinary bliss.

Bottom Line.

Finally, crab meat is one of the most juicy and healthy meats you can try. It is rich in vitamins, minerals and is free from carbs, which makes it a great addition to any low carb diet.

Its mineral and vitamin rich nutrition profile comes with many potential health benefits. If you’re the first to eat crab meat, you may face problem to eat. Over time, you can become an expert in eating crab meat.

+4 Sources

Freaktofit has strict sourcing guidelines and relies on peer-reviewed studies, educational research institutes, and medical organizations. We avoid using tertiary references. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and up-to-date by reading our editorial policy.

  1. Nutrient and energy composition of flesh, limbs and carapace of Callinectes amnicola (Blue Crab) from Great Kwa river, South East Nigeria; https://www.interesjournals.org/articles/nutrient-and-energy-composition-of-flesh-limbs-and-carapace-of-callinectes-amnicola-blue-crab-from-great-kwa-river-south.pdf
  2. Nutritional properties of crab (Potamon potamios Olivier, 1804) in the Lake of Eǧirdir (Turkey); https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287707569_Nutritional_properties_of_crab_Potamon_potamios_Olivier_1804_in_the_Lake_of_Egirdir_Turkey
  3. Chemical Composition, Nutritional Value, and Safety of Cooked Female Chaceon Maritae from Namibe (Angola); https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/labs/pmc/articles/PMC6678160/
  4. Consumption of fish and Alzheimer’s Disease; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257790946_Consumption_of_fish_and_Alzheimer%27s_Disease

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Evidence Based

This content is based on scientific research and written by experts.

Our team of licensed health professionals, nutritionists and fitness experts endeavor to be unbiased, objective, honest and to present each sides of the argument.

This article contains scientific references. The numbers in the parentheses (1,2,3) are clickable links to peer-reviewed scientific researches.