Know2eat

Lamb (leg)

Ovis aries

Also known as Leg of lamb, Lamb roast, Mutton (older animals)

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Meat from sheep slaughtered under about a year old, with a distinctive flavour that comes largely from branched-chain fatty acids in the fat. Much of the world eats it pasture-raised rather than grain-finished.

Women's HealthMuscle & Physical Performance

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Limited

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.

Iron status

Women's Health
Limited evidence

Has been studied as a heme iron source. Lamb sits alongside beef among the denser dietary sources of well-absorbed iron, but trials testing lamb specifically for iron markers are few.

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.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Insufficient evidence

May support muscle protein synthesis as a complete protein with a high leucine content. Evidence comes largely from trials of red meat and animal protein generally rather than lamb specifically.

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

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

Ask about Lamb (leg)

Ask about Lamb (leg)

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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Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories128 kcal6%
Protein20.6 g41%
Total fat4.51 g6%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Water74.1 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.61 g8%
Monounsaturated fat1.81 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.41 g—
Cholesterol64 mg21%
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.31 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin E0.22 mg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.14 mg12%
Riboflavin (B2)0.25 mg19%
Niacin (B3)6.23 mg39%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.72 mg14%
Vitamin B60.17 mg10%
Folate23 µg6%
Vitamin B122.7 µg113%
Minerals
Calcium6 mg0%
Iron1.82 mg10%
Magnesium27 mg6%
Phosphorus193 mg15%
Potassium289 mg6%
Sodium62 mg3%
Zinc3.84 mg35%
Copper0.126 mg14%
Manganese0.024 mg1%
Selenium23.5 µg43%
Other measured compounds
Ash1.07 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: Lamb, leg, whole (shank and sirloin), separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174313).

% 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.

  • roastedIncreases heterocyclic amines

    As with other muscle meats, high-temperature grilling and charring form heterocyclic amines at the surface; lower-temperature roasting forms substantially less.

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

    Red meat intake and colorectal cancer risk

    Lamb falls under red meat in dietary guidance, where high habitual intake is associated with higher colorectal cancer risk in large observational datasets.

  • Too much

    Saturated fat

    Lamb is fattier than most poultry and pork cuts even when trimmed, and the fat is comparatively high in saturated fatty acids.

  • Allergy

    Alpha-gal syndrome

    Lamb is a mammalian meat and can trigger delayed allergic reactions in people with tick-associated alpha-gal sensitisation.