Rangifer tarandus
2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
Wild and semi-domesticated northern deer, central to Arctic and sub-Arctic food systems in Canada, Alaska and Fennoscandia. The meat is dark, fine-grained and very lean, and is eaten fresh, dried and frozen raw in traditional preparations.
Also known as Reindeer, Wild reindeer, Tuktu
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.
Has been studied as a source of heme iron. Caribou is iron-dense, and surveys of Arctic populations link traditional food intake with better iron status, but that is observational and confounded by many other differences in diet.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
May support muscle protein synthesis as a very lean complete protein, on the general evidence for meat protein rather than on any study of caribou.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
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.
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| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 127 kcal | 6% |
| Protein | 22.6 g | 45% |
| Total fat | 3.36 g | 4% |
| Carbohydrate | 0 g | 0% |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0% |
| Water | 71.5 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Saturated fat | 1.29 g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 1.01 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.47 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 83 mg | 28% |
| DHA (omega-3) | 0.05 g | — |
| DPA (omega-3) | 0.02 g | — |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 0.23 g | — |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 0 µg | 0% |
| Vitamin C | 0 mg | 0% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.32 mg | 27% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.72 mg | 55% |
| Niacin (B3) | 5.5 mg | 34% |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 2.55 mg | 51% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.37 mg | 22% |
| Folate | 4 µg | 1% |
| Vitamin B12 | 6.31 µg | 263% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 17 mg | 1% |
| Iron | 4.69 mg | 26% |
| Magnesium | 26 mg | 6% |
| Phosphorus | 208 mg | 17% |
| Potassium | 295 mg | 6% |
| Sodium | 57 mg | 2% |
| Zinc | 4 mg | 36% |
| Copper | 0.222 mg | 25% |
| Manganese | 0.078 mg | 3% |
| Selenium | 10.2 µg | 19% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Ash | 1.14 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, caribou, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173853).
% 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.
Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
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.
Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Worth knowing
Caribou and reindeer concentrate cadmium in liver and kidney, and Canadian and Nordic health authorities have issued long-standing advice limiting consumption of these organs, particularly from older animals. The muscle meat named here is not the concern.
Worth knowing
Northern cervids carry Toxoplasma gondii and, in some regions, Trichinella. Traditional preparations that freeze, dry or lightly ferment the meat rather than cooking it do not reliably inactivate Toxoplasma, and brucellosis has also been transmitted through handling and eating caribou in Arctic Canada and Alaska.
Worth knowing
Chronic wasting disease has been confirmed in wild reindeer in Norway, prompting testing programmes and culls. As with elk and moose, agencies advise against eating any animal that tests positive, and prions are not inactivated by cooking.
Too much
Caribou is unprocessed red meat and belongs to the IARC Group 2A category on limited evidence. Whether that epidemiology, drawn from populations eating farmed meat, transfers to Arctic dietary patterns has not been established.