Veal heart

Bos taurus

What veal heart has been studied for

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

2 Limited

Iron statusWomen's Health · 3 sourcesLimited— jump to the detail and sources
Muscle protein synthesisMuscle & Physical Performance · 1 sourceLimited— jump to the detail and sources

3 things to know first — allergies, interactions and intake limits

About veal heart

The heart of a young calf, a solid cone of dark cardiac muscle sold whole or sliced and usually braised or thinly cut and grilled. It is lean, dense and closer in texture to a working muscle than to a tender cut.

Also known as Calf heart, Coeur de veau, Corazon de ternera

Women's Health Muscle & 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, which is absorbed considerably better than the non-heme iron in plant foods. Trials in this area use red meat or iron salts rather than heart specifically.

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

3 sources

Dietary Adaptation of Non-Heme Iron Absorption in Vegans: A Controlled Trial.(opens in a new tab)
Unclassified · Molecular nutrition & food research · 2025 · PMID 40320969
Iron and cancer risk--a systematic review and meta-analysis of the epidemiological evidence.(opens in a new tab)
Meta-analysis · Cancer epidemiology, biomarkers & prevention : a publication of the American Association for Cancer Research, cosponsored by the American Society of Preventive Oncology · 2014 · PMID 24243555
A comparative analysis of heme vs non-heme iron administration: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.(opens in a new tab)
Meta-analysis · European journal of nutrition · 2024 · PMID 39708071

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

Muscle protein synthesis

Muscle & Physical Performance

Limited evidence

May support muscle protein synthesis as a lean complete protein. Support comes from the general protein quality of meat rather than from any study of cardiac muscle.

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

1 source

Ingestion of lean meat elevates muscle inositol hexakisphosphate kinase 1 protein content independent of a distinct post-prandial circulating proteome in young adults with obesity.(opens in a new tab)
Unclassified · Metabolism: clinical and experimental · 2020 · PMID 31678069

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

Ask about Veal heart

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
Nutrient	Amount	% DV
Macronutrients
Calories	110 kcal	6%
Protein	17.2 g	34%
Total fat	3.98 g	5%
Carbohydrate	0.08 g	0%
Fibre	0 g	0%
Water	77.7 g	—
Fats
Saturated fat	1.07 g	5%
Monounsaturated fat	0.84 g	—
Polyunsaturated fat	1.05 g	—
Cholesterol	104 mg	35%
EPA (omega-3)	0.03 g	—
DHA (omega-3)	0 g	—
DPA (omega-3)	0.03 g	—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)	0.71 g	—
Vitamins
Vitamin A	0 µg	0%
Vitamin C	8 mg	9%
Thiamin (B1)	0.52 mg	43%
Riboflavin (B2)	1 mg	77%
Niacin (B3)	6.4 mg	40%
Pantothenic acid (B5)	2.78 mg	56%
Vitamin B6	0.43 mg	25%
Folate	2 µg	1%
Vitamin B12	13.8 µg	573%
Minerals
Calcium	5 mg	0%
Iron	4.24 mg	24%
Magnesium	18 mg	4%
Phosphorus	211 mg	17%
Potassium	261 mg	6%
Sodium	77 mg	3%
Zinc	1.47 mg	13%
Copper	0.34 mg	38%
Manganese	0.036 mg	2%
Selenium	33.3 µg	61%
Other measured compounds
Ash	1.07 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: Veal, variety meats and by-products, heart, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 172529).

% 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
Purines and gout
Organ meats are the most purine-dense foods in an ordinary diet, and heart is no exception. Gout guidance generally advises avoiding them rather than moderating them.
Too much
Cholesterol
Heart carries considerably more dietary cholesterol than skeletal muscle. The effect of dietary cholesterol on blood lipids is smaller and more variable between people than once believed, but a minority of people respond strongly.
Worth knowing
Offal handling and cooking
Heart spoils faster than muscle cuts and is usually trimmed of vessels and valve tissue before cooking. Slicing thin and cooking briefly or braising long are the two workable approaches; anything in between is tough.