Did you know that “throughout most of recorded time humans have preferred liver over steak by a large margin, regarding it as a source of great strength and as providing almost magical curative powers“? (Source)
So what I don't understand, then, is why I don't love the stuff as much as I love a good juicy steak or a burger?
Especially when it's SUCH a nutrient-dense superfood!
What's so great about liver? Read more from “The Liver Files“:
Quite simply, it contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food. In summary, liver provides:
- An excellent source of high-quality protein
- Nature’s most concentrated source of vitamin A
- 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
- An unidentified anti-fatigue factor
- 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.
Is it safe to eat liver though? Doesn't it filter out toxins?!
Find the answer to that here, and also get links to other bloggers' favorite liver recipes!
At least there are a few ways that I can get liver into my diet, but my family doesn't always go for it…
- Beef Liver Pâté Recipe with Shallots and Bacon
- I ate liver and loved it, oh yes I did, and so did our kids!
- How to sneak liver onto your dinner table
- I also take fermented cod liver oil (read how it's my “all natural chill pill“), but this has different nutrients than liver from pastured animals, so if you haven't found a recipe that you or your family enjoys…
There's another way: take these beef liver pills instead!
If you just know that those recipes, or any liver recipe, won't fly with you or your family, don't fret. Instead you can take these desiccated liver capsules from Perfect Supplements! (Get 10% off with the code KOP.)
Or open up the capsules and slip them into your superfood smoothies!
Get a Daily 3g Serving of Grass-Fed Beef Liver with ONLY 4 Capsules per Day: Click here!
Side note — I also love Perfect Supplement's 100% Organic and Fair Trade Lip Balm:
- USDA Organic Certified Ingredients
- All Natural Oils So Pure You Could Eat It
- Manufactured by a Fair Trade Federation Company
- The #1 Ingredient is Fair Trade, Organic Beeswax from Zambia
- The #2 Ingredient is Organic Coconut Oil
CLICK HERE to order the desiccated beef liver pills now! (I just ordered them myself, I want our whole family to get more consistent at taking them — don't forget to use the code KOP for 10% off.)
- Have you seen my post, You CAN Eat Beef Heart? I actually love it the way we buy it!
- Read more here about the benefits of liver and other organ meats
This post was originally paid for by Perfect Supplements, they sent my friend and blog assistant, Jill and I, to the Weston Price conference last fall, pretty cool huh? Read all about it here and see some pictures of real foodie rock-star sightings! Or read Jill's post about the cooking class she went to after the conference: 6 Elements of Nutrient-Dense Foods. See my entire disclosure page here.
Angela W. says
At my husband’s last endocrinologist appointment (he’s a Type 1 diabetic), his LDL cholesterol was down so much, she asked him what he was doing. The only thing we can think of is that he started consistently taking the PS beef liver caps. Do you think there’s a connection? I have never read anything about it having an effect on cholesterol. Any thoughts?
KitchenKop says
Hi Angela, yep, that’s even listed as one of the benefits here: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/desiccated-liver !!
Kelly
LB says
I appreciate this post, as it provides an alternative for those who can’t abide the taste of liver. I do love old-style liver and onions, though!
However, I have a question about verifying that supplements contain what they advertise. I’m sure you’re aware of the recent news that the State of New York asked Target, Walgreens, Wal-Mart and GNC to withdraw a number of their supplements because independent testing indicated that items were not what they were purported to be. For example, I was appalled to see that some items that were alleged to be X herb were actually wheat, which could be a danger to those with a gluten intolerance.
To be clear, I have no reason to doubt Perfect Supplements, but I wonder whether WAPF or anyone in the wider real food community has a way of verifying that recommended supplements are in fact what they’re supposed to be? i.e. these contain nothing but liver and no sawdust? Vigilance is key; I’d love to know your thoughts and recommendations on this issue.
KitchenKop says
That is a very good question!
The first thing that comes to mind is that we should somehow get to know the companies that we’re buying from, but obviously that’s not always possible. Not that we couldn’t still get burned (there is always that chance with anything in life), but because I KNOW the owners of Perfect Supplements after working with them so long, I have grown to trust them. Hopefully you trust them because you trust me, and I don’t take that lightly. (That’s why I’m very picky about the sponsors I work with here on the blog.)
I know there’s a better answer to that question than this one, though, so I’m going to ask Perfect Supplements to answer this as well.
Thanks!
Kelly
Paul Morelli says
Hello LB,
Thank you for the question. Our products are completely free of any fillers, flow agents, binders, colors or any other substances other that the actual ingredient. Our Ingredients are minimally processed without radiation or chemical and we never use synthetic ingredients. We have been trying to educate consumers that supplements bought at large retail stores are made to be inexpensive, which means low quality ingredients, and fillers and flow agents like Magnesium stearate to encapsulate at high speed. You can read more here: https://www.perfect-supplements.com/Perfect-Ingredients.html
Healthy regards,
Paul
Paul Morelli says
More infomation
Producing high quality supplements, from only 100% Pure Premium ingredients is at the heart of what Perfect Supplements is all about. In order to ensure that our supplements are pure, ingredients are tested at multiple points along the supply line. All ingredients are lab tested in raw form and then tested again after bottling.
In addition, we encourage consumers to check the FDA complaint database . You can simple enter in the name of the supplement company and see if the FDA has any complaints on the company. We are proud to report that Perfect Supplements has never been cited in any complaints.
Finally, we do think it is important to have a connection with the company that is selling you supplements. You want to know who is behind the company and how to contact them if you have questions and concerns. When you buy grass feed beef from a local farmer, how do you know the cattle was actually grass fed? It is your connection and relationship with the local farmer that allows you to trust that the cattle is really grass fed. We encourage anyone to give us a call and learn more about what we do. We see ourselves much in the same way as a local farmer. We are a family run business that searches for premium ingredients and then places them in a bottle with as little processing as possible. Best regards, Paul
Jacquelyn Lindsey Hoag via Facebook says
this post is bad news…sounding like pharma companies pushing pills. you can have liver pills but not necessary to plant bad ideas into minds because you don’t like. lots of young mothers out there learning
Jacquelyn Lindsey Hoag via Facebook says
most folks grew up with a grandma who cooked liver, its a dying item for the most part….unfortunately, liver like many vegetables were over cooked….you hear things like “i cannot stomach….I will not go near, i will never touch…”greens, summer squashes, etc mushily overcooked, boiled, and liver, fried till dry and hard.
Liver ought to be lightly seasoned, maybe flour dusted and lightly cooked as you would a piece of tender fish. my mom did it with oinions,,garlic and in butter. and then there is chicken liver pate. grammas would have fits about liver pills. gawdalmighty, such nonsense. The fact is,rare are people who have had fresh organmeat that has been pasture raised and organically cared for, not to mention prepared by a good cook and developed palate