BENEFITS IN CRAB

Crab meat can be a healthy addition to any diet. Fresh whole crabs or crab legs may be available in your store's seafood section. Alaskan king crab legs are usually available frozen. Fresh lump crab meat is available in some specialty markets, but canned crab is widely available alongside canned sardines and tuna fish. A lean source of protein, crab meat also provides more than a dozen essential vitamins and minerals.

Vitamins and Minerals
Crab meat provides multiple essential nutrients. It is particularly rich in vitamin B12, which, along with the other B vitamins, helps to convert food into energy. Vitamin B12 also helps nerve cell function and regulates red blood cell development. Alaskan king crab, Dungeness and queen crab all provide more than 150 percent of the recommended dietary allowance for this nutrient. Crab meat also provides more than 20 percent of the RDA for phosphorus, essential to strong bones, and 40 percent for the trace mineral selenium, which acts as an antioxidant and helps with thyroid function and immunity. Crab also provides about 7 percent of the RDA for vitamin B6, 8 percent for calcium and at least 40 percent for zinc and 30 percent for copper. Canned crab meat contains only 7 percent of the RDA for B12.

Protein
Three oz. of crab meat provides between 16 and 20 g of protein. Protein is an essential macronutrient that helps you maintain muscle and create cells. Protein can also help you feel full and rev your metabolism, notes the Harvard School of Public Health.

Weight Management Potential
Crab meat is low in calories, containing between 85 and 95 calories per 3-oz. serving depending on the variety. It contains just 1 g of fat in 3 oz. and has no carbohydrates. Compare this to other indulgent protein sources, such as beef tenderloin, which contains 185 calories per 3-oz. serving with 11 g of fat.

Uses
Crab's mild flavor is also a benefit because it can be used for many different preparations. Crab meat may be used to top green salads. Mix canned or fresh crab with non-fat yogurt, lemon juice and celery to make a healthy sandwich filling. Use crab meat cooked with cumin and chili powder as an alternative to white fish in fish tacos. Crab meat can be added to frittatas or omelets or used in lieu of Canadian bacon in eggs Benedict.

Considerations
Crab meat on its own is low in calories and fat, but it is often included in more indulgent preparations. Crab cakes, made with bread crumbs, eggs and mayonnaise and then fried, are not the healthiest way to enjoy crab. Crab dips with cheese, sour cream and mayonnaise or pasta dishes with cream sauces and crab are other dishes to avoid. Some forms of crab contain significant amounts of sodium. Alaskan king crab has 911 mg per 3-oz. serving and queen crab contains more than 500 mg per 3-oz. serving. Canned blue crab and Dungeness contain about 330 mg per 3-oz. serving. The Institute of Medicine recommends keeping sodium intake below 1,500 mg daily.

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/331383-benefits-in-crab-meat/

IS CRAB MEAT HEALTHY?

Components of a heart-healthy diet include foods low in total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium. A 100g serving of Dungeness crab contains 1.2g total fat, less than 1g saturated fat, essential minerals and amino acids. For comparison to other foods, crab contains more cholesterol per 100g serving than turkey breast but less than Chinook salmon. However, Dungeness crab cannot be considered a low-sodium food due to a sodium content of 378mg per serving.

Low Saturated Fat
Dietary saturated fat is the main cause of high blood cholesterol and increases your risk of heart disease. You should limit saturated fat intake to a maximum of 16g per day for a 2,000-calorie diet. Dungeness crab contains 0.168 g saturated fat per 100g serving, or 1.1 percent of the daily maximum, making it a healthy choice. Foods with unhealthy levels of saturated fat include marbled beef, pork ribs, butter, cheese, cream and the plant oils coconut, palm and palm kernel.

Cholesterol
The American Heart Association advises that most people should limit daily cholesterol intake to less than 300mg. LDL blood cholesterol levels of 100mg/dL or greater require daily cholesterol intake reduced to less than 200mg. Dungeness crab provides 76mg cholesterol per 100g serving. By comparison, Chinook salmon has 85mg, top sirloin steak 88mg and skinless chicken breast has 53mg. So, you can eat crab, even if you're watching your cholesterol intake.

Protein
A dietary source of all essential amino acids and a complete protein, Dungeness crab provides 22.3g protein per 100g serving. According to the Institute of Medicine, an adequate protein intake for most adults is 0.8g per 1kg of body weight. Pregnant or nursing women and athletes need more. This makes crab a healthy source of protein.

Copper
Proper enzymatic activity to produce cellular energy and form strong connective tissue depend on copper. The daily adult recommended intake for copper is 900mcg. Dungeness crab provides 734mcg copper per 100g serving, or 81.6 percent of the daily recommendation. Excess mineral intake may produce adverse health effects. The safe upper limit for daily copper intake of 10,000mcg may be too high for some people. If you have medical conditions, discuss your copper intake with your doctor.

Zinc
Bodily processes, such as immune responses, neurological function, reproduction, growth and development require zinc. The adult daily recommended intake for zinc is 11mg for men and 8mg for women, with a safe daily upper intake level of 40mg for both men and women. Crab provides 5.47mg zinc per 100g serving, or 49.7 and 68.4 percent of the daily recommended intake, making it a healthy source of zinc.

Potassium
Results from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey which included 17,000 adults, indicated that higher dietary potassium intakes were associated with significantly lower blood pressures. Dungeness crab, a good source of this essential mineral, provides 408mg potassium per 100g serving. This equals 8.7 percent of the 4,700mg daily adult adequate intake recommendation for potassium.

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/339094-is-crab-meat-healthy/