Loligo spp.
1 association assessed — none with dependable human evidence behind them yet. Strongest first.
A fast-growing, short-lived cephalopod mollusc with a tubular mantle, eaten fresh, dried or, most often in Western countries, cut into rings and deep-fried. The USDA entry here is the raw animal, not battered calamari.
Also known as Calamari, Calamar, Ika
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.
May support muscle protein synthesis as a lean complete protein. The evidence concerns seafood protein as a group; squid itself has not been tested.
Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.
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.
| Nutrient | Amount | % DV |
|---|---|---|
| Macronutrients | ||
| Calories | 92 kcal | 5% |
| Protein | 15.6 g | 31% |
| Total fat | 1.38 g | 2% |
| Carbohydrate | 3.08 g | 1% |
| Fibre | 0 g | 0% |
| Total sugars | 0 g | — |
| Water | 78.5 g | — |
| Fats | ||
| Saturated fat | 0.358 g | 2% |
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.107 g | — |
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.524 g | — |
| Cholesterol | 233 mg | 78% |
| EPA (omega-3) | 0.146 g | — |
| DHA (omega-3) | 0.342 g | — |
| DPA (omega-3) | 0.0040 g | — |
| Linoleic acid (omega-6) | 0.0020 g | — |
| Vitamins | ||
| Vitamin A | 10 µg | 1% |
| Vitamin C | 4.7 mg | 5% |
| Vitamin D | 0 µg | 0% |
| Vitamin E | 1.2 mg | 8% |
| Vitamin K | 0 µg | 0% |
| Thiamin (B1) | 0.02 mg | 2% |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.412 mg | 32% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.17 mg | 14% |
| Pantothenic acid (B5) | 0.5 mg | 10% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.056 mg | 3% |
| Folate | 5 µg | 1% |
| Vitamin B12 | 1.3 µg | 54% |
| Choline | 65 mg | 12% |
| Minerals | ||
| Calcium | 32 mg | 2% |
| Iron | 0.68 mg | 4% |
| Magnesium | 33 mg | 8% |
| Phosphorus | 221 mg | 18% |
| Potassium | 246 mg | 5% |
| Sodium | 44 mg | 2% |
| Zinc | 1.53 mg | 14% |
| Copper | 1.89 mg | 210% |
| Manganese | 0.035 mg | 2% |
| Selenium | 44.8 µg | 81% |
| Other measured compounds | ||
| Beta-carotene | 0 µg | — |
| Alpha-carotene | 0 µg | — |
| Lycopene | 0 µg | — |
| Lutein + zeaxanthin | 0 µg | — |
| Caffeine | 0 mg | — |
| Ash | 1.41 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: Mollusks, squid, mixed species, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 174223).
% 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.
Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.
Fatty acid
A family of polyunsaturated fatty acids. The long-chain forms EPA and DHA come mainly from seafood and algae; the plant form ALA converts to them…
Amino sulfonic acid
Concentrated in shellfish and dark poultry meat; involved in bile salt conjugation and cell volume regulation.
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.
Battering and deep-frying multiplies the energy of a portion of squid several times over, almost all of it from absorbed frying oil rather than from the animal.
Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.
Allergy
Squid is a recognised cause of severe shellfish reactions, driven mainly by tropomyosin, with cross-reactivity to other molluscs, to crustaceans and to house dust mite.
Worth knowing
Squid is a documented host for Anisakis larvae, and cases of gastric anisakiasis and of Anisakis allergy have followed raw and lightly marinated squid dishes. Lemon, vinegar and salt do not inactivate the larvae; cooking through or commercial freezing does.
Too much
Battered and deep-fried calamari bears little nutritional resemblance to the raw entry named here: the batter absorbs frying oil, and the salt and dips served with it add substantially more sodium.
Too much
Squid is high in cholesterol while very low in saturated fat, and moderately high in purines, which places it on the limit list in most gout dietary guidance.