Fish and seafood · IFCT 2017
Freshwater Eel: nutrition per 100 g
Per 100 g, freshwater eel gives 108 kcal, 20.4 g protein and 2.6 g fat, according to the Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. Its 866 micrograms of retinol is by far the most vitamin A of any fish or seafood, and it leads its group for phosphorus, at 361 mg, and riboflavin, at 0.31 mg. It is also 4th for iron, at 1.54 mg.
About freshwater eel
Freshwater eels are long, snake-like fish that live in rivers and lakes and travel to the sea to breed. India's own species, the Indian mottled eel, lives in rivers from Bengal and the North East to the Western Ghats; IFCT 2017 recorded its sample under the European eel's scientific name, Anguilla anguilla, with the common names eel and catadromous fish. True eels are eaten in Assam, Manipur, Bengal, Odisha and parts of the south.
Several eel-like fish are often lumped in with them. The swamp eel, kuchia, is eaten by many communities in Bengal, Assam and the North East and traditionally given to people who feel weak, and the spiny eel, baim or bami, is a Bengali favourite. Eel meat is firm and rich; it is usually skinned, cut into rounds and cooked in a thick onion and tomato curry, smoked, or fried with turmeric and chilli.
What freshwater eel brings to a meal
- 01
The vitamin A fish
Freshwater eel carries 866 micrograms of retinol per 100 g, more than ten times any other fish or seafood in IFCT 2017. Vitamin A is needed for night vision, skin and immunity.
- 02
Phosphorus and riboflavin leader
It gives 361 mg of phosphorus per 100 g, the most of any fish or seafood. Its 0.31 mg of riboflavin ranks 1st of 39 in the group and 7th of 241 foods, meeting 12 per cent of a man's riboflavin requirement.
- 03
Iron, zinc and copper
Eel has 1.54 mg of iron, 4th of 41, 2.23 mg of zinc, 5th of 41, and 2.72 mg of copper per 100 g. Its zinc meets 13 per cent of a man's daily requirement.
- 04
High protein and selenium
It supplies 20.4 g of protein per 100 g, meeting 38 per cent of a man's requirement, and 67.3 micrograms of selenium, 4th among fish and seafood.
Freshwater Eel nutrition facts per 100 g
Every value IFCT 2017 reports for the edible portion, with the share of an adult's daily need that 100 g covers where ICMR-NIN sets a requirement.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | Adult man | Adult woman |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy and macronutrients | |||
| Energy | 108 kcal | 5% | 7% |
| Protein | 20.4 g | 38% | 45% |
| Carbohydrate (available) | 0 g | ||
| Dietary fibre | 0 g | ||
| Total fat | 2.6 g | ||
| Water | 75.6 g | ||
| Fats | |||
| Saturated fat | 0.98 g | ||
| Monounsaturated fat | 0.73 g | ||
| Polyunsaturated fat | 0.6 g | ||
| Omega-3 (EPA) | 18 mg | ||
| Omega-3 (DHA) | 119 mg | ||
| Cholesterol | 59 mg | ||
| Minerals | |||
| Calcium | 53 mg | 5% | 5% |
| Iron | 1.54 mg | 8% | 5% |
| Zinc | 2.23 mg | 13% | 17% |
| Magnesium | 42 mg | 10% | 11% |
| Phosphorus | 361 mg | ||
| Potassium | 450 mg | ||
| Sodium | 89 mg | ||
| Copper | 2.72 mg | ||
| Selenium | 67.3 µg | ||
| Vitamins | |||
| Retinol | 866 µg | ||
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.31 mg | 12% | 13% |
| Niacin (B3) | 2.3 mg | 13% | 16% |
| Vitamin B6 | 0.11 mg | 4% | 6% |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.8 mg | ||
Values per 100 g of the edible portion. Source: Longvah T, Ananthan R, Bhaskarachary K, Venkaiah K. Indian Food Composition Tables 2017. National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad. Daily-need shares use the ICMR-NIN 2020 recommended dietary allowances for a 65 kg man and a 55 kg woman doing sedentary work (ICMR-NIN brief note). Nutrients IFCT did not analyse for this food are left out rather than shown as zero.
Cite this page
NNWA Nutrition and Wellness Academy. Freshwater Eel: nutrition per 100 g. Data: Indian Food Composition Tables 2017, ICMR-National Institute of Nutrition. https://nnwa.in/foods/fish-and-seafood/freshwater-eel/
Where freshwater eel sits among Indian foods
Ranked per 100 g against the other 40 fish and seafood and every food in the tables.
| Nutrient | Per 100 g | In fish and seafood | Among all foods |
|---|---|---|---|
| Protein | 20.4 g | 15th of 41 | 35th of 243 |
| Potassium | 450 mg | 3rd of 41 | 67th of 243 |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) | 1.8 mg | 11th of 41 | 24th of 242 |
| Riboflavin (B2) | 0.31 mg | 1st of 39 | 7th of 241 |
How freshwater eel is eaten
- Eel curry: skinned rounds simmered in an onion, tomato, ginger and garlic masala, North East and Bengal style.
- Kuchia jhol: Bengali and Assamese swamp eel curry with potatoes and turmeric.
- Smoked eel: hung over the kitchen fire in the North East, then cooked with bamboo shoot and chillies.
- Fried eel rounds rubbed with turmeric, chilli and salt, served with dal and rice.
Before you plan around it
Raw eel blood contains a toxin that cooking destroys, so eel must always be thoroughly cooked and never eaten raw. Because eel is so rich in preformed vitamin A, pregnant women should eat it only occasionally and in small amounts, following their doctor's advice. Wild eels are declining worldwide, and kuchia and other eels are caught from swamps and paddy fields that may be polluted, so buy from trusted sources.
Food composition is general information, not a diet plan. Anyone managing a medical condition should plan their diet with a doctor or a registered dietitian.
What people ask about freshwater eel
Is eel fish good for health?
Freshwater eel is very nutritious on IFCT 2017 figures: 20.4 g protein, 866 micrograms retinol, 361 mg phosphorus and 1.54 mg iron per 100 g. It must always be well cooked.
Is kuchia good for anaemia?
Kuchia, the swamp eel, is traditionally given to people who feel weak. Eel does provide iron and vitamin A, but anaemia has several causes and needs a blood test and a doctor's treatment; food helps alongside, not instead.
Why is eel so high in vitamin A?
Eels store vitamin A in their fatty flesh and liver. IFCT 2017 lists 866 micrograms of retinol per 100 g, by far the most of any fish or seafood in the tables.
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Protein content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by protein per 100 g.
Potassium content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by potassium per 100 g.
Vitamin E content of Indian foods
Every food in the tables, ranked by vitamin e per 100 g.
All fish and seafood
41 foods in this group, compared.
Learn to use this data
Certification in Nutrition
Reading food composition tables and turning them into meal plans is taught in this NNWA course.