Tilapia: a protein fish with almost no omega-3

Tilapia is a lean white fish, and almost none of the health research on this page was done on tilapia itself. We found no human trial and no cohort of tilapia eaters. The health evidence below comes from lean fish as a group, cod and hake among them, and we report it as that. What the fish itself reliably gives you is protein. A regular 90 g baked fillet carries about 22.5 g of protein and 46.7 mcg of selenium for 144 kcal. Treat the selenium figure as typical, not guaranteed: across 8 USDA samples of raw farmed tilapia it ran from 10.4 to 34.1 mcg per 100 g. It gives very little omega-3, about 0.03 g of EPA plus DHA per 100 g raw. For lean fish in general, a meta-analysis of randomised trials, some of which fed people protein taken from fish instead of the fish itself, found lower blood triglycerides than eating no fish, with no change in total cholesterol. Cohort studies found 19 percent fewer strokes in people who ate the most lean fish. That is an observed link, and it cannot show the fish was the reason. The FDA and EPA put tilapia on their Best Choices list for mercury, including during pregnancy.

The numbers, per 100 g

How much is actually in it

• Across 8 USDA samples of raw farmed tilapia, selenium ranged from 10.4 to 34.1 mcg and sodium from 25.4 to 186 mg per 100 g, so a single label value hides a threefold spread. — 8 Foundation samples of farm-raised tilapia (n = 8) Evidence E source
  Selenium 10.4-34.1 mcg, sodium 25.4-186 mg, B12 0.39-1.02 mcg per 100 g
• The UK composition table gives raw tilapia 2.0 mcg vitamin B12 and 17.8 g protein per 100 g, against 0.76 mcg and 19 g in the USDA reference record. — UK and US composition tables Evidence E source
  B12 2.0 vs 0.76 mcg, protein 17.8 vs 19 g per 100 g

What a real portion looks like

• A regular baked or broiled tilapia fillet of 90 g gives about 144 kcal, 22.5 g protein and 46.7 mcg selenium, and a large 135 g fillet gives 216 kcal and 33.7 g protein. — US household measures, FNDDS (n = FNDDS 5,432 foods) Evidence E source
  90 g fillet 144 kcal 22.5 g protein 46.7 mcg selenium 1.6 mcg B12
• In FNDDS household measures, a small tilapia fillet is 90 g, a large fillet 135 g and a whole fish 270 g. — US household measures for Fish, tilapia, NFS (FNDDS 26158000, fdc_id 2706318) (n = 6 household measures) Evidence E source
  1 small fillet 90 g, 1 large fillet 135 g, 1 whole fish 270 g, 1 cup 135 g, 1 oz yields 20 g

What cooking and storage change

• In fresh tilapia from a Riyadh market, 12% of samples carried environmental and 4% clinical-type Vibrio vulnificus, a risk the authors tie to raw or undercooked fish. — fresh tilapia samples, Riyadh market, Saudi Arabia Evidence C source
  V. vulnificus type A 12%, type B 4%
• For lean finfish baked without drippings, the USDA retention table keeps 90% of vitamin B12 and B6 and all of the minerals, and it has no factor for protein or selenium. — USDA group Finfish and Shellfish Products, lean fish under 5% fat, baked Evidence E source
  B12 90%, B6 90%, niacin 95%, minerals 100%

What it does to your health

• In a meta-analysis of 18 to 21 randomised trials with about 1,400 participants, eating lean fish such as white fish lowered blood triglycerides compared with no fish, with no significant change in total cholesterol or lipoproteins. — adults in crossover and parallel RCTs of lean fish or fish-derived protein, 1392 to 1456 participants (n = 1456) Evidence A source
  Triglycerides lowered vs no fish, total cholesterol and lipoproteins unchanged
• In a meta-analysis of randomised trials with 640 people, lean fish raised blood vitamin D by only 1.9 nmol/L, a non-significant change, while fatty fish raised it by 6.8 nmol/L. — 640 subjects, 14 study groups, 4 weeks to about 6 months (n = 640) Evidence A source
  Lean fish +1.9 nmol/L (95% CI -2.3 to 6.0), fatty fish +6.8 nmol/L (3.7 to 9.9)
• Across 5 prospective cohort studies, people eating the most lean fish had a 19% lower stroke risk than those eating the least, with a relative risk of 0.81. — 5 prospective cohorts, 5 comparisons for lean fish (n = 5 cohorts) Evidence C source
  RR 0.81 (95% CI 0.67-0.99) lean fish, 0.88 (0.74-1.04) fatty fish
• Among 295 adolescent girls in coastal Bangladesh, those in the top third of tilapia intake had 3.65 to 23.85 times the odds of an omega-3 index of 4% or more, depending on season. — 295 adolescent females, southwest coastal Bangladesh, dry and wet seasons 2017-2018 (n = 295) Evidence C source
  O3I at least 4%: AOR 3.65 dry, 23.85 wet season, top vs bottom tertile of tilapia
• In a multicentre crossover trial of 273 people with metabolic syndrome, 100 g a day of white fish (hake) for 8 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol (P = 0.048), waist circumference (P < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.014), with no effect on HDL or triglycerides. — 273 adults with metabolic syndrome in Spain, 8-week crossover: 100 g/d Namibia hake with healthy-diet advice vs no fish or seafood with the same advice; NCT01758601 (n = 273) Evidence B source
  LDL lower (P = 0.048), waist lower (P < 0.001), diastolic BP lower (P = 0.014); serum EPA and DHA rose (P < 0.001); no adverse events

Safety, limits and interactions

• In 11 Thai children with IgE-mediated fish allergy, median age 3, tilapia and catfish were the most common triggers, and all 11 reacted to a 40-50 kDa protein. — 11 children with fish allergy, Thailand (n = 11) Evidence C source
  IgE to 40-50 kDa protein in 11 of 11, to 11 kDa parvalbumin in 7 of 11
• The FDA and EPA list tilapia as a Best Choice and advise 2 to 3 servings of 4 ounces a week from that list during pregnancy and breastfeeding. — pregnant and breastfeeding people Evidence E source
  Best Choice, 2 to 3 servings of 4 oz a week
• A 2025 systematic review of 18 studies from 7 countries on 50 farmed species, with tilapia among the 3 most studied, found low mercury values in farmed fish overall. Its risk analysis, run on all farmed species together, put only India within tolerable limits while Korea and Pakistan showed high values. — farmed fish sampled in China, Korea, Pakistan, India, Brazil, the USA and Poland; 18 eligible articles (n = 18 studies) Evidence C source
  Mercury values in farmed fish low; risk analysis within tolerable limits only for India; Korea and Pakistan high; farmed fish judged safer than wild because of controlled ponds

What people believe that the data does not support

• Raw farmed tilapia carries about 0.24 g omega-6 linoleic acid and only about 0.03 g EPA plus DHA per 100 g, so its omega-6 to omega-3 ratio is high while both amounts are small. — 8 Foundation samples of farm-raised tilapia (n = 8) Evidence E source
  18:2 n-6 0.24 g, EPA 0.001 g, DHA 0.027 g, DPA 0.007 g per 100 g

Who this works differently for

• In 133 pregnant women randomised to 200 g of lean cod twice a week for 16 weeks, general infant development at 3 to 11 months did not differ from controls, while socio-emotional scores favoured the fish group. — 133 pregnant women at 19 weeks or less, Norway, 16 weeks of intervention (n = 133) Evidence B source
  ASQ-2 total P = 0.633, ASQ:SE better in fish group P = 0.020

What is still unknown

• USDA Foundation Foods measured 8 samples of raw farmed tilapia: protein 19 g per 100 g (samples 16.7 to 20.5), selenium 20.5 µg (10.4 to 34.1) and vitamin B12 0.76 µg (0.39 to 1.02), while the British CoFID entry gives 2.0 µg of B12, a 62% gap. — USDA Foundation Foods Fish, tilapia, farm raised, raw (FDC 2684442, 8 samples, release 2026-04-30) versus CoFID 16-154 Tilapia, raw (n = 8 samples; 2 datasets) Evidence E source
  Protein 19 g (16.688 to 20.5); selenium 20.51 µg (10.4 to 34.1); B12 0.759 µg (0.39 to 1.02); monounsaturated fat 0.769 g (0.442 to 1.206, 99% spread); CoFID: protein 17.8 g, fat 1.5 g, B12 2.0 µg, vitamin D Tr
• The USDA retention table for frozen finfish that is fried keeps 95% of vitamin B12, 90% of thiamin and 100% of the minerals, and it has no factor at all for protein or selenium, the two nutrients tilapia is eaten for. — USDA group Finfish and Shellfish Products, method FINFISH(FROZEN),FRIED; tilapia is not named, the factor is set for the group (n = 16 nutrients with a factor) Evidence E source
  B12 95%, thiamin 90%, riboflavin, B6 and folate 95%, calcium, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc 100%; protein and selenium absent from Release 6

The bottom line

Eat tilapia as a protein food. A large 135 g fillet gives about 33.7 g of protein for 216 kcal. If you want fish for omega-3 or vitamin D, choose a fatty one. In trials, lean fish raised blood vitamin D by 1.9 nmol/L, too little to tell from no change, while fatty fish raised it by 6.8. Tilapia does have a high ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats. Both amounts are small: about 0.24 g of omega-6 linoleic acid per 100 g raw against about 0.03 g of EPA plus DHA. One survey of 295 adolescent girls in coastal Bangladesh found the highest omega-3 index in those who ate the most tilapia, the strongest link of any fish they ate. A single survey like that cannot say why, and it sits awkwardly next to those small amounts, so treat it as an open question. In adults with metabolic syndrome, 100 g of hake a day for 8 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol, waist size and diastolic blood pressure, and left HDL and triglycerides where they were. The abstract gives only the P values and does not say how large any of those changes were. The label value is an average. In the same 8 USDA samples of farmed tilapia, sodium ran from 25.4 to 186 mg per 100 g. The British table gives 2.0 mcg of vitamin B12 per 100 g where the American one gives 0.76, and we cannot tell you which is closer to the fish in your shop. Cook it through. In fresh market tilapia in Riyadh, 12 percent of samples carried the environmental type of Vibrio vulnificus and 4 percent the clinical type, and the authors tie the risk to raw or undercooked fish. Baking costs little: the USDA table keeps 90 percent of B12 and all of the minerals in baked lean fish. It has no figure for protein or selenium, the two things you buy tilapia for, so their cooking loss is unmeasured. On mercury, the FDA and EPA advise 2 to 3 servings of 4 ounces a week from the Best Choices list during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A 2025 review of farmed fish from 7 countries found low mercury overall. Its risk analysis was less comforting: only India came out within tolerable limits, and Korea and Pakistan ran high. That analysis pooled all 50 farmed species, and the abstract gives no separate figure for tilapia, so it cannot say how tilapia alone would score. The same authors judged farmed fish safer than wild because the ponds are controlled. The one randomised trial in pregnancy used cod, 200 g twice a week for 16 weeks. General infant development did not differ, and socio-emotional scores favoured the fish group. No study has tested tilapia in pregnancy by name. If you or your child has a fish allergy, ask your allergist before trying tilapia. In a series of 11 Thai children with fish allergy, tilapia and catfish were the most common triggers, and all 11 reacted to a 40 to 50 kDa protein. That is a small series, and it is the only one we have. Nobody has studied how well the body absorbs protein or selenium from tilapia, and nobody has compared the health of tilapia eaters with people who eat fatty fish.

Sources

1. tila-b1-11 · reference dataset
   FDC 2684442 Fish, tilapia, farm raised, raw: Selenium 20.51 ug, range 10.4-34.1, n=8 · Sodium 93.66 mg, range 25.4-186.0, n=8 · Vitamin B-12 0.7594 ug, range 0.39-1.02, n=8
   USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-23
2. tila-b1-12 · reference dataset
   CoFID 16-154 Tilapia, raw: Energy 85 kcal, Protein 17.8 g, Sodium 52 mg, Vitamin B12 2.0 ug per 100 g
   CoFID 2021, Public Health England / OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-23
3. tila-b1-10 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2706319 Fish, tilapia, baked or broiled: Energy 160 kcal/100 g, 1 small/regular fillet 90 g 144.0 kcal, 1 large fillet 135 g 216.0 kcal · Protein 24.95 g/100 g, 22.5 g, 33.7 g · Selenium 51.9 ug/100 g, 46.7 ug · Vitamin B-12 1.77 ug/100 g, 1.6 ug
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 · checked 2026-09-23
4. tila-c4-10 · reference dataset
   FNDDS 2706318 Fish, tilapia, NFS — 1 small/regular fillet 90 g · 1 large fillet 135 g · 1 whole fish 270 g · 1 cup 135 g · 1 oz yields 20 g || USDA Foundation 2684442 — protein 19 g per 100 g
   USDA FNDDS 2021-2023 and USDA Foundation Foods (FDC 2684442) · checked 2026-09-23
5. tila-b1-08 · prevalence survey
   The tilapia fish contained type A and B of V. vulnificus at a ratio of 12% and 4%, respectively. ... Raw tilapia fish contained V. vulnificus type A and B, so care in handling is essential or during cooking these kinds of fish.
   Foodborne Pathog Dis, 2025 · checked 2026-09-23
6. tila-b1-14 · reference dataset
   USDA-RETN-R6:2301 FINFISH,<5%FAT,BAKED,WO/DRIPPINGS: vitamin_b12_ug 90%, vitamin_b6_mg 90%, niacin_mg 95%, sodium_mg 100%, zinc_mg 100%, phosphorus_mg 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007) · checked 2026-09-23
7. tila-b1-01 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Meta-analysis of data from 18 to 21 eligible crossover and parallel-design RCTs with a total of 1392 to 1456 participants found triacylglycerol-lowering effects for lean fish compared with no fish consumption. Lean fish intake showed no significant differences related to total cholesterol or lipoprotein levels.
   Nutr Rev, 2021 · checked 2026-09-23
8. tila-b1-02 · meta-analysis of RCTs
   Seven articles and 2 unpublished study data sets with 640 subjects and 14 study groups met the inclusion criteria ... the consumption of fatty fish resulted in a mean difference of 6.8 nmol/L (95% CI: 3.7, 9.9 nmol/L; P < 0.0001, I(2) = 0%; 7 study groups), whereas for lean fish the mean difference was 1.9 nmol/L (95% CI: -2.3, 6.0 nmol/L; P < 0.38, I(2) = 37%; 7 study groups).
   Am J Clin Nutr, 2015 · checked 2026-09-23
9. tila-b1-04 · meta-analysis of cohort studies
   the summary relative risk was 0.88 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.74-1.04] for fatty fish intake and 0.81 (95% CI, 0.67-0.99) for lean fish intake.
   Lipids Health Dis, 2018 · checked 2026-09-23
10. tila-b1-05 · cross-sectional
    Tilapia consumption showed the strongest associations: females in T3 had higher O3I (dry: β = 1.08; wet: β = 1.63) and higher odds of O3I ≥4% (dry: AOR = 3.65; wet: AOR = 23.85).
    J Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-09-23
11. tila-c4-03 · RCT, crossover
    We found a significant lowering effect of the intervention with white fish on waist circumference (P < 0.001) and diastolic blood pressure (P = 0.014). A significant lowering effect was also shown after the dietary intervention with fish on serum LDL concentrations (P = 0.048), whereas no significant effects were found on serum HDL or triglyceride concentrations.
    Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis, 2014 · checked 2026-09-23
12. tila-b1-07 · cross-sectional
    Eleven children, with a median age of 3 years, were recruited ... Tilapia and catfish were the most common triggers. ... The immunoblot analysis revealed IgE binding to 40-50 kDa protein in all participants, while only seven participants (63.6%) showed IgE binding to the 11 kDa protein.
    Allergol Immunopathol (Madr), 2025 · checked 2026-09-23
13. tila-b1-09 · agency guidance
    Pregnancy and breastfeeding: 1 serving is 4 ounces Eat 2 to 3 servings a week from the "Best Choices" list (OR 1 serving from the "Good Choices" list). ... Tilapia Best Choice
    FDA/EPA Advice about Eating Fish, content current as of 2024-03-05 · checked 2026-09-23
14. tila-c4-04 · systematic review
    In total, 18 articles are eligible for this review. ... The mercury values found in fish from the production system were low. For the risk analysis, only India presented values within tolerable limits; however, Korea and Pakistan showed high values, indicating a potential risk of consuming protein from farmed fish in these countries.
    Biol Trace Elem Res, 2025 · checked 2026-09-23
15. tila-b1-13 · reference dataset
    FDC 2684442 Fish, tilapia, farm raised, raw: PUFA 18:2 n-6 c,c 0.24 g, range 0.119-0.374 · PUFA 20:5 n-3 (EPA) 0.001 g · PUFA 22:6 n-3 (DHA) 0.027 g, range 0.012-0.038 · PUFA 22:5 n-3 (DPA) 0.007 g
    USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods, release 2026-04-30 · checked 2026-09-23
16. tila-b1-03 · randomised controlled trial
    133 pregnant women (≤19 weeks of gestation) were randomly assigned to receive 200 g cod fillet twice weekly (intervention) or to continue with their habitual diet (control) for 16 wk. ... We found no difference between infants in the intervention and control groups on total ASQ-2 scores (P = 0.633), but a difference on the ASQ:SE scores in favor of the intervention group
    J Nutr, 2021 · checked 2026-09-23
17. tila-c4-08 · reference dataset
    USDA Foundation 2684442 Fish, tilapia, farm raised, raw — protein 19 g (16.688-20.5) · selenium 20.51 µg (10.4-34.1, n=8) · vitamin B12 0.759 µg (0.39-1.02, n=8) || CoFID 16-154 Tilapia, raw — Protein 17.8 g · Fat 1.5 g · Vitamin B12 2.0 µg · Vitamin D Tr
    USDA FoodData Central Foundation Foods (FDC 2684442) and CoFID 2021 / OGL v3.0 · checked 2026-09-23
18. tila-c4-09 · reference dataset
    USDA-RETN-R6:2601 FINFISH(FROZEN),FRIED — vitamin_b12_ug 95% · thiamin_mg 90% · riboflavin_mg 95% · iron_mg 100% · zinc_mg 100%
    USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007) · checked 2026-09-23