Is It Safe To Eat Shrimp Tails?
When you order a shrimp dish at a restaurant, you're often served shrimp that have had their tails removed. However, sometimes you'll come across shrimp that have had their tails left on, and you may be wondering if you can safely eat them. As it turns out, these tails are safe to eat. According to Epicurious, this part of the shrimp may not be particularly appetizing, but you won't run into any health issues when you prepare them correctly. As long as you remove the vein that runs through the entire shrimp into the tail, you can eat the tails guilt-free.
Shrimp tails are particularly appetizing when coated in cornstarch and fried before being seasoned. This gives them a light, crispy texture that will hold its own against your favorite brand of chips. Shrimp shells are common throughout Asia and are not usually thrown away. If you don't really want to eat shrimp shells or tails, you can still use them to add a nice umami flavor to soups and sauces before discarding them.
Health benefits of eating shrimp
Whether you eat the tails or not, many people can benefit from adding shrimp to their diets. According to Healthline, shrimp is low in calories, carbohydrates, and fat, but high in nutrients like protein and selenium. This type of seafood also contains vitamin B12, iron, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, and magnesium. It is an excellent source of iodine, which is a mineral that is important for thyroid and brain health that many people lack in their diets. Shrimp also contains omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are healthy fats that have been shown to decrease inflammation and improve heart health.
Some people are concerned about eating shrimp because it can raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels (via Healthline). While this is true, shrimp has also been shown to raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels and lower triglyceride levels. In the end, this seafood option has an overall positive impact on your health. If you are concerned about your cholesterol levels, you should talk to your doctor about how much shrimp is safe for you to eat.