Know2eat

Goose liver

Anser anser domesticus

What goose liver has been studied for

2 associations assessed — 2 with at least some human evidence behind them. Strongest first.

  • 1 Moderate
  • 1 Limited
4 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About goose liver

The liver of a domestic goose. The USDA entry named here is the raw organ; the celebrated version, foie gras, comes from birds force-fed to enlarge the liver several-fold and is far higher in fat than this entry.

Also known as Foie gras (fattened), Foie de oie, Gansenleber

Women's HealthEnergy & Metabolism

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.

Iron status

Women's Health
Moderate evidence

Has been studied as a source of highly available heme iron. Liver is among the most iron-dense foods available, and trials adding liver or other heme iron sources to the diet of iron-depleted people report improvements in iron markers. Most of that work used beef or chicken liver rather than goose.

What may be going on: Heme iron is absorbed by a separate intestinal route that is not blocked by phytate or polyphenols.

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.

Energy metabolism

Energy & Metabolism
Limited evidence

Contains compounds associated with normal energy metabolism, in particular vitamin B12, riboflavin and folate, all of which liver carries in unusually large amounts. A measurable difference in how anyone feels would only be expected where intake was previously inadequate.

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

2 sources

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

Ask about Goose liver

Ask about Goose liver

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
Calories133 kcal7%
Protein16.4 g33%
Total fat4.28 g5%
Carbohydrate6.32 g2%
Fibre0 g0%
Water71.8 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.59 g8%
Monounsaturated fat0.81 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.26 g—
Cholesterol515 mg172%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.18 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A9309 µg1034%
Vitamin C4.5 mg5%
Thiamin (B1)0.562 mg47%
Riboflavin (B2)0.892 mg69%
Niacin (B3)6.5 mg41%
Pantothenic acid (B5)6.18 mg124%
Vitamin B60.76 mg45%
Folate738 µg185%
Vitamin B1254 µg2250%
Minerals
Calcium43 mg3%
Iron30.5 mg170%
Magnesium24 mg6%
Phosphorus261 mg21%
Potassium230 mg5%
Sodium140 mg6%
Zinc3.07 mg28%
Copper7.52 mg836%
Manganese0 mg0%
Selenium68.1 µg124%
Other measured compounds
Ash1.25 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: Goose, liver, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172415).

% 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.

  • Avoid

    Preformed vitamin A and pregnancy

    Liver is the most concentrated dietary source of preformed vitamin A, and a single modest portion can exceed the tolerable upper intake level for adults several times over. High intakes of preformed vitamin A in early pregnancy are teratogenic, and national guidance in the UK and elsewhere advises pregnant women and women planning pregnancy to avoid liver and liver products altogether. Chronic high intake in anyone else has been linked with liver injury and reduced bone density.

  • Too much

    Purines and gout

    Organ meats are the highest-purine foods in an ordinary diet and are the group most consistently associated with gout flares in cohort studies. Guidance for people with gout is usually to avoid them rather than to moderate them.

  • Too much

    Copper and cholesterol

    Liver accumulates copper as well as vitamin A, which matters for anyone with Wilson disease or another copper-handling disorder. It is also very high in dietary cholesterol.

  • Worth knowing

    Foie gras is a different food

    Force-fed liver is far fattier and more energy-dense than the entry named here, is typically served salted and cured, and its production is banned or restricted in a number of countries on welfare grounds.