Benefits of Eating Liver - Our Most Nutrient-Dense Food!

Posted by Kathy LeMoine on Fri, Mar 04, 2011

Beef livers provide us vitamin-rich storage depots. When sourced from healthy, grass fed cows, liver is absolutely loaded with a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fat. It is particularly rich in the nutrients that help keep our brains healthy including the essential fatty acids needed by humans for proper nutrition and health including EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docasahexaenoic acid), and AA (arachidonic acid) as well as Vitamin B12.

Vitamin B12 Jackpot!

Most animal foods contain some amount of vitamin B12, but by far, the best source is liver which should be eaten at least once a Grass-fed Argentinian Cattle week. Many disorders of the nervous system often result from vitamin B12 deficiency causing a myriad of illnesses and behaviors. So if you are experiencing vague symptoms (related to a less than optimal functioning brain and nervous system) such as difficulty in thinking and remembering, panic attacks, weakness, loss of balance, numbness in the hands and feet, or agitated depression, make sure that your source of vitamin B12 is from healthy animal products, especially a premium source of liver. Vitamin B12 is only well absorbed from animal sources, with liver, by far being highest source of Vitamin B12, followed by sardines, mackerel, herring, salmon, lamb, Swiss cheese, eggs, haddock, beef, blue cheese, halibut, scallops, cottage cheese. chicken and milk.

If you cannot bring yourself to consume liver then raw desiccated liver from grassfed cows is a great alternative. Taken in the form of desiccated liver capsules provides the easiest and most convenient option. Added to soups, gravies, stews, smoothies, broths, etc., desiccated liver powder is a great way to introduce liver into diets of those who don't care for the taste and texture of liver!

Quite simply, desiccated liver contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food!

Highlights of Desiccated Liver

An excellent source of high-quality protein
Contains all of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K
Nature's most concentrated source of vitamin A, which is rapidly depleted during periods of stress, as well as by consuming a low-fat diet
All the B vitamins in abundance, particularly vitamin B12
One of our best sources of folic acid
A highly usable form of iron
Trace elements such as copper, zinc and chromium; liver is our best source of copper
CoQ10, a nutrient that is especially important for cardio-vascular function
A good source of purines, nitrogen-containing compounds that serve as precursors for DNA and RNA

Tags: Vitamin B Complex, Traditional Foods, Liver, Desiccated Liver

Comments

I didn't realize the importance of consuming beef liver until reading this post. There is an epidemic of neurological disorders that would most likely be relieved/healed by consuming beef liver.
I would like to subscribe to your newsletter but am not sure how to do that, I wasn't sure if the subscribe by email is for the blog or your newsletter.

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 10:14 AM by Susan

Good way to get your b-12

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 1:05 PM by Janice

Great way to get AND STAY healthy.

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 1:30 PM by Cindy

I believe that the Vit. A is very important. Once we upped the amount of Vit. A in our family's diet, we saw great changes!

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 1:36 PM by Amy P

Thanks Susan for your feedback. We have edited the blog signup to make it more clear: Subscribe to Our Blog. We have entered you as a subscriber.

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 1:36 PM by Norm LeMoine

I didn't know there was such a thing. I'm interested because I will not eat liver. This I can add to soups. I'm in!

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 2:12 PM by Robyn Lasseigne

Per Kitchen Stewardship, the thing that encourages me to eat liver is its nutrient density, especially the B vitamins. I ate liver every week when I was pregnant with my son, and the day after I ate it, I always felt fantastic.

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 2:20 PM by Tiffany

Great produt

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 2:24 PM by Bud Gramer

I personally love all the health benefits of liver, but dessicated liver would be a terrific addition to have along when traveling -- and especially to get its benefits into the rest of the family's food who won't eat it otherwise.

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 2:38 PM by Allison

The best reason to eat liver every week is stay healthy so you can dance at your grandchildren's wedding! :)

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 2:48 PM by Marilyn

If taking the liver can help get rid of those 'vague symptoms', I think that is an easy fix.

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 2:50 PM by Joan Jaindl

I think the best reason to eat liver is for a real source of folic acid, so important for pregnant and soon to be pregnant moms like me!!

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 3:25 PM by allie

What a great way to get a good source of B12 that is readily absorbed. Plus taking in a pill form makes it much more palitable for me.

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 3:34 PM by Mary Richards

It's an excellent source of high-quality protein!

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 8:27 PM by Raymur Rachels

just like the title states "our most nutrient-dense food". it's so beneficial in every way, our mind, body and spirit.

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 10:49 PM by Veronica

Sounds like I may benefit from the Iron! I need it!

Posted @ Friday, March 11, 2011 10:51 PM by selena

Such a fantastic way to get nutrients!!! Offal is not awful!

Posted @ Saturday, March 12, 2011 9:35 AM by Debbie in GA

Liver is especially important for me to be eating right now, because being pregnant, I have low iron levels, and liver is an incredible source for iron, as well as other important nutrients!

Posted @ Saturday, March 12, 2011 9:58 AM by Melissa

Personally, I love liver and am one of the people who *crave* it from time to time. Unfortunately, my family isn't so inclined to crave it. lol What a terrific idea this is.

I didn't realize that animal-sourced B12 is the best form. We take sublingual b12 (trivita) and I will have to look at where that is sourced. I love this dried-form of liver though; will have to think about how I could incorporate into foods without anyone knowing. :)

Posted @ Saturday, March 12, 2011 10:00 AM by Heather

I think I'm most excited about the B vitamins.

Posted @ Saturday, March 12, 2011 10:08 AM by Margaret

Beef liver is so nutrient dense. We need to eat it or take the dessicated form to ensure we will have our B vitamins.

Posted @ Saturday, March 12, 2011 1:45 PM by vink

wow, this is so interesting. my family has high anxiety and depression issues and my one sister has developed some tics and other uncontrolled things that they can't figure out what is happening, sounds like we all might benefit from this.

Posted @ Saturday, March 12, 2011 9:35 PM by Nina

for me, the most important reasons to take liver is because i have low iron and B12. i will have to get some of this as i am not a fan of liver!

Posted @ Sunday, March 13, 2011 6:30 PM by Ellen

I had no idea numbness in hands and feet could be attributed to b12 def. Liver is definitely next up on my family's list of things to incorporate.

Posted @ Monday, March 14, 2011 10:01 AM by Sarah

I think the copper content is one of the most important reasons to eat liver. I just had a discussion with my brother a couple of months ago about how low levels of copper can contribute to depression.

Posted @ Monday, March 14, 2011 9:12 PM by Laurie

Liver is full of the vitamins, minerals and fatty acids that are hard to find in other foods, especially in the same amount and quality. Getting your hands on high quality grass feed beef liver can be daunting and expensive, but likely not more expensive than equivalent supplements and nutritionally superior.

Posted @ Monday, March 14, 2011 11:55 PM by Rachel Peart

Many of the nutritional components in liver are things we supplement individually with various "vitamins" or supplements. Amazing how they're packaged together right here. Almost makes me want to eat liver. Nah, I like the capsule idea. :)

Posted @ Thursday, March 17, 2011 5:15 AM by Beth

If eating liver only once per week is enough,does that mean that I should only be taking a serving of the freeze dried liver powder once per week? Is daily too much?

Posted @ Thursday, October 27, 2011 10:27 PM by Kelli

What we are saying is that liver should be eaten AT LEAST once per week. This is not to say that we should avoid eating liver daily in moderate portions. The same holds true for desiccated liver powder recognizing that 1.5 teaspoons per day is the equivalent of only about 3 oz of fresh raw liver. Thanks for the question!

Posted @ Friday, October 28, 2011 12:33 PM by Norman LeMoine

What about taking both fermented cod fish liver oil and the desiccated liver? Should I just be doing one or the other? Or if both, then a reduced amount? I'm 4 mo's pregnant and I just started on the fermented cod liver oil and desiccated liver -- but now i'm wondering if I should only be taking one or the other

Posted @ Thursday, December 22, 2011 2:11 AM by katherine

Both the cod liver oil and the desiccated beef liver are natural whole foods. Cod liver oil is potent in omega 3's as well as vitamins A and D. Beef liver packs a punch with its vitamins A and B, iron and a host of other nutrients. Since both of these foods are excellent sources of Vitamin A, you will want to ensure that you are taking in other whole foods rich in Vitamin D, such as fish and egg yolks. The suggested ratio of Vitamin A to Vitamin D should not exceed 10:1.

Posted @ Thursday, December 22, 2011 5:19 AM by Norman LeMoine

I have tried every iron supplement on the market to help with low ferritin levels. The sales person at my healthfood store recommended dessicated liver. Even though I am a vegetarian, I am willing to try this as I have exhausted most other options for supplements with very little improvement. I just received my bottle from Radiant Life today but it does not say how many capsules to take per day. Nor does it say whether to take the recommended amount all at once or evenly spaced throughout the day. Could someone please advise on this? Also, how quickly should I see/feel any imrovement in my ferritin levels? Thank you!!

Posted @ Tuesday, June 05, 2012 7:43 PM by Gretchen

The daily suggested amount is 6 capsules. These can be taken together or spread throughout the day if you prefer. Remember that this is a food balanced by nature not an isolated supplement Thus, overdosing is not a concern.

In terms of improvement in ferritin levels, this will of course depend on a number of variables. Following is a recent comment we received from another customer:

"I was recommended these by a friend for low ferritin levels (17). I also had low B-12 (around 500) After taking these for 2 months, my ferritin jumped to 43, and B-12 to 1500! I was taking 1 to 2 a day. My Dr recommends taking them less often as I am absorbing them so well. I have tried many other iron and B-12 supplements, including sublingual and they have been mere upticks compared to this. I highly recommend these pills."

We hope this helps!

Posted @ Wednesday, June 06, 2012 9:02 AM by Norman LeMoine

Thank you for your prompt response and for the comment from the other customer. Truly, that comment could have come from me as our scenarios are almost identical! I am hopeful to be able to report back with the same results. I think I will now be adding the fermented cod liver oil to my list as well.

Posted @ Saturday, June 09, 2012 8:03 PM by Gretchen

My bottle says Warning: Do not take this product if you are pregnant or nursing. Since it is a whole food supplement, I can't figure out why I shouldn't take it pregnant. Is there any research to support that this shouldn't be taken when pregnant?

Posted @ Friday, June 15, 2012 3:17 PM by Randi

Randi, Are you sure that the label you are referring to is actually Radiant Life Desiccated Liver? The label I am looking at does not state that as it is indeed a whole food supplement.

Posted @ Friday, June 15, 2012 6:44 PM by Norman LeMoine

No, sorry. I wasn't clear. It is a different brand. I was just wondering in general why they would say that about a whole food supplement. I was researching it on line that day when I found this site. On other sites, I read that it is should not be taken when pregnant or given to children because of the high iron content. After researching it, I believe this is only based upon junk science with no substantial evidence or research to back this. I don't believe that natural iron from whole food sources in reasonable doses has any side effects on small children or unborn children. I'm sure their findings are based upon the junk iron made in labs that they add to baby formula and food.

Posted @ Monday, June 18, 2012 9:58 AM by Randi

Where can I find grass fed beef liver. I love liver but will only eat it if it comes from grass fed beef.

Posted @ Saturday, June 30, 2012 1:35 PM by Nancy

Have you checked your local farmer's market? Is there a WAPF chapter in your area? Chapter leaders are a good resource for locating nutrient dense foods. Radiant life offersdesiccated liver available in powder and capsules that comes from grass fed cattle. For a list of ranchers providing grass-fed animal products, http://www.eatwild.com/products/index.html

Posted @ Monday, July 02, 2012 10:09 AM by Kathy LeMoine

Can someone who has been a vegetarian and now eats only fish and chicken (because she can no longer digest beef) take dessicated liver capsules successfully? My daughter needs these nutrients, and I'm wondering if finally there's a way to get them into her body without actually eating red meat.

Posted @ Friday, August 03, 2012 4:02 PM by Kathy

Hello Kathy,

In our opinion, desiccated liver is the perfect way to reintroduce someone to the benefits gained in consuming beef liver without actually eating the whole livers. May we suggest adding the liver powder into a stock, soup or stew?

Posted @ Friday, August 03, 2012 4:47 PM by Norman LeMoine

Can I use this liver instead of the beef liver in the homemade beef base baby formula?

Posted @ Tuesday, August 07, 2012 4:13 PM by Marilyn

Hi Marilyn, Though we offer an outstanding desiccated liver product, for baby formula it is preferred that you follow the precise recipe for the homemade baby formula (p. 603 of Nourishing Traditions) which calls for fresh livers.

Posted @ Wednesday, August 08, 2012 10:31 AM by Norman LeMoine

Hi. So I've read that it is optimal to get 3 ounces twice weekly while nursing but I don't know how to convert this to your desiccated liver powder. How much should I be taking? Also, I want to add some to my baby's food but again, I am not sure how much an infant should be consuming, any suggestions? If I start taking it while nursing, I don't want to overdo it with adding it to the yolks as well. Thanks

Posted @ Thursday, August 09, 2012 8:34 PM by Liza

It is generally recommended that liver should be eaten AT LEAST once per week. This is not to say that we should avoid eating liver daily in moderate portions. The same holds true for desiccated liver powder recognizing that 1.5 teaspoons per day is the equivalent of only about 3 oz of fresh raw liver. For infants, according to Katharine Erlich, M.D., and Kelly Genzlinger, C.N.C., C.M.T.A., authors ofSuper Nutrition for Babies "very little liver is needed for a super nutrition boost- start with just 1/2 to 1 teaspoon (1/3 to 1/2 ounce) of fresh liver every other day."

Posted @ Sunday, October 21, 2012 4:44 PM by Kathy LeMoine

The daily recommendation if the liver capsules is 6 per day. How many ounces per week does this work out to? I'm assuming it is equivalent to the 1.5 teaspoons of powder per day. You have said that is 3 oz, but is that per week or per day? Thank you!

Posted @ Saturday, October 27, 2012 8:27 PM by Heather

Nevermind! I found the answer on my bottle of capsules! Thank you so much!

Posted @ Sunday, October 28, 2012 9:37 AM by Heather

Hi,
I have been taking these for awhile and wanted to know if I can give them to my kids. I have a 6 and 10 year old. They don't mind taking pills.

Thank you!!

Posted @ Monday, January 14, 2013 11:03 AM by Jislayne

As one of nature's most nutrient-dense foods, desiccated liver is fine for adults and children alike. Also, if you prefer, you can also take in powder form by adding to soups and stocks.

Thanks for the question!

Posted @ Monday, January 14, 2013 2:02 PM by Norman LeMoine

I recently bought the radian life powdered dessicated liver. I am pretty tough and take my fermented cod liver oil straight--no chaser! But I cannot gag this stuff down. I tried filling my own capsules but way too time consuming and messy. It is definitely the smell. I really want to incorporate this into our family's repetoire. any suggestions? we do eat grass fed liver, but more like once per quarter not once per week. any suggestions for taking this powder in something that would cover or adding to recipes where you would not taste it would be greatly appreciated. thanks

Posted @ Tuesday, January 22, 2013 8:15 AM by shonda

Hi Shonda, Many people add it to soups, stews and stocks and find that the taste blends right in.

Thank you!

Posted @ Tuesday, January 22, 2013 8:37 AM by Norman LeMoine

I just recently ordered Green Pastures fermented cod oil/high vitamin butter oil which is supposed to be a good source of A, D, and K2, among other nutrients...can I add desiccated liver into the mix or would it be overload of these vitamins? I'm mainly looking for a good way to up my intake of B12 and folic acid. Ideally, I'd get it through food, but I can't afford to eat grass fed beef on a regular basis and I can only eat so many eggs in a day, lol.

Posted @ Wednesday, March 06, 2013 3:27 AM by juniper

Hi Juniper,
Great question! These two whole food supplements actually work synergistically with one another. The cod liver oil blend offers vitamin D, while desiccated liver contains B complex vitamins, easily absorbed minerals and natural folate. Because they do both contain Vitamin A, one serving of each (6 liver capsules, 1 tsp cod liver oil) daily is optimal. For more information see the video below by Sarah, the Healthy Home Economist: Liver Video

Posted @ Wednesday, March 06, 2013 12:01 PM by Kayla Grossmann

Thanks for responding Kayla! I'll actually be taking the blend of of high vitamin butter oil/fclo...does that change anything?

Also, it just hit me that 6 capsules=1 serving...yikes that's a lot of capsules, lol. Are the benefits derived from full servings only, or would taking 3 caps/day contribute to a cumulative effect ?

Posted @ Thursday, March 07, 2013 7:06 PM by juniper

Liver. What about toxns and the bad from air the liver of these healthy animals injest? Cleaning the bad out is what the liver is all about-dont you eat that no matter in what form?What about S.Fallons book and freezing liver than grating it in water?That should do it!

Posted @ Friday, March 08, 2013 4:06 AM by kevin buda

I"m Just starting Liver capsules (6) per day and Fermented cod liver oil/Butter Oil capsules (2) per day. I eat lots of my organic eggs and raw milk. Would this be a good ratio? And how much additional vit D and A and multivitamin do i need? Thanks

Posted @ Wednesday, March 20, 2013 8:46 PM by Johnboy

What you are doing sounds like an excellent whole food diet. You may want to read the Perfect Health Diet book by Paul and Shou-Ching Jaminet. They would recommend eggs, butter and veggies for all the additional Vitamin A that you will require. For Vitamin D, their recommendation is sunshine with supplementation as required to achieve 40 nanograms per ml of 25OHD. A simple blood test will confirm your vitamin D level.

Posted @ Thursday, March 21, 2013 9:27 AM by Norman LeMoine

I started to take the high vitamin butter oil , fermented cod liver oil and the desiccated liver caps about a 3 months ago. I am 9 months pregnant now and my teeth and gums are doing fantastic. My gums stopped bleeding right away and I feel better then ever. I wish I would of started before I became pregnant. I am hoping to start selling the desiccated liver to clients now. I love this stuff.
P.S. I sneak liver into my taco meat and meat balls. No one has noticed yet!!!

Posted @ Wednesday, April 03, 2013 10:40 PM by Carrie

I have read that our ferritin levels can get too high and should remain optimally, somewhere between 60-80. I love the benefits that liver brings (and I eat it often), but my iron levels are more toward the 140 range. Isn't there a danger of eating TOO much liver?

Posted @ Wednesday, April 17, 2013 1:12 PM by Vicki

Hi Vicki,
Although Liver is a truly wonderful food, as with most things in our diet, it is absolutely possible to consume too much and create imbalance. Traditional health experts generally recommend having one or two 4-oz servings per week for the average adult due to the significant amounts of Vitamin A and other nutrients it contains. While this is not a steadfast number, it should give you some indication as to general portions.

Posted @ Wednesday, April 17, 2013 3:10 PM by Kayla Grossmann

i am looking at ordering the powdered liver, as my children are 7,5,and 1 to incorporate into some meals. would this blend easily into ground meat, etc without much notice? would incorporating this 1-2x/week be enough instead of a daily dose?

Posted @ Sunday, April 21, 2013 3:38 PM by Tara

Hello Tara!
The liver powder is great to add to ground meat, stocks, soups, stews, chili etc. As for adding liver to your dishes, enzymes are preserved at temperatures under 118 degrees F. So just make sure that liver is added towards the end of preparation when the soup is not too hot. Check out this video from Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist for tips on how she likes to use it:
Desiccated Liver Video

Posted @ Monday, April 22, 2013 8:54 AM by Kayla Grossmann

I was a child I was anemic and had to eat, but hated liver! As an adult, I love liver. Sometimes, I soak it in (at least) organic &/or raw milk for a time, but just cooking it in ghee or butter, with onions is delicious.

Posted @ Thursday, April 25, 2013 9:07 PM by Mary Ann

Despite years of a nourishing WAPF diet including fermented cod liver oil/butter oil, incorporating liver has made a big impression on me. I enjoy making pate with pastured chicken or grassfed beef liver and the first time I tried it I was almost instantly overwhelmed with a POWERFUL feeling of satiety that bordered on euphoria. Needless to say I eat it several times a week now and though it doesn't have as intense effects as before it sure does hit the spot. It is one of my infant daughter's favorite foods as well, in addition to her FCLO.

Posted @ Thursday, May 09, 2013 9:26 PM by Kirk

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