If you are a fan of eating, you will know that there are a lot of flavours to taste when we eat/lick bones. Shellfish, like crabs, have exoskeletons instead of bones. These exoskeletons are their sturdy shells. Since crab legs have more shell than meat, they are proven to be extra flavourful from the other parts of crabs. Crab’s legs do not have any major nutritional difference than its body, since crabs have few nutritional differences according to their species. The only difference is that the texture of the meat in the legs are less flaky than the body. So, are crab legs healthy?
Pros of Eating Crab Legs
In terms of shellfish, crabs are the healthiest one where you can consume. As delicious as crabs are, it is quite pricey. This is because they have quite a number of nutrients available even in small servings. One of the best nutrients that contain in crabs are Omega-3 fatty acids. Omega-3 fatty acids are essential polyunsaturated fats that are needed by your body.
Omega-3 fatty acids are very crucial for your body. You might be infected with few skin problems if you consumed little to none of these beneficial fats. However, if you consume these fats, they can reduce the rate of eye, inflammatory, neurological and cardiovascular diseases.
Salmon ,mackerel, and other fatty fishes have huge amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Because these beneficial fats are very crucial, crab breeders put these fats into the feed of crabs that they breed. This is because they want to let the crabs have more of these fats in their bodies, further improve their nutritional value and health.
Cons of Eating Crab Legs
As everything that goes in this world, it is impossible for one thing to have too many benefits without having any side effects. Since crabs contain tons of minerals and vitamins, eating too much of crabs might lead to certain side effects. This is due to overconsumption of certain nutrients. Crabs are great sources of a variety of different vitamins and minerals.
In 100 grams of Alaskan king crab, there is 479 percent of the DV for vitamin B12 and 131 percent for copper. It is safe to consume a huge amount of vitamin B12, since it is a vitamin that can dissolve in water. Copper, on the other hand, can cause few notable side effects. Too much copper can cause a few gastrointestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea. Organ failure can also happen if the excess copper stays in your body for a long time.
As mentioned earlier, not every crab shares the same exact amount of nutrient. This can work well for you, since you can consume crabs while checking their personal nutrients. Copper is less in both queen and dungeness crabs. On the other hand, zinc are abundant in alaskan king crabs. For blue and Dungeness crabs, they have half the amount of zinc that alaskan king crabs have.
Conclusion
It is not an issue if you do not eat crabs everyday. However, if you keep aware and not excessively consume these crabs, they will be beneficial for you! Eat crab and it’s legs well and in an orderly manner.