Wild Boar

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Wild Boar

Nutrition Information

Nutrient / Component Per 100 g (Raw Lean Meat) Per 100 g (Roasted / Cooked) Per 3 oz Cooked (85 g)
Energy (Calories) 122 kcal 160.0 kcal 136.0 kcal
Water 74.5 g 67.1 g 57.0 g
Protein 21.51 g 28.31 g 24.06 g
Total Fat 3.33 g 4.38 g 3.72 g
— Monounsaturated Fat 1.35 g 1.78 g 1.51 g
— Polyunsaturated Fat 0.42 g 0.55 g 0.47 g
— Saturated Fat 1.05 g 1.38 g 1.17 g
Cholesterol 68 mg 89.0 mg 75.7 mg
Total Carbohydrates 0.0 g 0.0 g 0.0 g
Dietary Fiber 0.0 g 0.0 g 0.0 g
Total Sugars 0.0 g 0.0 g 0.0 g
Potassium 340 mg 385.0 mg 327.3 mg
Phosphorus 210 mg 248.0 mg 210.8 mg
Sodium 51 mg 58.0 mg 49.3 mg
Magnesium 22 mg 26.0 mg 22.1 mg
Calcium 12 mg 15.0 mg 12.8 mg
Iron (Heme Iron) 2.40 mg 3.18 mg 2.70 mg
Zinc 3.90 mg 4.95 mg 4.21 mg
Selenium 26.5 µg 31.2 µg 26.5 µg
Copper 0.130 mg 0.160 mg 0.136 mg
Thiamine (B1) 0.390 mg 0.410 mg 0.349 mg
Niacin (B3) 4.60 mg 5.20 mg 4.42 mg
Riboflavin (B2) 0.280 mg 0.340 mg 0.289 mg
Vitamin B6 0.360 mg 0.430 mg 0.366 mg
Vitamin B12 1.25 µg 1.36 µg 1.16 µg
Pantothenic Acid (B5) 0.720 mg 0.810 mg 0.689 mg
Folate (B9) 7.0 µg 8.0 µg 6.8 µg
Choline 76.0 mg 91.0 mg 77.4 mg

Description

Wild boar (Sus scrofa), the ancestral progenitor of the domestic pig, is a nutrient-dense, free-ranging game meat celebrated in European, Mediterranean, and North American culinary traditions for its deep mahogany color, robust earthy flavor, and exceptionally lean nutrient partition. Unlike commercially raised domestic hogs, wild boars forage extensively across forest ecosystems, consuming wild acorns, chestnuts, roots, tubers, and native browse. This constant physical foraging produces dense, firm skeletal muscle with minimal intramuscular fat accumulation. When evaluating wild boar nutritional value per 100g (raw, lean composite cuts), it supplies approximately 122 calories, 21.5 grams of complete protein, and only 3.3 grams of total fat, delivering an ultra-lean red meat that easily outperforms commercial pork chops in leanness. Cooking concentrates amino acid density through natural moisture evaporation: 100g of roasted lean wild boar provides roughly 160 calories and 28.3 grams of complete protein, while a standard dietary portion—commonly logged as a 3 oz roasted wild boar chop (approx. 85 grams)—delivers 136 calories alongside 24.1 grams of high-biological-value protein.

Lean Lipid Architecture, Unsaturated Fatty Acids & Satiety Profile

The lipid composition of free-ranging wild boar reflects its varied natural forage and high daily physical activity:

  • Favorable Fatty Acid Distribution: Less than 1.1 grams per 100g raw consists of saturated fatty acids, with the majority represented by monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs)—predominantly oleic acid—and functional polyunsaturated fats.

  • Natural Foraging Advantage: Due to an acorn- and root-rich diet (similar to premium jamón ibérico de bellota), wild boar fat features higher proportions of unsaturated fatty acids and an improved omega-6 to omega-3 ratio compared to grain-fed livestock.

  • Caloric Efficiency for Fat Loss: Over 70% of the caloric density in lean raw wild boar stems directly from protein, making it an ideal whole food for aggressive cutting protocols, athletic bodybuilding, and low-fat ketogenic regimens.

Protein Quality, Complete Amino Acids & Satiety Signaling

Wild boar meat delivers a complete Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of 1.00, providing all nine essential amino acids in proportions that support human physiological maintenance:

  • Leucine & mTORC1 Activation: Supplying over 1,750 mg of leucine per 100g raw (and over 1,950 mg in a 3 oz cooked portion), wild boar meets the critical threshold necessary to phosphorylate ribosomal protein S6 kinase ($p70S6K$), initiating muscle protein synthesis (MPS) for skeletal hypertrophy and tissue repair.

  • Satiety Peptide Regulation: High-protein game meat consumption stimulates the postprandial secretion of gut satiety hormones—predominantly peptide YY (PYY) and cholecystokinin (CCK)—while suppressing circulating ghrelin levels to mitigate prolonged hunger.

Micronutrient Superiority: Zinc, Heme Iron, Thiamine & Vitamin B12

Wild boar functions as an outstanding whole-food delivery system for vital metabolic coenzymes and trace minerals:

  • Zinc Super-Density: Delivering 3.90 mg of zinc per 100g raw (approx. 4.2 mg in a 3 oz cooked portion), a single serving supplies over 38% of the daily value (DV). Zinc serves as an essential catalytic component for carbonic anhydrase, superoxide dismutase, and endogenous testosterone biosynthesis.

  • Bioavailable Heme Iron ($Fe^{2+}$): Supplying 2.40 mg of iron per 100g raw (and over 2.7 mg per 3 oz cooked portion), wild boar delivers iron primarily in its readily absorbable heme form, optimizing hemoglobin oxygen carriage and preventing athletic iron-deficiency fatigue.

  • Thiamine (Vitamin B1) & Niacin (B3): While slightly lower in thiamine than ultra-lean domestic pork, wild boar remains an exceptional source (0.39 mg per 100g raw), which along with 4.6 mg of niacin fuels mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes for cellular energy generation.

  • Vitamin B12 & Selenium: Supplying 1.25 µg of cobalamin (over 52% DV per serving) and 26.5 µg of selenium, wild boar preserves myelin sheath integrity, promotes red blood cell synthesis, and powers antioxidant glutathione peroxidase enzymes.