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Press release
NEW REPORT REVEALS TRUE BENEFITS OF
SHELLFISH IN THE DIET
The real benefits of eating shellfish have been revealed by new work conducted
by the Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB)
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) currently advises that we should eat at least two
portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily. The health benefits of this diet are
clear. The joint report1 by the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition and Committee
on Toxicity from which this advice was developed did not consider shellfish and hence
the FSA advice is limited to finfish. Despite this the FSA website notes:
“Shellfish contain similar nutrients to white fish and similar amounts of omega 3, though
some types of shellfish contain more omega 3 than others. For example, crab and
mussels are quite good sources of omega 3, but prawns contain hardly any…...Shellfish
are good sources of selenium, zinc, iodine and copper.”
Each week sees the publication of results from studies looking into the benefits of
shellfish in the diet but these reports are often highly technical and inaccessible to the
public, to policy advisors and decision makers.
The SAGB have acted to address this inequity by carrying out a comprehensive review
of the all the health benefits of eating shellfish and presenting them in two formats: a
fully-referenced technical report for health professionals and policy makers and an easy
to understand guide for non-experts and laypersons.
Among the findings of the research are:
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1
Shellfish are among the best possible dietary sources of protein, containing
almost as much protein per 100g as meats without anywhere near the same
levels of saturated fat, which is linked to an increased risk of heart disease. The
protein in shellfish is of high quality, containing many essential amino acids and,
because of a lack of connective tissue, very digestible for people of all ages.
http://cot.food.gov.uk/cotreports/cotjointreps/sacnfishconsumption

Shellfish contain all nine amino acids essential for health. Some species such as
brown crab, mussels and oysters also contain high levels of long-chain omega 3
fatty acids, which are essential for heart health, comparable to those found in
finfish such as salmon which are recognised to be beneficial to the heart and
circulatory system.
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Shellfish are very low in fat and calories, much lower than meat – a dozen
oysters contain less than 100 calories and only 0.2g of saturated fat. Most
shellfish are less than 5% fat, with many varieties containing under 1%.

Seafood in general is an excellent source of minerals. Shellfish are especially
valuable sources of copper, iodine and zinc. Other minerals in shellfish include
iron (cockles, oysters and mussels), selenium (crab, octopus, squid, lobster,
shrimps and mussels). Shellfish are also high in potassium, with most species
providing 10% of the recommended daily amount per 100g serving.
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Finally, shellfish are also loaded with vitamins. Half a dozen oysters provide
approximately 10% of the recommended daily amount of vitamin A while a
cocktail amount of prawns provide around 50% of the recommended daily
amount of vitamin E. There is little Vitamin C found in shellfish, but all shellfish
are good sources of the B complex vitamins, particularly B12 with most species
exceeding the recommended daily amount by at least 200%.
Dr Tom Pickerell of the Shellfish Association of Great Britain said, “Given the high
incidence of heart disease, stroke and heart attacks in the UK, this new research shows
that shellfish should form an essential part of any healthy diet.
“Different shellfish have different health benefits so, to make the most of these, we
should vary the types we eat. With over 25 species available from UK shores, there's no
excuse not to try something new – furthermore 10 of these UK species now appear on
the Marine Conservation Society's "Fish to Eat" list so we can be assured that these
species are being harvested responsibly.”
Notes for Editors
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Interviews for radio, TV and print are available with Dr Tom Pickerell Mobile 07507
339156 [email protected]
Copies of the reports are available on the publications section of our website.
The Shellfish Association of Great Britain (SAGB) is the industry’s trade body. Our
membership is composed of shellfish farmers, fishermen, commercial traders and
companies, many of the Sea Fisheries Committees, but also organisations such as
Seafish, as well as experts, scientists and consultants.
A portion of shellfish counts towards one of your “2 a week”
These reports were funded by Seafish, the Authority on seafood.
www.shellfish.org.uk