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Venison

Cervidae spp.

Also known as Deer meat, Wild game meat

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Meat from deer, whether wild-harvested or farmed. Because the animals are active and rarely grain-finished, the carcass carries far less intramuscular fat than domestic beef of the same weight.

Heart 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.

Blood lipid profile

Heart Health
Limited evidence

Some trials report modest improvements in blood lipids when very lean game meat replaces fattier red meat in the diet. The number of studies is small and the comparison food drives much of the result.

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

4 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 very lean complete protein. The supporting research is on red meat and animal protein in general; venison itself has been studied very little in humans.

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 Venison

Ask about Venison

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
Calories120 kcal6%
Protein23 g46%
Total fat2.42 g3%
Carbohydrate0 g0%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water73.6 g—
Fats
Saturated fat0.95 g5%
Monounsaturated fat0.67 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.47 g—
Cholesterol85 mg28%
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.31 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A0 µg0%
Vitamin C0 mg0%
Vitamin E0.2 mg1%
Vitamin K1.1 µg1%
Thiamin (B1)0.22 mg18%
Riboflavin (B2)0.48 mg37%
Niacin (B3)6.37 mg40%
Vitamin B60.37 mg22%
Folate4 µg1%
Vitamin B126.31 µg263%
Minerals
Calcium5 mg0%
Iron3.4 mg19%
Magnesium23 mg5%
Phosphorus202 mg16%
Potassium318 mg7%
Sodium51 mg2%
Zinc2.09 mg19%
Copper0.253 mg28%
Manganese0.041 mg2%
Selenium9.7 µg18%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene0 µg—
Alpha-carotene0 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash1.16 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: Game meat, deer, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 173855).

% 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.

  • Worth knowing

    Lead fragments in shot game

    Rifle-shot game killed with lead ammunition can carry metal fragments well beyond the visible wound channel, and surveys have measured raised blood lead in frequent consumers. Non-lead ammunition and generous trimming reduce exposure.

  • Worth knowing

    Wild game pathogens

    Wild venison can carry Toxoplasma, E. coli and, in some regions, brucellosis. Field dressing hygiene and thorough cooking matter more than for inspected commercial meat.

  • Too much

    Very lean, dries out quickly

    The low fat content that makes venison lean also means it overcooks rapidly. This is a culinary caveat rather than a health one.