Tilapia vs. Carp — Health Impact and Nutrition Comparison

Introduction

Tilapia and carp are both types of white fish; however, some differences set these two apart. In this article, we will focus on these differences while also discussing some similarities.

Carp is more popular in Asia and Eastern Europe, unlike tilapia, which can be more easily found in North America and Europe. Tilapia is more often farmed, whereas carp is often wild-caught.

Nutrition

The nutritional information below is presented for 100g servings of carp and tilapia cooked by dry heat. If you want to know about the nutrition of other serving sizes or cooking methods, you can find these options in the appropriate sections.

The average serving size for carp is 3 ounces or 85g, and the average serving size for tilapia is one fillet or 87g. One fillet of carp is larger, weighing 170g (1).

Macronutrients and Calories

Carp is slightly denser in terms of nutrition, consisting of 70% water and 30% nutrients, while tilapia is 72% water and 28% nutrients. 

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison

Tilapia

2

Protein: 26.15 g

Fats: 2.65 g

Carbs: 0 g

Water: 71.59 g

Other: 0 g

Carp

2

Protein: 22.86 g

Fats: 7.17 g

Carbs: 0 g

Water: 69.63 g

Other: 0.34 g

Contains more ProteinProtein

+14.4%

Contains more FatsFats

+170.6%

~equal in Carbs ~0g

~equal in Water ~69.63g

~equal in Other ~0.34g

Calories

Carp is higher in calories, providing 34 more calories than tilapia per every 100g serving, mostly due to fats.

A 100-gram serving of carp and tilapia contains 162 and 128 calories, respectively.

Protein

Carp and tilapia have similar protein profiles, providing high amounts of all essential amino acids. That being said, tilapia is richer in proteins by 3.3g per 100g serving. Tilapia is somewhat higher in all the essential amino acids, except for histidine.

Fats

A 100g serving of carp contains 7.2g of fats, while the same serving size of tilapia has 2.7g. However, about 70% of the fat found in these fish is unsaturated.

Carp is 2.7 times higher in total fats; more particularly, it is 3 times higher in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and only 1.5 times higher in saturated fats (SFA). Carp is richer in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids compared to tilapia.

Carp is also higher in cholesterol, containing 84mg per 100g serving, while this number for tilapia is 57mg.

Fat Type Comparison

Fat type breakdown side-by-side comparison

Tilapia

1

Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 0.94 g

Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 0.955 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 0.6 g

Carp

2

Saturated fat: Sat. Fat 1.388 g

Monounsaturated fat: Mono. Fat 2.985 g

Polyunsaturated fat: Poly. Fat 1.835 g

Contains less Sat. FatSaturated fat

-32.3%

Contains more Mono. FatMonounsaturated fat	+212.6%
Contains more Poly. FatPolyunsaturated fat	+205.8%

Carbohydrates

Both tilapia and carp contain no carbohydrates.

Vitamins

Carp is overall richer in vitamins, providing 3 times more folate or vitamin B9 and about 2 times more vitamins B6, B1, and B5. Carp is a source of vitamin A and vitamin C, while tilapia lacks these nutrients. Carp also tends to be richer in fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins E, D, and K (2).

All that said, tilapia provides 2 times more vitamin B3 and is somewhat higher in vitamin B12. 

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Tilapia

6

100 g 300 g 1 fillet - 87g

Carp

6

100 g 300 g 3 oz - 85g1 fillet - 170g

Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin DVitamin D	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3	+126%
Contains more Vitamin B12Vitamin B12	+26.5%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K	+∞%
Contains more CholineCholine	+∞%

Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A	+∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1	+50.5%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5	+31%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6	+78%
Contains more FolateFolate	+183.3%

~equal in Vitamin B2 ~0.07mg

Minerals 

Carp wins in the mineral category as well, providing nearly 5 times more zinc, 4 times more calcium, 3 times more phosphorus, and 2 times more iron. It is, in some measure, also higher in magnesium, potassium, and manganese.

On the other hand, tilapia is 3 times richer in selenium.

The sodium content of these fish depends greatly on the preparation method and the added salt in the cooking process. However, tilapia tends to be lower in sodium.

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.

Tilapia

2

100 g 300 g 1 fillet - 87g

Carp

7

100 g 300 g 3 oz - 85g1 fillet - 170g

Contains less SodiumSodium	-11.1%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium	+235.8%

Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium	+11.8%
Contains more CalciumCalcium	+271.4%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium	+12.4%
Contains more IronIron	+130.4%
Contains more ZincZinc	+363.4%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus	+160.3%
Contains more ManganeseManganese	+35.1%

~equal in Copper ~0.073mg

Health Impact

White fish, such as tilapia and carp, is considered a healthy choice for one’s diet in general. In this section, we will look into the research behind this claim.

Cardiovascular Health

One high-quality research found that fatty fish consumption can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and overall mortality rates, while the same cannot be said about lean fish (4). Tilapia and carp are both considered lean white fish; however, carp is higher in fats, especially unsaturated fatty acids.

Overall, fish consumption has been studied to reduce triglyceride levels and increase high-density lipoprotein levels. These qualities are said to be due to the high levels of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish (5). As stated above, carp is higher in these. Other nutrients found in fish may also play a role, but there is less research surrounding this topic.

Diabetes

The research regarding the effect of fish consumption and the development of type 2 diabetes is mixed. Some research finds that unprocessed fatty and lean fish intake leads to a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, while other studies do not find an association between the two (6, 7).

Mercury Content

According to the FDA, tilapia contains lower levels of mercury compared to carp. Tilapia falls in the category of “Best Choices” for fish low in mercury, while carp falls in the “Good Choices” category (8).

Based on the mercury content, 2 to 3 four-ounce servings of tilapia is allowed weekly during pregnancy and breastfeeding. For carp, only one serving a week is recommended.   

Sources.

1. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/174185/measures
2. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/food-details/2706233/nutrients 
3. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2405457724001633
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35108375/
5. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/240812944
6. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2752921
7. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2768220/
8. https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/advice-about-eating-fish#choice