Avoid eating prawns’ heads but enjoy the rest of the prawn: nutritionist
Avoid eating prawns’ heads but enjoy the rest of the prawn: nutritionist
2022-12-04
Prawns are one of Taiwan’s favorite seafoods. But have you ever heard the debate about prawns’ heads? Some people say the head is the most nutritious part of the prawn, while others say it’s bad for you. We spoke to nutritionist Hsia Tzu-wen to get the low-down on prawns and their heads.
Fresh Thai prawns are deep-fried live; before long they’re covered in crispy batter.
Many people think prawns’ heads are highly nutritious, while others say they’re toxic. What’s the truth?
Hsia Tzu-wen
Nutritionist
Prawns’ heads contain a lot of organs. You have heavy metals and other residue that you have to deal with. So we advise people not to eat prawns’ heads if they can. If you have high cholesterol, we recommend you throw them away.
A lot of prawns’ organs are in their heads. Although the head contains nutritious vitamins like vitamin A, it also accumulates traces of hormones and heavy metals that polluted the water the prawn lived in. It’s high in cholesterol too, which is why it’s the first part you should cut out.
Hsia Tzu-wen
Nutritionist
I think lots of cooking methods are great: roasting, steaming, boiling… Anything except frying it in oil at too high a temperature.
After you cut off the head, prawns are low in calories and fat, similar to fish, and they’re an excellent source of protein and vitamin B12.
Hsia Tzu-wen
Nutritionist
Some of the astaxanthins in prawns are antioxidizing. They’re rich in vitamins B12 and E. We know that vitamin B12 can help prevent anemia. If you don’t often eat red meat, your vitamin B12 intake may not be sufficient. So eating prawns could help you to replenish your B12 stores.
But Hsia also says people who’ve had strokes, kidney disease, or high cholesterol, or those with food allergies, might need to take it easy on the prawns. They could be more of a risk than a blessing.
蝦頭有毒不能吃? 營養師點名這4類人少吃
2022-12-04
海鮮常見的蝦類，因為脂肪含量少、熱量較低，跟魚類都是優質蛋白質來源，有很多人喜歡吸吮蝦頭或拿蝦頭熬湯，覺得特別濃郁美味。但坊間一直有傳言，說蝦頭有毒不能吃，真的是這樣嗎？來聽聽營養師怎麼說。
活跳跳的泰國蝦，現撈立刻下鍋油炸，馬上變得酥酥脆脆。
不少民眾認為蝦頭很營養，但坊間一直也有傳言蝦頭最毒，要大家不要吃。
[[營養師夏子雯]]
“蝦頭其實本來就是內臟類主要儲藏的一個部位，但是因為牠蝦頭畢竟還是要處理一些重金屬，或者一些髒汙殘留的部分，所以我們建議民眾，還是盡量不要去吃蝦頭。如果你本身有膽固醇過高的人，其實會比較建議說，蝦頭的部分我們就直接捨去掉。”
原來，蝦頭屬於內臟聚集處，雖然內含維生素A等營養價值，但水中的重金屬汙染、或環境荷爾蒙也會集中在內臟，加上食物性膽固醇較高，因此整體來看，還是不建議食用。
[[營養師夏子雯]]
“不管你是要用烤的、蒸的、煮的，我覺得都還蠻不錯的，只要不要太高溫油炸去烹調的話，其實都還蠻好的。”
其實扣除掉蝦頭，蝦肉不只熱量低、脂肪含量少，跟魚類一樣，都是優質蛋白質來源，還有維生素B12等等。
[[營養師夏子雯]]
“像牠裡面的一些蝦青素有抗氧化的成分之外，像維生素B12、維生素E其實也都很豐富，因為我們知道維生素B12它其實可以預防貧血的。比較少吃一些紅肉的時候，維生素B12的攝取量可能比較不夠，那你蝦子的這個來源，就可以幫助你補足維生素B12。”
不過營養師點名，像是痛風、慢性腎臟病、高血脂以及食物過敏等族群，更要小心減量攝取，避免造成身體負擔。
Related News
