Lumpfish Roe

Overview

Lumpfish roe is the egg mass of lumpfish (Cyclopterus lumpus), most often sold as salted, dyed “caviar” for canapés and garnishes. It can contribute EPA, DHA, and fish-egg nutrients, but retail products are dominated by added salt and colourings, and long-chain omega-3 levels per 100 g are typically below fresh salmon or trout roe. It fills a budget / occasional garnish niche rather than a high-omega-3 strategy on its own.

Within the BRAIN Diet framework, lumpfish roe is not interchangeable with salmon or trout ikura for nutrient density: treat it as a small-quantity condiment, prioritise label sodium, and prefer salmonid roe when the goal is maximal phospholipid-associated EPA/DHA per gram with lower salt load.

Key Nutritional Highlights

• Lowest typical price point among these three roe pages; widely sold as dyed caviar.
• Sodium is the main limitation — many products are extremely salty per 100 g.
• EPA/DHA are present but usually modest versus salmon/trout roe (estimates here; replace with lab data when available).
• Useful as a flavour accent, not a primary omega-3 “dose food”.
• Ingredient lists often include dyes and stabilisers — read labels if you avoid additives.

Food Context

Synergies

• Pair with unsalted vegetables and whole foods so the meal’s total sodium stays controlled.

Sourcing

• Choose reputable brands with transparent nutrition labels; sodium varies sharply.
• Dyed vs natural appearance is a product-style choice, not a nutrient guarantee.

Preparation

• Use small amounts; rinse is not a reliable way to remove embedded salt from finished caviar.
• Keep chilled; treat like a cured seafood product for food safety.

Essential Amino Acid Profile

This food provides a complete essential amino acid profile typical of animal proteins.

Recipes

no recipes found

Nutrient Tables (per 100 g)

Core nutrients

Nutrient	Amount per 100 g	% RDA per 100 g
Energy	143 kcal	—
Protein	21.4 g	—
Total fat	7.1 g	—
Saturated fat	1.5 g	—
Carbohydrates	0 g	—
Fibre	0 g	—

Bioactive compounds

Explicitly identified compounds, including individual fatty acids, with a defensible quantity or an explicit qualitative status. Asterisks (*) identify supplementary sources below. Unquantified or trace constituents are not automatically admitted to the Substances list.

Compound / class	Amount per 100 g	Notes
EPA	220 mg	—
DHA	280 mg	—

Reference intakes: US Dietary Reference Intakes for adults (19–50 years; using the higher of male/female values where they differ).

Data provenance (core / micronutrient panel): Literature + branded label scaling, Lumpfish caviar, salted (retail; dyed black/red products common). Macros scaled from a representative branded nutrition label (~14 g/serving); fatty acids are mid-range estimates — species-specific assays vary and are often lower than fresh salmonid roe per 100 g., Manual curation, per 100 g product, last checked 2026-03-14

Substances

Substances admitted through a supported nutrition-table row. Not every table row appears here. Cards are not BRS mappings.

2 substances in this food

DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid)

Accounts for ~10–15% of total brain fatty acids, 20–30% of neuronal phospholipids (PE, PS), and >90% of brain omega-3 PUFA; critical for membrane fluidity, synaptic vesicle fusion, neurodevelopment

EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid)

Potent anti-inflammatory; precursor to E-series resolvins; modulates dopamine and serotonin signalling

References

[1] Sodium and formulation for lumpfish caviar are label-dependent; BRAIN Diet emphasis remains on whole-food salmonid roe when maximizing omega-3 quality per unit sodium. Patrick et al. 2019. Role of phosphatidylcholine‐DHA in preventing APOE4‐associated Alzheimer's disease