Duck Meat: Complete Vitamin Profile

Duck Meat ‐ Vitamin Information

Duck meat is a flavorful, nutrient-dense food that many cultures across the world consider to be a delicacy. It has long been valued for its rich flavor and versatility in cooking methods such as roasting, grilling, and smoking. Because of this, duck meat has recently become a popular culinary choice among health-conscious individuals due to its various nutritional benefits. One of these nutritional benefits includes an abundance of vitamins found naturally inside duck meat. This paper will delve into the nutrition content of duck meat and explore what specific types of vitamins can be found inside it.

The Nutritional Content of Duck Meat

Depending on the particular species or breed of duck, there are some components of its nutritional profile that remain constant between them all. Like other domestic poultry, duck meat is considered rich in protein compared to beef, pork, and even white-meat fish, boasting an impressive 24 grams of protein in a 3-ounce serving size. Along with protein, duck meat also contains appreciable levels of minerals such as selenium, phosphorus, and zinc; polyunsaturated fatty acids including omega-3s and linoleic acid; and riboflavin, which helps metabolize carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

In addition to these elements, duck meat also contains sizable amounts of vitamin B12, thiamin, and niacin, three essential B vitamins that help convert food into energy and contain antioxidant activity. All in all, research shows duck meat to be a nutritionally dense meat source usually containing more dietary value than traditional cuts of beef and pork.

Vitamins Found Inside Duck Meat

The majority of vitamins found within duck meat come from two distinct sources: fat-soluble and water-soluble varieties. The four major fat-soluble vitamins found in duck meat are Vitamin A, D, E, and K.

Vitamin A

Natural duck meat is known to be high in Vitamin A content, typically containing around 10% of your daily recommended value in only 100g of roasted breast or leg meats. Vitamin A helps regulate cell growth and development, maintains healthy eyesight, strengthens bones, supports immune system functioning, and acts as an anti-oxidant.

Vitamin D

Like Vitamin A, Vitamin D also plays key roles in regulating Immune System Functioning while promoting calcium absorption in bones. Duck’s natural store of Vitamin D is particularly advantageous because humans don’t naturally have enough of their own stores unless they’re exposed to adequate sunlight each day. Research suggests that typical servings of boiled, shredded duck meat yields about 25 percent of the body's recommended daily allowance 95IUs for adults).

Vitamin E and K

Vitamin E, another essential fat-soluble vitamin contained in duck meat, conjures up several biological functions related to skin health, reproductive health, vision protection, and general metabolic balance of cholesterol. Serving sizes of duck provide approximately 6 percent of your daily Vitamin E needs, according to scientific analysis. Aside from Vitamins A and E, duck meat also houses trace amounts of Vitamin K, commonly referred to as plant clotting factor. Although Vitamin K is found greatly in green leafy vegetables and liver meats, duck meat provides 2 percent of your daily Vitamin K requirements per serving.

Aside from fat-soluble vitamins, duck meat also offers plenty of water-soluble vitamins — collectively referred to as the B-complex vitamins. These include Thiamin (B1), Riboflavin (B2), Niacin (B3), Pantothenic Acid (B5) Pyridoxine (B6), Cobalamin (B12), and Folate.

Thiamin, Riboflavin, and Niacin

Also known as B-Complex Vitamins, the trio of Thiamin, Riboflavin, and Niacin are abundantly found throughout a portion of cooked duck meat. More specifically, duck boasts 9.9 milligrams of Thiamin, .94 milligrams of Riboflavin, and 7.98 milligrams of Niacin per 85 gram serving. In essence, this means duck carries proportions of these three vitamins far beyond what most overall consumed foods would yield. These vitamins function together to maintain a proper digestion process and support the metabolism rate by converting complex carbs and proteins into glucose, which fuel muscle response during exercise and physical activities.

Pantothenic Acid and Pyridoxine

More commonly known simply as the “stress buster” vitamins, Pantothenic Acid and Pyridoxine, otherwise known as B-5 and B-6 respectively, coexist harmoniously inside each piece of duck flesh. Supplementation of these water-soluble staples represent encourage reaction time and cognitive focus along with beneficial impacts regarding cholesterol level control, red blood cell production, and central nervous system maintenance. Quailifying data suggest 85 grams of duck breast/thigh yields 0.39 milligrams of B-5 and 0.39 milligrams of B-6.

Cobalamin and Folate

Otherwise known individually today as B-12 and Folic Acid respectively, both nutrients perform multiple duties throughout the anatomy suite. In combination with each other, B-12 and Folic Acid increases hemoglobin production, encourages the formation of new cells, bolsters neurological performance, and simultaneously protects nerve tissue from decay. Furthermore, recent studies establish a moderate presence for both compounds within duck mate considering a standard 14 gram slice imbibes at least 8 micrograms of Folate and 0.71 micrograms of B-12.

Conclusion

As mentioned before, duck meat is a flavorful and highly nutritious food choice with a variety of vitamins present inside it including fat-soluble vitamins (such as Vitamin A, D, E, and K) and water-soluble vitamins (like B-Complex vitamins including Thiamin, Riboflavin, Niacin, Pantothenic Acid, Pyridoxine, Cobalamin, and Folate). By incorporating different parts of the bird -- such as legs, wings, breasts, and thighs -- into one’s diet, consuming duck allows for optimal absorption of the necessary micro and macro elements required for healthy living. Ultimately, having insight into the nutritional composition of duck meat allows us to exploit the vitamin-filled possibilities available when preparing our meals thoughtfully.