Know2eat

Ostrich

Struthio camelus

What ostrich has been studied for

3 associations assessed — 1 with at least some human evidence behind it. Strongest first.

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

About ostrich

The largest living bird, farmed mainly in South Africa and Europe for meat and leather. The meat is dark red, very low in fat and sold as steaks and fillets; the USDA entry named here is the raw inside leg muscle.

Also known as Ostrich steak, Ostrich fan fillet, Ratite meat

Women's HealthHeart HealthMuscle & Physical Performance

The evidence in depth

Best supported: Limited

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
Limited evidence

Has been studied as a source of heme iron. Ostrich is among the more iron-dense meats sold, though the supporting evidence concerns heme iron in general rather than this species.

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

3 sources

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

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Insufficient evidence

Evidence is limited for ostrich affecting blood lipids. Substituting a very lean meat for a fattier one changes saturated fat intake, but that reasoning comes from lean meat substitution trials in general and has not been tested with ratite meat.

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.

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance
Insufficient evidence

May support muscle protein synthesis as a very lean complete protein. The basis is the general protein quality of meat; ostrich itself has not been used in a trial.

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 Ostrich

Ask about Ostrich

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
Calories111 kcal6%
Protein22.4 g45%
Total fat1.72 g2%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water76 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.6 g3%
Monounsaturated fat0.6 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.38 g—
Cholesterol66 mg22%
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.22 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin E0.2 mg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.201 mg17%
Riboflavin (B2)0.295 mg23%
Niacin (B3)4.85 mg30%
Pantothenic acid (B5)1.2 mg24%
Vitamin B60.526 mg31%
Folate8 µg2%
Vitamin B125.1 µg213%
Minerals
Calcium5 mg0%
Iron2.3 mg13%
Magnesium22 mg5%
Phosphorus220 mg18%
Potassium320 mg7%
Sodium72 mg3%
Zinc3.87 mg35%
Copper0.141 mg16%
Manganese0.018 mg1%
Selenium36.4 µg66%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash0.61 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: Ostrich, inside leg, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172839).

% 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 lean, so easy to ruin

    With almost no intramuscular fat, ostrich toughens rapidly past medium-rare. That drives the butter and cream sauces it is usually served with, which change the nutritional picture of the plate considerably.

  • Worth knowing

    Handled as raw meat

    Ostrich carries the ordinary raw-meat pathogen risks, and ratite carcasses have been found positive for Salmonella and Campylobacter in surveillance. Ground ostrich needs the same higher endpoint temperature as any minced meat.

  • Worth knowing

    Unclear position in red meat guidance

    Like emu, ostrich is a bird producing red, iron-rich meat. Dietary guidance and the epidemiology behind it are built on mammalian red meat, and neither includes ratites, so no evidence-based statement can be made about where it belongs.