Herring
Food · Protein · Food, Typed Supps
Herring is a small, oily fish packed with vitamin D and healthy fats — it's one of the easiest ways to get vitamin D from food instead of sunlight or pills.
Stage by stage
- Chewing & swallowing (Mouth): Chewing releases herring's oils and protein, starting digestion in the mouth and esophagus.
- Gastric breakdown (Stomach): Stomach acid and enzymes break down the fish's protein and fat, freeing vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids from the flesh.
- Intestinal absorption (Small intestine): In the small intestine, bile emulsifies the fat so vitamin D, EPA, and DHA can be absorbed into the bloodstream along with amino acids from its protein.
- Liver activation & use (Liver & tissues): The liver converts vitamin D to its usable form while omega-3 fats are incorporated into heart, brain, and blood vessel cells throughout the body.
Timing
Because vitamin D and omega-3s are fat-soluble, eating herring as part of a meal that includes some fat helps your body absorb more of them than eating it entirely fat-free.
Time to effect
- Weeks: Regularly eating fatty fish like herring raises blood vitamin D levels gradually, with meaningful increases typically seen after several weeks of consistent intake.
Allergens
Contains: Fish. Derived from what this food is, not from a product label.
Eating patterns
Fits: Pescatarian, Kosher, Keto, Gluten-free. Depends on the product: Halal, Low-FODMAP.
Satiety
146 on the satiety index, where white bread is 100 — high. Modelled from the Holt et al. (1995) measurements.
Environmental footprint
13.6 kg CO2e and 3691 litres of freshwater per kg, matched to "Fish (farmed)" in Poore & Nemecek (2018), Science 360.
Cost band
Mid — roughly £11 per kg, as a band midpoint rather than a price.
Key nutrients
Nutrition per 100g
- Calories: 158
- Protein: 18g
- Carbohydrate: 0g
- of which sugars: 0g
- Fat: 9g
- of which saturated: 2g
- Fibre: 0g
- Sodium: 90mg
Food vs. supplement
Herring delivers vitamin D and omega-3 fats bundled with complete protein, B12, and selenium in one food, rather than as an isolated nutrient the way a vitamin D or fish oil pill does.
Kitchen tip
Buy fresh or frozen herring when possible, and if choosing pickled or smoked versions, check the sodium content on the label since brining and smoking add substantially to it.
Common myth
"You need salmon or a supplement to get real vitamin D from food — other fish barely count." In reality: Raw Atlantic herring contains roughly 150–170 IU of vitamin D per 100 g (about 140 IU, or 15–20% of the Daily Value, in a 3-ounce/85 g serving), making it one of the richest naturally occurring dietary sources of vitamin D — on par with or exceeding many salmon preparations. A safety note: pickled, smoked, or brined herring preparations can carry several hundred milligrams of sodium per serving and, like other dark-fleshed fish, are vulnerable to histamine buildup ("scombroid" reactions) if not kept properly refrigerated.
Recipes that use it
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