ATLANTA — If you’ve been avoiding shrimp because you’ve heard that these crustaceans are high in cholesterol, you’re wrong and right.

Shrimp do contain relatively high levels of dietary cholesterol — 166 milligrams per 3 ounces of steamed shrimp. But shrimp is very low in saturated fat, the kind of fat that gets the biggest blame for raising blood cholesterol levels.

It turns out that the cholesterol in foods we eat has less of an impact on blood cholesterol than saturated fats. Researchers at Rockefeller University in New York found that when volunteers ate shrimp along with foods that were low in saturated fat, their blood lipid ratios remained balanced. So the net-net, as you cast your net to find heart-healthy meals, is that shrimp’s overall nutritional profile places it on the list of the dietary good guys. The same goes for shrimp’s crustacean cousins lobster and crab.

NUTRITIONAL TALLY

•Nearly fat free, low in calories.

•High in protein, no carbohydrates.

•Good source of cardio-protective omega-3 fatty acids. Four ounces of shrimp provide 14.8 percent of your daily need for these fats.

•Excellent source of mineral selenium, which is associated with lowering the risk of cancer.

•Excellent source of vitamin B-12.

• Mineral-rich, supplying iron, zinc and copper.