What are squid side effects and benefits? Is squid vegan? Gluten free? Acidic or alkaline? Low fodmap? Good for you? Healthy? Sustainable? Here are squid pros and cons: all the info on squid that every ethical consumer wants to know…
Food is something we consume every day and if you’re like me, you do all the research you can to make sure you don’t hurt yourself, the planet, animals or others when shopping. As an ethical consumer myself, I am giving you all the info I’ve found on squid side effects and benefits.
You are going to learn all about squid benefits and side effects. This will include squid benefits for your health and potential risks, squid carbon footprint, squid sustainability, if squid is vegan or impacts animals in other ways, and much more.
After learning if squid is good or bad for you, the environment, animals and human rights, you will be prepared to make the best choices you can the next time you buy food.
This post is all about squid benefits and side effects that every ethical consumer should know.
Squid Benefits And Side Effects
HEALTH
Squid side effects may include:
- memory loss from PBCs
- sickness from bacterial contamination
- seafood is the number one cause of food poisoning in the United States, which leads to many side effects and causes extreme discomfort
- high levels of mercury can lead to depression and anxiety
- toxic chemicals known to cause cancer and brain degeneration
- toxic contaminants and heavy metals from polluted water habitats
- PBCs may cause liver damage, nervous system disorders, and fetal damage, dioxins, also linked to cancer and death
- radioactive substances like strontium 90 and other dangerous contaminants like cadmium, mercury poisoning, lead, chromium, and arsenic, which can cause health problems such as kidney damage, impaired mental development and cancer
- high levels of mercury can lead to Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, autism
- mercury exposure can also lead to high blood pressure, increased risk of heart attacks and higher LDL (bad) cholesterol
Squid health benefits may include:
- anemia prevention
- muscle building
- weight loss (unfried, unbreaded, unbuttered)
Additionally, squid is…
- Acidic 4.5 pH level once digested
- Gluten Free
- A common Food Allergen: CRUSTACEAN SHELLFISH
- Contains low levels of mercury
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ENVIRONMENT
Water footprint: unknown
Carbon footprint: high, 5.4 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of cephalopod seafood, a car driving equivalent of 12.5 miles or 20 kilometers
Destruction: high, squid production is relatively destructive, negative impact on marine ecosystems, discarded fishing nets pollute oceans, fishing damages coral, sponges and poses severe threat to marine habitats
Squid is…
ANIMALS
Kills: squid, a type of cephalopod marine animal, must be killed in order to produce squid
Harms: squid, a type of cephalopod marine animal, must be used in order to produce squid, farmed fish spend their entire lives (up to two years) confined in tightly packed spaces, most farmed fish are predators and eat smaller fish, billions of wild fish must be caught in order to feed them, it can take several pounds of ocean fish to produce just one pound of farmed fish
Indirectly kills or harms: sea-life, such as dolphins, sea turtles, protected fish, whales, seabirds etc. known as “bycatch”, unwanted marine life that unintentionally get caught, hooked and entangled in fishing nets
Squid is…
- Not Vegan
- Harmful to wildlife and ecosystems
LABORERS
Health and safety: varies, overall, agriculture continues to be one of the most dangerous industries, farmworkers may be subject to dehydration, heat stroke, unprotected exposure to harmful, toxic chemicals and pesticides, unsafe machinery and clean drinking water may not always accessible
Living conditions: varies, laborers are often exploited, they may face tough working conditions including long hours in the sun and heat performing physically exhausting tasks, labor laws and rights may or may not be in place, even if worker protection exists, employer violations may go unreported, refugees and migrant workers are especially vulnerable to abuse and mistreatment, fearing consequences of job loss or deportation
Wages: varies, generally farmworkers earn meager wages, there are many cases of underpaid agricultural workers, wage theft and no overtime payment or benefits
Squid…
- Often involves worker exploitation, laborer issues, human rights concerns
The world’s top squid exporting country is China, followed by Spain, Falkland Islands, India, Morocco, Peru, New Zealand, USA, Argentina and Vietnam.
About 80% of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported.
No and here’s why: Squid may be high in Vitamin B-12, potassium, iron, phosphorus and copper.
However, squid is filled with various toxins (as is most seafood nowadays) and high in cholesterol when fried.
Is squid alkaline or acidic?
Squid is acidic once digested.
What is the pH level of squid?
Squid has a 4.5 pH level, once digested.
When you eat food, it breaks down to an ash residue that can be neutral, acidic or alkaline. Minerals such as potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium, zinc, silver, copper and iron produce an alkaline ash; whereas sulfur, phosphorus, chlorine and iodine, which are found in meat, coffee, dairy and alcohol, leave an acid ash.
Going alkaline easier than ever with this: Acidic and Alkaline Foods List
Is squid gluten free?
Is squid gluten free?
Yes, squid is gluten free. Squid does not contain gluten unless fried, breaded or seasoned.
While celiac disease may not be as rampant as many marketing trends lead us to believe, you may have a gluten sensitivity…
Celiac and gluten sensitivity symptoms are similar and may include:
- recurring abdominal pain
- chronic diarrhea
- constipation
- tingling
- numbness in hands and feet
- chronic fatigue
- joint pain
- unexplained infertility
- low bone density (osteopenia or osteoporosis)
There are hundreds of potential symptoms, many of which are also symptoms of other conditions.
Going gluten-free easier than ever with this: Gluten and Gluten Free Foods List
Is squid a common food allergen?
Yes, squid is a common food allergen: crustacean shellfish. Many people experience allergic reactions to squid.
A group of the eight major allergenic foods, AKA the Big-8, include:
- milk
- eggs
- fish
- crustacean shellfish
- tree nuts
- peanuts
- wheat
- soybeans
These foods account for about 90% of all food allergies in the United States.
Severe food allergies can be life threatening. Following ingestion of a food allergen, a person with food allergies can experience a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis.
Persons may still be allergic to and have serious reactions to foods other than the eight foods identified by the law.
Be aware of common dietary restrictions and food allergens with this: The Big 8 Most Common Food Allergens List
Is squid high in mercury?
No, compared to other seafood, squid is relatively low in mercury but contains mercury nevertheless.
Mercury is metal that produces toxic effects to the body. If consumed in high quantities it poisons the kidneys and nervous system. Mercury occurs naturally at low levels in rock, water and soil…
However, human activity (most notably the burning of fossil fuels) has dangerously increased mercury levels to be around 450% higher than natural.
Which fish have mercury? Read more about Mercury Levels in Fish
Carbon footprint of squid?
Squid has a relatively high carbon footprint compared to other foods.
It takes around 5.4 kg CO2e to produce 1 kilogram or 2.2 pounds of cephalopod seafood, a car driving equivalent of 12.5 miles or 20 kilometers.
When calculating carbon emissions, some factors may include…
- farm equipment
- animal feed production
- hothouses (greenhouses)
- food processing
- packaging
- transport
- refrigeration
- freezing
- package waste and more
But that’s not all!
It’s best to keep the following in mind when grocery shopping:
- shopping locally reduces transportation emissions
- food without packaging reduces waste as well as the carbon footprint
- refrigerated and frozen foods increase carbon emissions
- seasonal foods reduce carbon emissions from hothouses (greenhouses)
- growing plant-based foods at home is the most environmentally sustainable method with zero carbon footprint
Find out how much carbon your food emits with this: Carbon Footprints of Foods and Ingredients List
Is squid sustainable?
Squid production is relatively unsustainable.
Whether farmed or wild caught, the seafood industry is environmentally destructive due to its direct impact on decreasing marine populations, polluting waters and habitat destruction.
Wild-caught fish and seafood is destructive due to overfishing (when populations die at a greater rate than they are able to replenish). Degraded ecosystems occur as a result and creates an imbalance that impacts important food chains. Consequently, vulnerable aquatic species like sea turtles and coral suffer. Scientists predict oceans will be fishless by 2048. Such a major loss in biodiversity would be catastrophic, as oceans regulate temperature and contribute to half of our oxygen on Earth.
There’s also an alarming amount of plastic pollution in our oceans. In fact, abandoned and lost fishing gear makes up more than 85% of all plastic pollution on sea mounts, ocean ridges and the sea floor. Nets, traps and hooks continue to kill marine life. According to Greenpeace, “Abandoned fishing nets kill and injure more than 100,000 whales, dolphins, seals and turtles each year”.
Fish farming, or aquafarming, is not a sustainable alternative. Not only do farmed fish need to be fed fish to eat (perpetuating a never-ending cycle of fishing) but waters become contaminated with antibiotics (to prevent disease that inevitably occurs with overcrowded fish confinements), pesticides, parasites and fish feces. The toxic water then spreads to waterways and oceans, polluting ecosystems and eventually killing off wild fish populations.
All of the aforementioned fishing practices occur in order to meet global demand. The obvious solution for protecting our Earth’s oceans and waterways, marine habitats, ecosystems and wildlife is for consumers to significantly reduce or eliminate their seafood demand entirely.
Read more about ‘What Makes Food Sustainable Or Unsustainable?’
Is squid vegan?
No, squid is not vegan. Squid is a cephalopod, a type of marine animal, therefore making it an animal-derived food. A squid must be killed in order to produce squid.
Animals of factory farming are suffering. They live in horrific conditions that often include confinement, physical abuse and unnatural environments…so much so that they need to receive antibiotics to keep from getting ill or spreading disease. Growth hormones allow all kinds of animals to become fatter faster and live short lives.
Because we cannot see for ourselves how these animals live and what they endure does not mean it isn’t happening. The meat, poultry and dairy industries do everything they can to distance us from knowing how our food comes to be in order to keep us in the dark about what we support each time we buy animal derived products and byproducts.
Go vegan for animals!
It’s the best way to help animals and it’s not as difficult as you may think. Speak for animals with your actions, for they cannot speak at all.
Going vegan is easier than ever, at a glance with this: Vegan and Non-Vegan Foods List
Does squid have human rights issues?
Yes. There are reports of serious worker mistreatment regarding the seafood industry. Squid is a product that has human rights concerns.
There are high numbers of trafficked people promised work but then held at sea against their will. Boats filled with trafficked migrants do not dock, sometimes for years on end, keeping slave workers unseen and trapped at sea, continuing the forced labor. Recruiters trick migrants into thinking they must work to pay off their debts, referred to as “debt peonage”. There is little to no compensation for their work which is given for long periods -maybe even years. Seafood caught illegally from slave worker boats gets mixed in with legal, commercial fishing boats in order to remain undetected.
Fishing workers everywhere are at risk of accident, injury, and death. Injuries include cuts, broken bones, lost fingers, hands and limbs, head injuries and electrocutions. Workers get caught in machinery, get thrown overboard and deaths are reported. Boats are in constant motion, decks are slippery and there can be hazardous machinery present.
Fishing industries around the world are responsible for systematic, illegal fishing practices and human rights abuse. Fishing workers are vulnerable to human trafficking and slave labor, especially in countries like Thailand (the third largest seafood exporter in the world), Burma, Indonesia and Fiji. Seafood slavery is a major issue for migrant workers originally from Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam.
- Seafood consumed in the United States is mostly from foreign sources. Only 3% of fish and shellfish is caught or farmed in American territory!
- Many developed countries depend on imported seafood.
We improve lives around the world if we boycott problematic foods that are difficult for human rights authorities to regulate.
Be sure to read up on this list of ‘Foods You Should Always Buy Fair Trade‘
Conclusion
Squid advantages include:
- a few health benefits
- gluten free (unless fried or breaded)
- not a common food allergen
Squid disadvantages include:
- many health side effects
- contains mercury
- acidic ph level
- a common food allergen (crustacean shellfish)
- high carbon footprint
- high water footprint
- unsustainable
- high likelihood laborer exploitation (as with all seafood)
This post was all about squid side effects and benefits.
Sources:
World Wide Fund for Nature: Overfishing
Animal equality: 4 WAYS THE FISHING INDUSTRY IS DESTROYING THE PLANET
Human rights watch: Hidden Chains Rights Abuses and Forced Labor in Thailand’s Fishing Industry
International Labour Office: Caught at sea
Mollusks, squid, mixed species, raw – FoodData Central
Squid and Squid Byproducts – Agricultural Marketing Service
