Know2eat

Haddock

Melanogrammus aeglefinus

What haddock has been studied for

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

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

About haddock

A North Atlantic gadoid closely related to cod, with slightly finer, sweeter flesh and a dark lateral line. It is the traditional fish of British fish and chips north of the Midlands, and the fish used for the classic cold-smoked preparations of eastern Scotland.

Also known as Finnan haddie (smoked), Arbroath smokie (smoked), Schellfisch

Muscle & Physical PerformanceWeight ManagementHeart 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. Feeding studies of white fish protein report amino acid responses comparable with other high-quality proteins; haddock has not been tested on its own.

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 lean fish meals than after equivalent meat meals. The studies are few, short and single-meal, and they test white fish generally rather than haddock.

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.

Cardiovascular risk markers

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for lean white fish affecting cardiovascular outcomes. The well-known fish-and-heart association is driven by oily species; studies that separate lean from oily fish generally find a weaker and less consistent signal for the lean ones, and haddock supplies very little EPA or DHA.

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

2 sources

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

Ask about Haddock

Ask about Haddock

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
Calories74 kcal4%
Protein16.3 g33%
Total fat0.45 g1%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water83.4 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.091 g0%
Monounsaturated fat0.061 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.166 g—
Cholesterol54 mg18%
ALA (omega-3)0.0020 g—
EPA (omega-3)0.042 g—
DHA (omega-3)0.089 g—
DPA (omega-3)0.0050 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.015 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A17 µg2%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D0.5 µg3%
Vitamin E0.45 mg3%
Vitamin K0.1 µg0%
Thiamin (B1)0.02 mg2%
Riboflavin (B2)0.057 mg4%
Niacin (B3)3.36 mg21%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.403 mg8%
Vitamin B60.281 mg17%
Folate12 µg3%
Vitamin B121.83 µg76%
Choline65 mg12%
Minerals
Calcium11 mg1%
Iron0.17 mg1%
Magnesium21 mg5%
Phosphorus227 mg18%
Potassium286 mg6%
Sodium213 mg9%
Zinc0.32 mg3%
Copper0.021 mg2%
Manganese0.011 mg0%
Selenium25.9 µg47%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash1.28 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, haddock, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 171964).

% 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 and energy content

    Battering and deep-frying turns a very lean fish into a high-fat dish, with almost all of the added fat coming from the frying oil and the batter rather than the fish.

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

    Gadoid parvalbumin is the archetypal fish allergen and cross-reacts strongly across cod, haddock, pollock and whiting.

  • Too much

    Smoked and dyed haddock

    Smoked haddock is brined before smoking and carries far more sodium than the fresh fillet described in the USDA entry here. Some cheaper smoked haddock is also dyed rather than fully smoked.

  • Worth knowing

    Anisakis in raw fish

    Like other North Atlantic groundfish, haddock can host Anisakis larvae. Cooking inactivates them; commercial freezing is the control where the fish is served raw or cold-cured.