Know2eat

Sardines

Sardina pilchardus

Also known as Pilchards, Canned sardines

SaveCompare

Small schooling fish canned whole with their soft, edible bones intact. Being short-lived plankton feeders low in the food chain, they accumulate very little methylmercury.

Heart HealthBone Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Strong

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.

Cardiovascular risk markers

Heart Health
Strong evidence

Research suggests regular consumption of small oily fish such as sardines is associated with lower cardiovascular mortality. Pooled analyses of prospective cohorts point consistently in the same direction, with the clearest signal at one to two portions a week compared with none.

What may be going on: Long-chain omega-3s lower triglycerides, modestly reduce blood pressure and alter platelet and membrane composition; displacement of other foods likely contributes as well.

Strong evidence. Consistent findings across multiple good-quality human studies.

4 sources

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

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Moderate evidence

Research suggests that eating oily fish such as sardines lowers blood triglycerides. Sardine-specific trials are fewer than the general omega-3 literature, but they point the same way.

Moderate evidence. Several human studies point the same way, with real caveats.

3 sources

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

Healthy blood pressure

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Some trials report small reductions in blood pressure with higher oily fish or omega-3 intake. The effect size is modest, and results vary with baseline blood pressure and dose.

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.

Bone mineral density

Bone Health
Insufficient evidence

Has been studied as a whole-food source of calcium and vitamin D from the edible bones. Evidence that eating canned fish with bones changes bone mineral density is thin, and most of it is observational.

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 Sardines

Ask about Sardines

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
Calories208 kcal10%
Protein24.6 g49%
Total fat11.4 g15%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water59.6 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.53 g8%
Monounsaturated fat3.87 g—
Polyunsaturated fat5.15 g—
Cholesterol142 mg47%
EPA (omega-3)0.473 g—
DHA (omega-3)0.509 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)3.54 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A32 µg4%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin D4.8 µg24%
Vitamin E2.04 mg14%
Vitamin K2.6 µg2%
Thiamin (B1)0.08 mg7%
Riboflavin (B2)0.227 mg17%
Niacin (B3)5.25 mg33%
Pantothenic acid (B5)0.642 mg13%
Vitamin B60.167 mg10%
Folate10 µg3%
Vitamin B128.94 µg373%
Choline75 mg14%
Minerals
Calcium382 mg29%
Iron2.92 mg16%
Magnesium39 mg9%
Phosphorus490 mg39%
Potassium397 mg8%
Sodium307 mg13%
Zinc1.31 mg12%
Copper0.186 mg21%
Manganese0.108 mg5%
Selenium52.7 µg96%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash3.38 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, sardine, Atlantic, canned in oil, drained solids with bone (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 175139).

% 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.

  • cookedIncreases calcium availability

    The heat and pressure of canning soften the skeleton enough to eat, which is why canned sardines with bones supply substantial calcium while a filleted fresh sardine supplies almost none.

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

    Sardines are among the highest-purine foods recorded and are specifically named in dietary advice for people with gout or a history of urate kidney stones.

  • Allergy

    Fish allergy

    A major regulated allergen. Sardines also appear as a hidden ingredient in some sauces and dressings.

  • Too much

    Sodium in canned sardines

    Canned sardines are salted, and a whole tin can supply a large share of a day of sodium. No-salt-added tins are available and differ substantially.

  • Worth knowing

    Histamine in mishandled fish

    Sardines are a scombrotoxin-forming species. Poorly chilled fish accumulates histamine that survives canning and cooking.