Turkey thigh: poultry with no cholesterol edge over beef

A meta-analysis of 8 randomized trials with 406 healthy adults found LDL cholesterol fell by 8.2 mg/dL on beef and 8.9 mg/dL on poultry or fish against the baseline diet, a gap that was not significant. Those trials are old and lump poultry with fish. A later randomized trial in 113 healthy adults found no significant difference in LDL and apoB between 4-week red and white meat diets, and both were higher than on protein from non-meat foods. That trial did not test turkey thigh on its own. We found no human study of turkey thigh itself, so this page draws on poultry as a group. As food, casseroled thigh meat without skin gives about 28 g of protein, 7.5 g of fat and 5.4 mg of zinc per 3.5 oz (100 g) in UK data, a different record from the pre-basted, skin-on USDA row in the table, with protein about a third apart. A medium cooked thigh without skin weighs about 9.7 oz (275 g) in the US food survey.

The numbers, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

As people eat it, per 3.5 oz (100 g)

How much is actually in it

• According to the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, a 3-oz portion of turkey breast provides about 180 mg of tryptophan, which could equal about 3 mg of niacin. — general population Evidence E source
  About 180 mg tryptophan per 3 oz turkey breast
• In UK composition data, casseroled turkey thigh meat provides about 28 g of protein, 7.5 g of fat and 5.4 mg of zinc per 3.5 oz (100 g). — UK composition sample Evidence E source
  Per 100 g: 181 calories, protein 28.3 g, fat 7.5 g, iron 2.0 mg, zinc 5.4 mg, selenium 19 mcg

What a real portion looks like

• In the US food survey database, a medium cooked turkey thigh without skin weighs about 9.7 oz (275 g) and an unspecified serving is counted as 85 g. — US dietary survey portions Evidence E source
  Small thigh 205 g; medium 275 g; large 345 g; 1 cup diced 135 g; unspecified 85 g

What your body absorbs

• In a randomized metabolic study, 14 older women eating a high-meat diet with beef, chicken, ham and tuna for 7 weeks absorbed and retained more zinc. — 14 women aged 51-70, three diets of 7 weeks each in random order (n = 14) Evidence B source
  Higher zinc absorption and retention on high-meat diet; lower ferritin than low-meat diets
• A scoping review of 77 studies found that adding muscle meat to plant-based meals raised iron and zinc absorption, with no clear difference between red meat, poultry and fish. — 52 human and 24 animal studies to September 2021 (n = 77 studies) Evidence C source
  Iron and zinc absorption from single plant meals increased with added muscle tissue

What cooking and storage change

• For roasted turkey, the USDA retention table keeps about 65% of thiamin and vitamin B12, 90% of niacin and all of the zinc. — Poultry Products group, turkey roasted Evidence E source
  Retained: folate 60%, thiamin 65%, vitamin B12 65%, vitamin B6 70%, niacin 90%, iron 95%, zinc 100%

What it does to your health

• Across prospective studies, replacing total red meat with poultry was linked to a 12% lower coronary heart disease risk and 8% lower all-cause mortality. — 13 prospective cohort articles to October 2021 (n = 13 articles) Evidence C source
  CHD RR 0.88 (95% CI 0.82-0.96); all-cause mortality RR 0.92 (0.90-0.95)

Safety, limits and interactions

• USDA FSIS advises cooking turkey and other poultry, thighs included, to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer. — consumers cooking poultry, USA Evidence E source
  165 °F for whole and ground poultry
• USDA FSIS advises against washing raw turkey thighs before cooking, because bacteria in raw poultry juices can spread to other foods, utensils and surfaces. — US consumers handling raw poultry at home Evidence E source
  Washing raw poultry before cooking is not recommended; it spreads bacteria from poultry juices to other foods, utensils and surfaces
• A meta-analysis of 131 studies found Campylobacter in about 52% of poultry product samples. — 131 cross-sectional food sampling studies (n = 131 studies) Evidence C source
  Campylobacter prevalence in poultry products 51.9% (95% CI 47.0-56.7)

What people believe that the data does not support

• In a randomized trial with 4-week diets, LDL cholesterol and apoB were similar on white meat and red meat, and both were higher than on non-meat protein. — generally healthy men and women aged 21-65, BMI 20-35, 4 weeks per protein diet (n = 113) Evidence B source
  LDL and apoB higher with red and white meat than nonmeat (P < 0.0001); no significant difference red vs white meat
• A meta-analysis of 8 randomized trials with 406 people found LDL cholesterol fell by 8.2 mg/dL on beef and 8.9 mg/dL on poultry or fish, with no significant difference. — 406 adults free of chronic disease in 8 RCTs, 1950-2010 (n = 406) Evidence A source
  LDL -8.2 +/- 4.2 (beef) vs -8.9 +/- 4.4 mg/dL (poultry/fish), P = .905

Who this works differently for

• For anyone serving turkey thigh, CDC names people 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women as the groups at higher risk of food poisoning, and children under 5 are three times more likely to be hospitalized if they get a Salmonella infection. — people 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems, pregnant women Evidence E source
  Children under 5 three times more likely to be hospitalized with Salmonella infection
• In a 3-month randomized trial in 86 adolescents, serum ferritin fell by a median 6.8 mcg/dL on lean poultry and fish versus rising 0.7 on lean beef. — 86 seventh and eighth graders, low-fat diets for 3 months (n = 86) Evidence B source
  Ferritin change median -6.8 (poultry/fish) vs 0.7 mcg/dL (beef); not clinically significant

What is still unknown

• A systematic review of 30 studies found mercury in poultry meat and eggs above regulatory limits in 12 of 17 countries, mostly measured in eggs and liver. — 30 studies from 17 countries, five poultry species (n = 30 studies) Evidence C source
  Levels above limits (0.02-0.05 mg/kg) in 12 of 17 countries

The bottom line

The same survey counts an unspecified serving as 85 g, a small cooked thigh as 205 g and a large one as 345 g. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements gives about 180 mg of tryptophan for 3 oz of turkey breast, and we have no matching figure for thigh. Roasting turkey keeps about 65 percent of thiamin and vitamin B12, 90 percent of niacin and all of the zinc, by a 1975 USDA factor for roast turkey as a group. Within a single meal, meat raises what the body takes from the plants beside it. A scoping review of 77 studies found that adding muscle meat to a plant-based meal raised iron and zinc absorption, with no clear difference between red meat, poultry and fish. Across a whole diet the effect was less clear. In a randomized metabolic study, 14 women aged 51 to 70 absorbed and retained more zinc on a 7-week high-meat diet of lean beef, chicken, ham and tuna, and the abstract gives no size for the gain. Among 86 adolescents on low-fat diets for 3 months, serum ferritin fell by a median 6.8 mcg/dL on lean poultry and fish and rose 0.7 on lean beef. The authors judged that drop not clinically significant. Long-term evidence is observational. Across 13 cohort articles, replacing red meat with poultry was linked to a lower risk of coronary heart disease (RR 0.88, 95% CI 0.82 to 0.96) and lower all-cause mortality (RR 0.92, 0.90 to 0.95). These are statistical substitution models, and they cannot show that the swap caused the difference. Who should be careful. A meta-analysis of 131 sampling studies found Campylobacter in 51.9 percent of poultry product samples (95% CI 47.0 to 56.7), measured on raw products and not on cooked meat. USDA FSIS advises cooking turkey and other poultry, thighs included, to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F (74 °C), measured with a food thermometer. It also advises against washing raw poultry before cooking, because bacteria in the raw juices can spread to other foods, utensils and surfaces. CDC names people 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems and pregnant women as the groups at higher risk of food poisoning, and children under 5 are three times more likely to be hospitalized if they get a Salmonella infection. A systematic review of 30 studies found mercury above regulatory limits in poultry from 12 of 17 countries, mostly measured in chicken eggs and liver, with turkey muscle barely tested. Beyond food poisoning, we have no card on allergy or medicines for turkey, or on what else changes in pregnancy, childhood or older age, so this page cannot speak to them.

Sources

1. tkth-daily-r8-09 · agency fact sheet
   Turkey is an example of a food high in tryptophan; a 3-oz portion of turkey breast meat provides about 180 mg tryptophan, which could be equivalent to 3 mg niacin [9].
   NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Niacin Fact Sheet for Health Professionals · checked 2026-10-01
2. tkth-daily-r8-12 · food composition dataset
   Turkey, thighs, diced, casseroled, meat only; Energy 181 kcal; Fat 7.5 g; Protein 28.3 g; Iron 2.00 mg; Zinc 5.4 mg; Selenium 19 ug (per 100 g)
   CoFID 2021 (Public Health England), code 18-355, Turkey, thighs, diced, casseroled, meat only · checked 2026-10-01
3. tkth-daily-r8-10 · food composition dataset
   Turkey, thigh, cooked, skin not eaten; 1 small thigh: 205 g; 1 medium thigh: 275 g; 1 large thigh: 345 g; 1 cup, cooked, diced: 135 g; Quantity not specified: 85 g
   USDA FoodData Central survey (FNDDS) 2024-10-31, food code 24202500, fdc_id 2706126 · checked 2026-10-01
4. tkth-daily-r8-04 · randomized controlled trial
   The women ate each of the three diets for 7 wk in random order. Lean beef, chicken, ham, and tuna in the HM diet replaced foods with a low mineral content in the LM diet. ... Compared with the other diets, the HM diet increased zinc absorption and retention, and slightly increased urinary zinc.
   Am J Clin Nutr, 1995 · checked 2026-10-01
5. tkth-daily-r8-05 · scoping review
   The addition of muscle tissue and muscle tissue fractions to single plant-based meals steadily increased absorption of iron and zinc across studies. The efficacy of the meat factor in increasing iron and zinc absorption in the overall diet is less clear. No clear differences emerged between red meat, poultry, and fish in promoting the meat factor effect.
   Adv Nutr, 2022 · checked 2026-10-01
6. tkth-daily-r8-11 · nutrient retention table
   TURKEY,ROASTED: folate_total_ug 60%; thiamin_mg 65%; vitamin_b12_ug 65%; vitamin_b6_mg 70%; niacin_mg 90%; iron_mg 95%; zinc_mg 100%
   USDA Table of Nutrient Retention Factors, Release 6 (2007), code 1805 · checked 2026-10-01
7. tkth-daily-r8-03 · meta-analysis of cohort studies
   Replacing total red meat with poultry (RR, 0.88, 95%CI, 0.82-0.96; I2 = 0%), dairy (RR, 0.90, 95%CI, 0.88-0.92; I2 = 0%), eggs (RR, 0.86, 95%CI, 0.79-0.94; I2 = 7.1%), nuts (RR, 0.84, 95%CI, 0.74-0.95; I2 = 66.8%), or legumes (RR, 0.84, 95%CI, 0.74-0.95; I2 = 7.3%) was associated with a lower risk of CHD ... The replacement of total red meat with fish/seafood (RR, 0.92, 95%CI, 0.89-0.96; I2 = 86.9%), poultry (RR, 0.92, 95%CI, 0.90-0.95; I2 = 61.6%)
   Nutr Rev, 2022 · checked 2026-10-01
8. sf-fsis-r4-4 · agency advice
   FSIS recommends cooking whole poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured using a food thermometer...Cook ground poultry to a safe minimum internal temperature of 165 °F as measured with a food thermometer.
   USDA FSIS, Doneness Versus Safety · checked 2026-10-08
9. sf-poultrywash-tkthigh-1 · agency advice
   Washing raw poultry before cooking is not recommended because bacteria in raw meat and poultry juices can be spread to other foods, utensils, and surfaces.
   Chicken from Farm to Table, USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service · checked 2026-10-08
10. tkth-daily-r8-07 · meta-analysis of prevalence studies
    From the meta-analysis conducted at a 95% confidence interval, Campylobacter was highly prevalent in poultry products (51.9% [47.0-56.7]) and vegetable products (43.3% [17.9-68.7]), but least prevalent in ready-to-eat foods (5.50% [-0.31-11.3]).
    Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr, 2026 · checked 2026-10-01
11. tkth-daily-r8-01 · randomized controlled trial
    Analysis included participants who completed all 3 dietary protein assignments (61 for high SFA; 52 for low SFA). LDL cholesterol and apoB were higher with red and white meat than with nonmeat, independent of SFA content (P < 0.0001 for all, except apoB: red meat compared with nonmeat [P = 0.0004]). ... Primary outcomes did not differ significantly between red and white meat.
    Am J Clin Nutr, 2019 · checked 2026-10-01
12. tkth-daily-r8-02 · meta-analysis of RCTs
    A total of 124 RCTs were identified, and 8 studies involving 406 subjects met the prespecified entry criteria and were included in the analysis. RESULTS: Relative to the baseline diet, mean ± standard error changes (in mg/dL) after beef versus poultry/fish consumption, respectively, were -8.1 ± 2.8 vs. -6.2 ± 3.1 for total cholesterol (P = .630), -8.2 ± 4.2 vs. -8.9 ± 4.4 for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (P = .905)
    J Clin Lipidol, 2012 · checked 2026-10-01
13. sf-hrg-4 · agency advice
    Higher risk groups include people who are 65 and older, children under 5, people with weakened immune systems, and pregnant women. ... Children younger than 5 are three times more likely to be hospitalized if they get a Salmonella infection.
    U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, People at Increased Risk for Food Poisoning (2025) · checked 2026-10-08
14. tkth-daily-r8-06 · randomized controlled trial
    Eighty-six seventh and eighth graders who enrolled in a study comparing serum ferritin, zinc, and cholesterol levels were randomized to a low-fat eating pattern emphasizing either lean beef or lean poultry and fish. ... Although serum ferritin level change between baseline and intervention was significantly different between the lean beef and lean poultry and fish groups (median [interquartile range] 0.7 [-6, 8] and -6.8 [-12, 2] microg/dL, respectively), the drop in the lean poultry and fish group was not clinically significant.
    J Am Diet Assoc, 2004 · checked 2026-10-01
15. tkth-daily-r8-08 · systematic review
    Among biological samples, eggs and liver were the most used for measuring mercury and methylmercury levels. Levels above those permitted by regulatory organizations such as the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), China's National Health Commission (NHC), and Thailand's Ministry of Public Health - set at 0.05, 0.05, and 0.02 mg.kg-1 respectively - were observed in 12 of the 17 countries, with the highest concentrations detected in chicken eggs from Colombia.
    Biol Trace Elem Res, 2026 · checked 2026-10-01