Bison
Nutrition Information
American bison (Bison bison), historically and colloquially referred to in North America as buffalo, is an indigenous bovine red meat celebrated for its rich flavor profile, fine texture, and exceptional nutritional efficiency. Unlike commercial domestic feedlot cattle, bison are predominantly pasture-raised on native rangelands and prairie grasses, resulting in lean muscle tissue with minimal intramuscular marbling and a remarkably clean lipid profile. When evaluating bison nutritional value per 100g (raw, lean composite cuts trimmed of external fat), it delivers approximately 109 calories, 21.6 grams of complete protein, and only 1.8 grams of total fat, establishing it as one of the leanest, most protein-dense red meats in modern nutrition. Thermal preparation concentrates amino acid density through natural moisture evaporation: 100g of roasted lean bison supplies roughly 143 calories and 28.4 grams of complete protein, while a standard dietary portion—commonly logged as a 3 oz roasted bison steak (approx. 85 grams)—provides 122 calories alongside 24.2 grams of high-biological-value protein.
Lean Lipid Architecture, Low Saturated Fat & CLA Content
The lipid structure of bison is naturally partitioned away from dense intramuscular seams:
Minimal Saturated Fatty Acids: A 100g raw portion contains less than 0.8 grams of saturated fat, significantly lower than conventional retail beef cuts.
Favorable Unsaturated Ratios & Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): Rangeland foraging enhances the accumulation of rumenic acid (cis-9, trans-11 CLA) and beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids (primarily oleic acid). Pasture-raised bison naturally preserves a favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, typically ranging between 2:1 and 4:1.
Caloric Efficiency for Lean Mass: Over 78% of the caloric density in lean raw bison originates directly from protein, making it an ideal whole food for body composition enhancement, caloric deficits, and low-fat ketogenic diets.
Complete Amino Acid Profile, Leucine & Satiety Signaling
Bison protein achieves a Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1.00, delivering all nine essential amino acids in optimal physiological proportions:
Leucine & mTORC1 Activation: Delivering over 1,850 mg of leucine per 100g raw (and over 2,100 mg in a 3 oz cooked serving), bison triggers the critical amino acid threshold necessary to phosphorylate ribosomal protein S6 kinase ($p70S6K$), initiating muscle protein synthesis (MPS) for skeletal hypertrophy and tissue repair.
Satiety Peptide Secretion: Ingestion of high-protein bison stimulates the postprandial release of anorexigenic gastrointestinal hormones—predominantly cholecystokinin (CCK) and peptide YY (PYY)—while blunting circulating ghrelin levels to prolong metabolic satiety.
Exceptional Micronutrients: Heme Iron, Vitamin B12, Zinc & Selenium
Bison serves as an outstanding whole-food source of bioavailable metabolic vitamins and essential trace elements:
Bioavailable Heme Iron ($Fe^{2+}$): Supplying 2.82 mg of iron per 100g raw (and over 3.4 mg per 100g cooked), bison delivers iron predominantly in the highly absorbable heme form. This directly supports erythrocyte hemoglobin formation and cellular oxygen transport, assisting active athletes in preventing iron-deficiency fatigue.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Potency: Providing 2.86 µg per 100g raw (approx. 2.40 µg in a 3 oz cooked portion), a single serving fulfills roughly 100% of the daily value (DV). Vitamin B12 is essential for myelin sheath maintenance, cellular DNA replication, and homocysteine regulation.
Elemental Zinc & Selenium: A 3 oz cooked portion provides 3.2 mg of bioavailable zinc (approx. 29% DV) to support immune cell proliferation and testosterone biosynthesis, alongside 23.5 µg of selenium (over 42% DV) to power the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase.
Creatine & Intracellular Carnosine: Bison naturally supplies substantial endogenous stores of creatine and the histidine-derived dipeptide carnosine, which acts as an intracellular proton buffer to delay muscular fatigue during intense anaerobic physical exertion.
Description
American bison (Bison bison), historically and colloquially referred to in North America as buffalo, is an indigenous bovine red meat celebrated for its rich flavor profile, fine texture, and exceptional nutritional efficiency. Unlike commercial domestic feedlot cattle, bison are predominantly pasture-raised on native rangelands and prairie grasses, resulting in lean muscle tissue with minimal intramuscular marbling and a remarkably clean lipid profile. When evaluating bison nutritional value per 100g (raw, lean composite cuts trimmed of external fat), it delivers approximately 109 calories, 21.6 grams of complete protein, and only 1.8 grams of total fat, establishing it as one of the leanest, most protein-dense red meats in modern nutrition. Thermal preparation concentrates amino acid density through natural moisture evaporation: 100g of roasted lean bison supplies roughly 143 calories and 28.4 grams of complete protein, while a standard dietary portion—commonly logged as a 3 oz roasted bison steak (approx. 85 grams)—provides 122 calories alongside 24.2 grams of high-biological-value protein.
Lean Lipid Architecture, Low Saturated Fat & CLA Content
The lipid structure of bison is naturally partitioned away from dense intramuscular seams:
Minimal Saturated Fatty Acids: A 100g raw portion contains less than 0.8 grams of saturated fat, significantly lower than conventional retail beef cuts.
Favorable Unsaturated Ratios & Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA): Rangeland foraging enhances the accumulation of rumenic acid (cis-9, trans-11 CLA) and beneficial monounsaturated fatty acids (primarily oleic acid). Pasture-raised bison naturally preserves a favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, typically ranging between 2:1 and 4:1.
Caloric Efficiency for Lean Mass: Over 78% of the caloric density in lean raw bison originates directly from protein, making it an ideal whole food for body composition enhancement, caloric deficits, and low-fat ketogenic diets.
Complete Amino Acid Profile, Leucine & Satiety Signaling
Bison protein achieves a Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1.00, delivering all nine essential amino acids in optimal physiological proportions:
Leucine & mTORC1 Activation: Delivering over 1,850 mg of leucine per 100g raw (and over 2,100 mg in a 3 oz cooked serving), bison triggers the critical amino acid threshold necessary to phosphorylate ribosomal protein S6 kinase ($p70S6K$), initiating muscle protein synthesis (MPS) for skeletal hypertrophy and tissue repair.
Satiety Peptide Secretion: Ingestion of high-protein bison stimulates the postprandial release of anorexigenic gastrointestinal hormones—predominantly cholecystokinin (CCK) and peptide YY (PYY)—while blunting circulating ghrelin levels to prolong metabolic satiety.
Exceptional Micronutrients: Heme Iron, Vitamin B12, Zinc & Selenium
Bison serves as an outstanding whole-food source of bioavailable metabolic vitamins and essential trace elements:
Bioavailable Heme Iron ($Fe^{2+}$): Supplying 2.82 mg of iron per 100g raw (and over 3.4 mg per 100g cooked), bison delivers iron predominantly in the highly absorbable heme form. This directly supports erythrocyte hemoglobin formation and cellular oxygen transport, assisting active athletes in preventing iron-deficiency fatigue.
Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Potency: Providing 2.86 µg per 100g raw (approx. 2.40 µg in a 3 oz cooked portion), a single serving fulfills roughly 100% of the daily value (DV). Vitamin B12 is essential for myelin sheath maintenance, cellular DNA replication, and homocysteine regulation.
Elemental Zinc & Selenium: A 3 oz cooked portion provides 3.2 mg of bioavailable zinc (approx. 29% DV) to support immune cell proliferation and testosterone biosynthesis, alongside 23.5 µg of selenium (over 42% DV) to power the antioxidant enzyme glutathione peroxidase.
Creatine & Intracellular Carnosine: Bison naturally supplies substantial endogenous stores of creatine and the histidine-derived dipeptide carnosine, which acts as an intracellular proton buffer to delay muscular fatigue during intense anaerobic physical exertion.
