Top 10 Tuesday: Reasons Not to Eat Shrimp

Are you still throwing shrimp on the barbecue because you think that they’re good for you? Nothing could be more skewered. In fact, the latest scientific research shows that eating shrimp is hazardous to your health. The following are the top 10 reasons to keep prawn off your plate:

Poop Cocktail
During cleaning, shrimp have their legs torn off and are decapitated and disemboweled. As their bowels are ripped out, poop spills out and often covers the shrimp.

Extra Skin
Shrimp are bottom dwellers who feed on parasites and skin that they pick off dead animals. This means that every mouthful of scampi you eat comes with pieces of parasites and dollops of dead skin.

Juiced Jambalaya
Most of the shrimp consumed comes from places that have no restrictions on pumping them full of hormones, antibiotics, and traces of illegal contaminants such as dioxins, PCBs, and other banned chemicals!

Dolphin-Safe Shrimp?
Trawling is taking its toll on the legions of wild creatures, including dolphins, who make the sea their home. Nets don’t discriminate.           

Farming Destroys Fish Too
Shrimp farming is just as fatal to fish! Because it takes up to three pounds of wild-caught fish to feed and produce one pound of farmed shrimp, shrimp farming is causing fish populations to plummet.

Slave Labor
Almost all shrimp farms and shrimp processing plants are located in developing countries, where workers are forced to work long hours for minimal pay. Eating meat supports unethical employers!

Too Neat to Eat!
With more than 2,500 species of shrimp, scientists are just beginning to scratch the surface of these fascinating animal’s largely unknown behaviors.

Cholesterol Bombs 
With a whopping 152 milligrams of cholesterol per 100-gram serving of shrimp (four or five shrimp), just two servings would put you over the daily recommended allowance of 300 milligrams of cholesterol!

Bad Karma
Major world religions, including Judaism, treat shrimp as “dirty meat.” If you’re gunning for good karma, better ditch the shrimp.

Shrimply Fantastic Fauxs!
Forget the reel deal! More and more sham shrimp are making their way onto restaurant menus. You can also trawl the frozen-food section of your local supermarket or specialty store to find faux shrimp and dozens of other mock meats.

If you’re fishing for a heart-smart diet that is healthy, fish-friendly, and good for the environment, a vegetarian diet is the perfect catch. Plant-based diets have been proven to actually reverse heart disease and reduce the risk of cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Take our Pledge to Be Veg today!

Posted by Ashley Fruno