Herring is one of the oiliest fish people eat, and it is eaten in very different ways: raw with onions in the Netherlands, pickled across Scandinavia, split and smoked as a kipper in Britain, and fermented as surströmming in Sweden. Raw Atlantic herring has 158 calories, 18 g of protein and 1.57 g of EPA plus DHA per 100 g. That puts it 8th among 109 foods on this site for omega-3 fats, and a 3 oz (85 g) serving gives about 4.8 times the daily value of vitamin B12.
Vitamin D is less settled than herring’s reputation suggests. The USDA entry behind this page lists 4.2 µg per 100 g, about a fifth of the daily value and well below the 11 µg of farmed Atlantic salmon on this site. Other analyses found much more. Salted and pickled Icelandic herring products held 17 to 28 µg per 100 g, and belly flaps from Norwegian spring-spawning herring held 53.5 µg, about twice the fillet, with large swings between seasons.
Where the fish comes from matters. In Sweden and Finland, wild herring from the Baltic Sea carries dioxin advice for children and women who may become pregnant, and the EU allows both countries to sell it even when dioxins exceed the usual EU limit. This page uses raw Atlantic herring for its nutrition numbers, and the trials below mostly used baked or pickled fillets.
Health benefits of herring
The best-supported finding is small: in a meta-analysis of randomized trials, fatty fish raised blood vitamin D by 6.8 nmol/L. Herring itself has been tested in a handful of small trials, mostly Swedish and Norwegian, and the clearest result is a rise in HDL cholesterol. None of the herring trials here tested heart disease or death, and the large omega-3 capsule trials found little or no effect on deaths. Here is what 20 studies found, strongest evidence first, from vitamin D and blood fats to children’s thinking, metabolism and survival, including the trials that found nothing.
Eating fatty fish in randomized trials raised blood vitamin D (25(OH)D) by 6.8 nmol/L, while lean fish did not raise it significantly
Meta-analysis of 9 studies (640 people) in which people ate fish or another diet in randomized trials. It covers fish in general, not herring alone. All fish together raised 25(OH)D by 4.4 nmol/L and lean fish by 1.9 nmol/L, which was not significant. The authors say recommended fish intakes cannot optimize vitamin D status.
Omega-3 supplements and advice to eat more omega-3 in long trials made little or no difference to deaths from any cause (risk ratio 0.97) but lowered triglycerides by about 15%
Cochrane review of 86 randomized trials (162,796 people) lasting at least 12 months. Most trials used supplements, not fish, and the authors say there is little evidence about eating fish. Coronary heart disease events fell slightly (risk ratio 0.91), while stroke and arrhythmia did not change.
Lunches with 80 g of herring or salmon on 5 days a week for 8 weeks lowered blood triglycerides in Chinese women with high triglycerides
Parallel randomized trial in 126 women aged 35 to 70, comparing 80 g fillets of Norwegian salmon, herring or farmed pompano with a mix of commonly eaten meats. Only the salmon and herring groups also showed lower TNF-alpha and higher adiponectin than at the start. The authors tie the effects mainly to the long-chain omega-3 content.
Fatty fish lunches (herring or mackerel) 3 times a week for 16 weeks did not raise cognitive scores in preschool children compared with meat
Randomized trial in 232 children aged 4 to 6 in Bergen, Norway (218 analyzed). The total score rose 17.7 points with fish and 17.8 with meat. When the analysis adjusted for how much was actually eaten, the fish group gained more (20.4 against 15.2), with DHA as the link. The Norwegian Seafood Research Fund paid for the trial and a fish company supplied the herring and mackerel free; the paper says neither took part in design, analysis or writing.
Show 16 more studies
Herring or mackerel lunches 3 times a week for 16 weeks did not change mental health or sleep in preschool children compared with meat
Same randomized trial as above, in 232 children aged 4 to 6, using a parent questionnaire on strengths and difficulties and parent-reported sleep. There was no difference between the groups, with or without adjusting for how much fish or meat was eaten. The Norwegian Seafood Research Fund paid for the trial and a fish company supplied the fish free.
Herring or mackerel lunches 3 times a week for 16 weeks raised omega-3 fats in the red blood cells of preschool children compared with meat
Randomized trial in 232 children aged 4 to 6 in Norway, testing 86 biomarkers. Red blood cell EPA rose by a standardized 0.61 and DHA by 0.43, and urinary iodine and hair mercury also rose, while a meat marker, plasma 1-methylhistidine, fell. Little changed in markers of vitamin status or inflammation. The Norwegian Seafood Research Fund paid for the trial, and the paper says the funders took no part in design, analysis or writing.
150 g of baked herring on 5 days a week for 6 weeks raised HDL cholesterol to 1.04 mmol/L from 0.99 mmol/L after a pork and chicken diet
Crossover trial in 35 healthy men with overweight, with a 12-week washout between a herring diet and a diet of baked lean pork and chicken. Triglycerides fell on both diets, and markers of inflammation and LDL oxidation did not differ. The authors found no sign of harm to antioxidant status.
150 g of baked herring on 5 days a week for 4 weeks raised HDL cholesterol to 1.22 mmol/L from 1.13 mmol/L compared with pork and chicken in people with obesity
Randomized crossover trial in 15 healthy men and women with obesity (13 finished). Triglycerides fell a little, but not significantly, and other blood markers did not change. CRP tended to be lower after herring. It was very small.
A lunch with baked herring cleared blood fats faster than a lunch with baked minced beef in men with overweight
Crossover trial in 17 healthy men (mean age 58) who ate three matched lunches with 150 g of baked herring, pickled herring or baked minced beef, with blood tests for up to 7 hours. The baked and pickled herring gave 3.3 and 2.8 g of long-chain omega-3 fats. The pickled herring contained 22% sugar and gave a higher insulin response than the other two meals.
After a beef meal, blood levels of 2-aminoadipic acid, a suggested marker of diabetes risk, rose 1.6 times as much as after baked herring
Randomized crossover trial in 17 men with overweight, using the same three meals as above, with blood samples for 7 hours. After herring, the DHA and cetoleic acid responses were 17.6 and 150 times greater than after beef. It measured blood markers after single meals, not illness.
Four weeks of herring meals instead of chicken and pork lowered blood citrate and raised glutamine, with a rise in blood nitric oxide in men
Randomized crossover trial in 15 healthy men and women with obesity, five meals a week, with blood analyzed in 11 who had samples. The authors say the effects are unrelated to the long-chain omega-3 content. These are metabolite shifts, not health outcomes, and their meaning is unclear.
After 6 weeks of herring, blood vitamin B12 was 8.9% higher and selenium 4.6% higher, but vitamin D did not rise significantly
Blood samples from a randomized crossover herring trial (32 people), eating herring 5 meals a week against a reference meat diet. The authors propose B12 as a marker that someone has eaten fish. The 25-hydroxy vitamin D3 result matters because herring is often called a vitamin D food.
Eating herring or mackerel raised blood levels of the fatty acid 16:4(n-3), which made mice resist chemotherapy when given in fish oil
In this Dutch study, 20 healthy volunteers ate 4 fish species, and herring and mackerel held high levels of the fatty acid, unlike salmon and tuna. The mouse result used fish oil with the drug cisplatin, and no patients were tested. The authors suggest that fish oil and these fish may best be avoided around chemotherapy days until more data exist.
Capsules of cetoleic acid, a fat found in herring, taken for 8 weeks lowered LDL cholesterol by about 7% compared with a comparator capsule
Double-blind randomized trial in 75 adults with overweight or obesity, taking 1,480 mg of cetoleic acid and 232 mg of EPA a day, or soybean oil with 258 mg of EPA. LDL changed by a median of -0.1 mmol/L with cetoleic acid and rose 0.2 mmol/L with the comparator. This was a supplement, not herring, and a small trial.
People in the highest group of fish intake had a 6% lower risk of dying from any cause across 12 cohorts
Meta-analysis of 12 prospective cohorts (672,389 people, 57,641 deaths) on fish in general, not herring. Eating 60 g of fish a day went with a 12% lower risk than never eating fish. Cohorts show a link, not cause.
Each extra 20 g of fish a day went with a 4% lower risk of dying from heart and blood vessel disease, but the link differed by region
Meta-analysis of 14 prospective cohorts (911,348 people, 75,451 deaths) on fish in general. Risk of death from any cause was only marginally lower (risk ratio 0.98), and the result was significant only in Asian studies. Western studies looked nearly U-shaped, with the lowest risk near 20 g a day.
A model of Baltic herring and salmon found benefits outweighed dioxin and mercury risks in people over 45 and in young men
Quantitative benefit-risk assessment built from published studies and an online survey in Denmark, Estonia, Finland and Sweden, not a trial. For young women the authors found the risks small and the benefits at least similar, and say small herring has fewer pollutants. Funding came from the EU BONUS program, the Academy of Finland and a Swedish research council, and the paper says the funders had no say in the analysis.
Herring oil lowered total cholesterol by 17% in obese rats compared with soybean oil
Thirty male obese Zucker rats ate herring oil (0.70% cetoleic acid), a cetoleic acid concentrate (1.40%) or soybean oil for 5 weeks. The concentrate lowered cholesterol by 20%. The liver showed less fat production and VLDL assembly. This is an animal study.
Mice on a high-fat diet that got herring milt in place of 70% of their casein protein gained less weight and had better insulin sensitivity
Male mice ate a high-fat diet for 7 weeks and were then randomized. Dried milt and milt hydrolysate worked about equally, and dried milt also lowered total cholesterol. Milt is the male fish reproductive organ, not a common food in most countries, and this was a mouse study.
A cetoleic acid concentrate lowered inflammation markers in the fat tissue of obese rats, but herring oil itself did not
Thirty male obese Zucker rats ate herring oil (0.70% cetoleic acid) or a concentrate (1.40%). The concentrate lowered TNF-alpha, IL-6 and other markers, and the authors think this was probably not through more EPA production. This is an animal study.
Who should be careful with herring
Most people can eat herring freely. Take a little care if one of these applies:
- Baltic herring in pregnancy or for young children. Dioxins build up in fatty Baltic fish. The Swedish Food Agency advises children, teens and women of childbearing age to eat it no more than 2 to 3 times a year, and the Finnish Food Authority advises once every two months for herring over 19 cm for children under school age and for women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or of peak reproductive age.
- Raw or lightly cured herring. It can carry live Anisakis worms. EU rules require fish sold raw, or cured too lightly to kill them, to be frozen at -20°C for at least 24 hours, and a home freezer may not do the job: in a Polish test, 24 hours at -15 to -20°C in a single-compressor freezer did not kill all the larvae in whole herring.
- Salt and sugar in cured herring. Curing adds salt, raw herring has 90 mg of sodium per 100 g on this page, and the pickled herring in one Swedish trial contained 22% sugar and raised insulin more than baked herring. Read the label if you watch salt, sugar or blood pressure.
How to choose, store and eat herring
- Baked or fresh: the Swedish trials used 150 g of baked fillets, which gave 3.3 g of long-chain omega-3 fats, and baked herring cleared blood fats faster than baked beef.
- Pickled: 150 g gave 2.8 g of long-chain omega-3 fats in the same trial, but with 22% sugar, so compare labels. In a lab test, 24 hours in 11% salt followed by a vinegar marinade left no live Anisakis larvae in the fish.
- Raw (maatjes, Hollandse Nieuwe): the Dutch season’s first herring needs at least 16% fat, according to Dutch News, and is salted and frozen by law before it reaches you, so buy it from a trusted fishmonger.
Choose whole fish with clear, shiny eyes, firm flesh and a mild smell, and keep fresh seafood in a refrigerator at 40°F (4°C) or below if you will use it within 2 days of buying. The FDA and EPA list herring among their Best Choices for fish.
Sources
- Dioxins and PCBs in Swedish food. Swedish Food Agency (Livsmedelsverket).
- Safe use of fish. Finnish Food Authority (Ruokavirasto). Updated February 2025.
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 1259/2011 of 2 December 2011 amending Regulation (EC) No 1881/2006 as regards maximum levels for dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and non dioxin-like PCBs in foodstuffs. Article 7(5): Finland and Sweden may sell wild Baltic herring larger than 17 cm above the maximum levels if consumers are informed of dietary advice.
- Advice about eating fish. FDA and EPA. Herring is listed under Best Choices.
- Regulation (EC) No 853/2004 laying down specific hygiene rules for food of animal origin. Annex III, Section VIII, Chapter III, Part D: requirements concerning parasites.
- Podolska M, Pawlikowski B, Nadolna-Ałtyn K, et al. How effective is freezing at killing Anisakis simplex, Pseudoterranova krabbei, and P. decipiens larvae? An experimental evaluation of time-temperature conditions. Parasitol Res. 2019.
- Kumas K, Al-Jubury A, Kania PW, Abusharkh T, Buchmann K. Location and elimination of Anisakis simplex third stage larvae in Atlantic herring Clupea harengus L. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl. 2024.
- Svelander C, Gabrielsson BG, Almgren A, et al. Postprandial lipid and insulin responses among healthy, overweight men to mixed meals served with baked herring, pickled herring or baked, minced beef. Eur J Nutr. 2015.
- Inburgering with Dutch News: celebrating the humble herring. DutchNews.nl. 2022.
- Selecting and serving fresh and frozen seafood safely. FDA.
- Aro TL, Larmo PS, Bäckman CH, Kallio HP, Tahvonen RL. Fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins in salted herring (Clupea harengus) products. J Agric Food Chem. 2005.
- Kjerstad M, Larssen WE, Midtbø LK. Belly flap from Norwegian spring-spawning herring (Clupea harengus L.): a potentially new product with high content of vitamin D, EPA and DHA. Heliyon. 2020.
History of herring
Herring has fed Europeans for a very long time. Researchers describe the Baltic Sea as home to the first “industrial” fishery about 800 years ago, aimed at Baltic herring, and ancient DNA shows that extensive trade in the fish began in the Viking Age.
In the Middle Ages the fish had its own market. The Scania market, held between Skånör and Falsterbo at the southern mouth of the Öresund, ran from August 24 to October 9 and became a major trade event from around 1200. Herring was cheap protein, Church fasting rules raised demand, and a good year could mean exports of 300,000 barrels, with salt and barrels coming mostly from Lübeck traders. The herring around Scania abruptly ceased at the start of the 15th century, and the market lost its importance.
Dutch tradition credits a 14th-century fisherman from Biervliet in Zeeland, Willem Beuckelszoon, with perfecting the way of gutting and salting herring in barrels. The pancreas stays in the fish because its enzyme helps the herring ripen. Popular accounts disagree on the date, giving 1380 in one and 1386 in another.
That method lives on in Hollandse Nieuwe, the first herring of the Dutch season, which is traditionally caught weeks earlier, salted and deep-frozen until the season opens. Many Dutch people eat it whole, held by the tail, while Amsterdam usually serves it sliced with onions.
Other countries cured it their own way. The exact origin of the kipper is unknown: one story gives a fisherman near Great Yarmouth in 1599, and another gives John Woodger of Seahouses in 1843, and tales of accidental invention should be treated with caution. In Sweden, Baltic herring is fermented to make surströmming.
Sources
- Atmore LM, Martínez-García L, Makowiecki D, et al. Population dynamics of Baltic herring since the Viking Age revealed by ancient DNA and genomics. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2022.
- Scania market. Wikipedia.
- Willem Beuckelszoon. Wikipedia.
- Inburgering with Dutch News: celebrating the humble herring. DutchNews.nl. 2022.
- Kipper. Wikipedia.
- Herring as food. Wikipedia.
Frequently asked questions about herring
Is herring good for you?
For most people, yes. Raw Atlantic herring has 158 calories, 18 g of protein and 1.57 g of EPA plus DHA per 100 g, and a 3 oz (85 g) serving gives 484% of the daily value of vitamin B12. In two small trials, 150 g of baked herring on 5 days a week raised HDL cholesterol, but no herring trial here tested heart disease or death. Baltic herring comes with dioxin advice for children and women who may become pregnant.
Is herring high in omega-3?
Yes. A 3 oz (85 g) serving of raw herring has 1.34 g of EPA plus DHA, and the fish ranks 8th among 109 foods on this site for omega-3. EFSA sets an adequate intake of 250 mg a day of EPA plus DHA for adults, so one serving covers about 5 days. In a Swedish trial, 150 g of baked herring gave 3.3 g of long-chain omega-3 fats.
Is pickled herring healthy?
It keeps much of the omega-3 but adds salt and sometimes sugar. In a Swedish trial, 150 g of pickled herring gave 2.8 g of long-chain omega-3 fats against 3.3 g from baked, but it contained 22% sugar and raised insulin more. Raw herring has 90 mg of sodium per 100 g, and curing adds more. Compare labels for sugar and sodium.
Is herring high in mercury?
The FDA and EPA list herring among their Best Choices, and suggest 2 to 3 servings of 4 oz a week from that list. Fish still adds some mercury: in Norwegian children who ate herring or mackerel 3 times a week for 16 weeks, hair mercury rose compared with children who ate meat.
Is herring healthier than salmon?
They are close, with different strengths. Per 100 g raw, herring has 158 calories and 1.57 g of EPA plus DHA, against 208 calories and 1.97 g for farmed Atlantic salmon on this site. Herring has 570% of the daily value of vitamin B12 against 135%, while salmon has 55% of the daily value of vitamin D against 21%. In a Chinese trial, 80 g of either fish lowered triglycerides in women with high triglycerides, and no trial here compares them head to head.
Can you eat herring raw?
Yes, if it was frozen or cured correctly first. EU rules require fish sold raw to be frozen at -20°C for at least 24 hours or -35°C for at least 15 hours to kill Anisakis, or heated to a core temperature of 60°C for at least a minute. A home freezer may not match that: in a Polish test, 24 hours at -15 to -20°C in a single-compressor freezer did not kill all the larvae in whole herring. Dutch Hollandse Nieuwe is frozen by law before sale.
How often should you eat herring?
No herring study sets an ideal amount. The Swedish trials used 150 g of baked herring 5 days a week for 4 to 6 weeks, which is a short-term test, not advice. The FDA and EPA suggest 2 to 3 servings of 4 oz a week from their Best Choices list, which includes herring. For Baltic herring, Sweden and Finland advise much less often for children and women who may become pregnant.
Is herring high in protein?
Yes. Raw herring has 18 g of protein per 100 g and 15.3 g in a 3 oz (85 g) serving, which supplies about 47% of its calories. It scores 100 out of 100 for essential amino acids on this site, so it has no limiting amino acid.