Nutritional Value of Crab
- Calcium 20 g
- Copper 5 mg
- Energy 15 Kcal
- Fat 3 gram
- Iron 11 g
- Carbohydrate 14 g
- Omega 3 acid 11 g
- Phosphorus 12 g
- Protein 13 g
- Selenium 8 mg
- Vitamin A 200 IU
- Vitamin B1 05 mg
- Vitamin B12 66 mg
- Zinc 6 g
What would Eating Crab Do for you?
Boosting your Immune System
Essential nutrients such as selenium, protein, and omega-3 acids present in crab boost immunity. A strong immune system is less likely to be susceptible to free radicals, infectious bacteria, and cancerous cells.
Healing Wounds
Crab speeds up the recovery process because it contains protein, zinc, and vitamin B12. When crabs are consumed regularly, these nutrients heal wounds, alleviate pain, and produce erythrocytes that prevent risks of infection.
Enhancing Cardiovascular Health
People with heart problems have limited food options due to cholesterol and calories levels which they need to look at for. Crab is one food they don’t need to worry about. 1-2 serving(s) of crab provides adequate levels of selenium and copper. These nutrients reduce bad cholesterol levels in the blood and solve problems related to stroke and heart attack. They also prevent the heart from experiencing oxidative damage caused by free radicals. A moderate consumption of crab is just perfect for your health.
Improving Eyesight
Foods that contain vitamin A are excellent for eyesight. Crab is one delicious source of vitamin A. It improves eyesight and eliminates factors that contribute to it. Getting enough vitamin A prevents cataracts and macular degeneration.
Your Right Choice for Weight Loss
Whether you’re overweight, obese, or simply on a fitness journey, crabs can be useful. Would you believe that 100 grams of crab meat contain only 0.2% fat? Now that’s low enough. Eat 2-3 servings of crab in a week, relish it, and enjoy all the nutrients it’s got.
Supporting Psychological Health
Crab is bursting with omega-3 acid, zinc, and protein, and it improves concentration and cognition. It also reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Increasing Energy Levels
Why consume energy drinks when you’ve got crabs? It provides a high dose of natural protein that speeds up metabolism. Try it!
Improving the Health of Expectant Mothers
When expectant mothers add 2-3 servings of crab meat into their diet, they benefit its high content omega-3 acids which develop cell membranes of the brain of the fetus. What’s more? The mineral and vitamins also play an important role to improve the health of expectant women during pregnancy. However, it is advised that a doctor is consulted before crab is eaten by a pregnant woman.
Providing Selenium
Selenium is such an essential mineral, and crab has got some of it. Its presence makes crab effective for preventing cells and tissues from potential damage as a result of free radicals. It makes crab reliable for defense system protection too. We haven’t even mentioned that it ensures proper functioning of thyroid hormone and synthesis in the process of reproduction. Why wouldn’t you eat crab meat?
Perfect for Skin Cells
The nutrients found in the crab rejuvenate damaged cells and tissues. They treat deficiencies in the body and restore damaged cells in body organs.
Some Interesting Crab Facts
- There are two kinds of crabs: True crabs or brachyurans, which have a short abdomen and use four pairs of long legs for walking. They include blue crabs, spider crabs, and ghost crabs. The other, false crabs, or anomurans, have a longer abdominal section and fewer walking legs. False crabs include hermit crabs, king crabs, and squat lobsters.
- The largest crab in the world is the giant Japanese Spider Crab; it measures up to 13 feet across.
- Horseshoe crabs are not crabs at all. They are not even crustaceans. They are of a separate class called Merostomata.
- Horseshoe crabs are also called “living fossils”.
- There are over 5,000 species of crabs, and only about 4,500 are true crabs; the other 500 species are false crabs, Some of them are king crabs, porcelain crabs, hermit crabs, horseshoe crabs, and crab lice.
- Crabs are crustaceans: They have ten limbs.
- Most crabs have flat bodies that enable them to squeeze into extremely narrow crevices.
- A crab’s shell is a skeleton on the outside of its body.
- All crabs have a pair of pincers, known as chelipeds, and four pairs of walking legs.
- All crabs have claws on their two front legs.
- The word “cancer” is related to the word “crab” in Latin. It is recorded that Greek physicians, Hippocrates and Galen, and some others, noted the similarity of swollen tumors with veins to crabs.
- Crabs communicate by flapping their pincers or drumming their claws.
- A group of crabs is called a cast.
- Crabs suffer pain and remember it.
- The coconut crab is a giant hermit crab that lives on islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Indian Ocean. It weighs about ten pounds, and it is the world’s largest land invertebrate.
- The difference between male and female crabs can be seen in their abdomens. In most male crabs, the abdomen is narrow and triangular, while female crabs have a broader, rounder abdomen. What’s more? Female crabs have smaller claws.
- Crabs hatch as tiny larvae, as tiny as a pin’s head. Crab larvae float for weeks before settling to the ocean floor to hatch.
- A female crab lays millions of eggs at once carrying them underneath her body until the eggs hatch.
- True crabs can walk slowly in any direction, however, when they need to hurry, they usually move sideways.
- Pea crabs are the smallest of all crabs; they are as small as peas.
- Crabs live socially for protection
- Crabs don’t have teeth in their mouths, however, some crabs such as the decorator and brown crabs have teeth in their stomachs. When their stomachs contract to mash up food, the teeth grind against one another.
- About 1.5 million tons of crab are eaten annually.
- Crabs have eyes that are set on eyestalks that can move in different directions, so they can see all around.
- Crabs have predators: seagulls, octopuses, humans, and more.
- When a bunch of crabs is in a bucket and one is about to escape, the fellow crabs pull each other down so no one can escape. This is the origin of “crab mentality”.
- Boxer crabs have small pincers that are useless for defense, so they carry sea anemones around as weapons.
How is Crab Prepared?
What’s Needed?
- 1 large cooked crab or 1 large live crab (see Buying a crab, above)
- A large knife
- A lobster pick or skewer
- A hammer, kitchen mallet, knife sharpening steel or heavy rolling pin
How`s it Done?
- Lay the crab on its back, twist off the claws and legs, and set aside.
- Use the palm of your hand to push down on the crab by putting your fingers between the gap where the body meets the shell, and pulling upwards.
- Separate the crab’s body from the shell by pulling hard.
- Pull away and discard the feathery gills.
- Use a spoon to scoop out the brown meat from the shell and transfer it to a bowl.
- Use a large knife to cut the main body in half.
- Use a lobster pick or skewer to pick the white meat out of the cavities in the body and put in a bowl. There is usually more meat in the small crevices than you know.
- Crack the claws and legs with a heavy object, and carefully remove the meat there too.
Final Words…
There you go, the health benefits of crabs, interesting facts about it, and its preparation at your fingertips. When will you begin to enjoy this nutritious food?
