Bison

Bison bison

What bison has been studied for

3 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

1 Moderate
2 Insufficient

Muscle protein synthesisMuscle & Physical Performance · 2 sourcesModerate— jump to the detail and sources
Blood lipid profileHeart Health · no source yetInsufficient— jump to the detail and sources
Iron statusWomen's Health · no source yetInsufficient— jump to the detail and sources

3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About bison

A large North American bovid, ranched on pasture and in feedlots and sold as steaks, roasts and mince. The USDA entry named here is the separable lean, which carries markedly less intramuscular fat than the equivalent beef cut.

Also known as American buffalo, Buffalo meat, Plains bison

Muscle & Physical Performance Heart Health Women's Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Moderate

What each association actually rests on, and the papers behind it. A rating describes the state of the research, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance

Moderate evidence

May support muscle protein synthesis as a lean complete protein with a high leucine content. The trial evidence is for red meat and high-quality animal protein generally rather than for bison.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

2 sources

Protein-enriched diet, with the use of lean red meat, combined with progressive resistance training enhances lean tissue mass and muscle strength and reduces circulating IL-6 concentrations in elderly women: a cluster randomized controlled trial.(opens in a new tab)
Randomised controlled trial · The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2014 · PMID 24477043
Effects of a Multi-component, Resistance-Based Exercise Program Combined with Additional Lean Red Meat on Health-Related Quality of Life in Older Adults: Secondary Analysis of a 6-Month Randomized Controlled Trial.(opens in a new tab)
Randomised controlled trial · The journal of nutrition, health & aging · 2023 · PMID 37357325

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health

Insufficient evidence

Some trials report small differences in blood lipids when very lean meat replaces fattier meat in the diet. A few short crossover studies have compared bison with beef directly, but they are small and their findings are not consistent.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Iron status

Women's Health

Insufficient evidence

Has been studied as a source of heme iron. Bison is iron-dense, and trials in iron-depleted people report improvements when red meat is added to the diet, though those trials used beef.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Bison

Answers are written only from the entries on this page — the same nutrients, compounds, claims and citations you can read above. Nothing is added from outside the database, and every answer lists what it was built from.

AI explanations are not switched on for this site, so there is nothing to ask here. Everything above is read straight from the database and does not need them.

Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
Nutrient	Amount	% DV
Macronutrients
Calories	109 kcal	5%
Protein	21.6 g	43%
Total fat	1.84 g	2%
Carbohydrate	0 g	0%
Fibre	0 g	0%
Water	74.6 g	—
Fats
Saturated fat	0.69 g	3%
Monounsaturated fat	0.72 g	—
Polyunsaturated fat	0.19 g	—
Cholesterol	62 mg	21%
Linoleic acid (omega-6)	0.11 g	—
Vitamins
Vitamin A	0 µg	0%
Vitamin C	0 mg	0%
Riboflavin (B2)	0.094 mg	7%
Niacin (B3)	1.91 mg	12%
Minerals
Calcium	6 mg	0%
Iron	2.6 mg	14%
Magnesium	25 mg	6%
Phosphorus	187 mg	15%
Potassium	343 mg	7%
Sodium	54 mg	2%
Zinc	2.8 mg	25%
Copper	0.09 mg	10%
Manganese	0.0070 mg	0%
Selenium	27 µg	49%
Other measured compounds
Ash	1.2 g	—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Game meat, bison, separable lean only, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173851).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

friedIncreases heterocyclic amines and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
High-temperature grilling and pan-frying form heterocyclic amines on the meat surface, and fat dripping onto coals deposits polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the smoke. Lower temperatures, shorter cooking and turning frequently reduce their formation.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

Too much
Still red meat
The IARC classifies unprocessed red meat as Group 2A, probably carcinogenic to humans, based mainly on colorectal cancer, with the evidence graded as limited rather than sufficient. Bison is red meat: being leaner than beef does not move it out of that category, and no epidemiology has separated it out.
Worth knowing
Ground bison and E. coli
Grinding distributes surface bacteria through the batch. Ground bison has been recalled for Shiga toxin-producing E. coli and needs the same higher internal temperature as ground beef, which is awkward given how quickly such a lean mince dries out.
Allergy
Alpha-gal syndrome
Bison is mammalian meat and triggers reactions in people with tick-bite-associated alpha-gal allergy, in whom symptoms characteristically appear several hours after eating rather than immediately.