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Cod

Gadus morhua

Also known as Atlantic cod, Codfish, Bacalao (salted)

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A large cold-water groundfish with lean, flaky white flesh that stores its oil in the liver rather than the muscle. That anatomy is why cod fillets are lean and cod liver oil exists as a separate product.

Muscle & Physical PerformanceWeight Management

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Moderate

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, 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. Trials of white fish and cod protein report post-meal amino acid responses comparable to other high-quality proteins.

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

1 source

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

Satiety and appetite

Weight Management
Limited evidence

Some trials report greater fullness after fish-based meals than after equivalent meat-based meals. The number of studies is small and the differences are modest.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

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

Ask about Cod

Ask about Cod

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
Calories82 kcal4%
Protein17.8 g36%
Total fat0.67 g1%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water81.2 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.131 g1%
Monounsaturated fat0.094 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.231 g—
Cholesterol43 mg14%
EPA (omega-3)0.064 g—
DHA (omega-3)0.12 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.01 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.0050 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A12 µg1%
Vitamin C1 mg1%
Vitamin D0.9 µg5%
Vitamin E0.64 mg4%
Vitamin K0.1 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.076 mg6%
Riboflavin (B2)0.065 mg5%
Niacin (B3)2.06 mg13%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.153 mg3%
Vitamin B60.245 mg14%
Folate7 µg2%
Vitamin B120.91 µg38%
Choline65.2 mg12%
Minerals
Calcium16 mg1%
Iron0.38 mg2%
Magnesium32 mg8%
Phosphorus203 mg16%
Potassium413 mg9%
Sodium54 mg2%
Zinc0.45 mg4%
Copper0.028 mg3%
Manganese0.015 mg1%
Selenium33.1 µg60%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash1.16 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, cod, Atlantic, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171955).

% 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.

  • friedChanges fat content

    Battering and deep-frying transforms a very lean fish into a high-fat dish, with the frying oil rather than the fish supplying most of the fat in the finished portion.

Things to know

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

  • Allergy

    Fish allergy

    Cod is the classic parvalbumin allergen and is often the reference protein in fish allergy testing. Reactions can be triggered by cooking vapours in highly sensitive people.

  • Too much

    Salt cod is very high in sodium

    Salted and dried cod carries an extreme sodium load until it has been soaked over multiple changes of water. The USDA entry named here is fresh cod, not bacalao.

  • Worth knowing

    Parasites in raw fish

    Cod can host Anisakis larvae. Commercial freezing before raw service is the standard control; thorough cooking also inactivates them.