Know2eat

Caviar

Acipenser spp.

What caviar has been studied for

2 associations assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.

  • 2 Insufficient
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About caviar

Salt-cured fish roe, classically from sturgeon but commercially also from salmon and other species. The curing is the product: caviar is roe held in salt at low temperature, so its sodium content is a defining feature rather than an incidental one.

Also known as Sturgeon roe, Black caviar, Ikura (red, salmon roe), Malossol

Heart HealthBrain & Cognitive Health

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Insufficient

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.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for caviar affecting blood lipids. It is dense in long-chain omega-3s, but the amounts eaten are far below the intakes that move triglycerides in trials, and its sodium content pulls in the opposite direction for cardiovascular risk.

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

1 source

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

Cognitive function

Brain & Cognitive Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for caviar affecting cognition. The interest comes from its DHA and choline density, both nutrients with roles in neural membranes, but portions are a spoonful and no human research has used roe as the intervention.

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

1 source

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

Ask about Caviar

Ask about Caviar

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
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories264 kcal13%
Protein24.6 g49%
Total fat17.9 g23%
Carbohydrate4 g1%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water47.5 g—
Fats
Saturated fat4.06 g20%
Monounsaturated fat4.63 g—
Polyunsaturated fat7.41 g—
Cholesterol588 mg196%
EPA (omega-3)2.74 g—
DHA (omega-3)3.8 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.229 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.081 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A271 µg30%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D2.9 µg14%
Vitamin E1.89 mg13%
Vitamin K0.6 µg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.19 mg16%
Riboflavin (B2)0.62 mg48%
Niacin (B3)0.12 mg1%
Pantothenic acid (B5)3.5 mg70%
Vitamin B60.32 mg19%
Folate50 µg13%
Vitamin B1220 µg833%
Choline491 mg89%
Minerals
Calcium275 mg21%
Iron11.9 mg66%
Magnesium300 mg71%
Phosphorus356 mg28%
Potassium181 mg4%
Sodium1500 mg65%
Zinc0.95 mg9%
Copper0.11 mg12%
Manganese0.05 mg2%
Selenium65.5 µg119%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin648 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash6.5 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: Fish, caviar, black and red, granular (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174188).

% 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.

Nothing dependable is recorded about how preparation changes this food’s nutritional properties. Rather than guess, this section stays empty.

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

    Very high sodium

    Caviar is a salt-cured product and is extremely high in sodium per gram. Even the lightly salted malossol grades carry a sodium load that matters for anyone managing blood pressure, and the portion sizes involved are small partly for that reason.

  • Worth knowing

    Listeria risk in a chilled ready-to-eat food

    Caviar is not cooked. Chilled, ready-to-eat fish products have been implicated in Listeria monocytogenes outbreaks, which is why pregnancy guidance in several countries advises avoiding uncooked cured fish products.

  • Allergy

    Fish and roe allergy

    Roe allergy exists independently of allergy to fish flesh — some people react to salmon roe while tolerating salmon, because the allergen is a different protein, vitellogenin-derived beta-prime component.

  • Worth knowing

    CITES controls and substitution

    Sturgeon caviar trade is regulated under CITES and legitimate tins carry a coded label. Mislabelling and substitution have been documented repeatedly in market surveys.