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/