Uncovering the Health Secrets of Beef Organs: Why They’re Good for You

Have you ever wondered why some people dig into beef organs like the liver, heart, and kidney? Well, our ancestors have been munching on these super-nutritious meats for centuries. They were a big reason why certain tribes thrived while others struggled. Let’s talk about how these meats pack more nutrients than your favorite veggies, how the food source affects its nutrients, and some simple ways to sneak organ meats into your meals without dealing with their texture or taste. The founder Faisal Toor is excited to share why adding a dash of beef organs to your dishes can seriously boost your health!

Just as oranges are celebrated for their high Vitamin C content, each organ meat boasts distinctive nutrient profiles.

Here are the top 5 that can change your life for the better.

Liver Is A Superfood

The liver is nature’s superfood. It’s LOADED with vitamins, much more than kale or spinach. For example, it has almost three times more iron than spinach and nine times more Zinc than kale.

The liver is rich in Vitamin A and Vitamin K, with some Vitamin D and E, and abundant in the Vitamin B complex.

Vitamin A helps with vision, immune function, fetal development, and skin health. There is a reason why some people see an improvement in their skin after adding liver to their diet.

Vitamin K is excellent for bone health by helping bind calcium to the bone matrix. Some studies show that it also helps prevent the calcification of arteries and promotes cell growth and cognitive function.

The liver is loaded with the Vitamin B complex. This complex does so much that it needs a whole separate article or maybe even a book to explain how it keeps your body running.

The Vitamin B complex generally helps with energy production, maintaining the nervous system, cell growth, skin health, red blood cell formation, cognitive function, and DNA synthesis.

The liver is an excellent source of folate (B9) and choline for those trying to start a family. These two nutrients are essential for fetal brain development, and the liver is a much better option than synthetic vitamins.

Another reason the liver can help keep you healthy is its high zinc content. A serving (3 ounces) of New Zealand liver can provide almost 30% of your daily zinc needs.

Heart Gives You Energy

The heart contains a natural form of CoQ10, which acts as an antioxidant, shielding cells from harm caused by pesky molecules called free radicals. It also plays a crucial role in producing energy within your cells.

Additionally, it helps maintain healthy blood pressure, support cardiovascular health, and boost the immune system.

As people age or due to certain medical conditions, the body’s CoQ10 levels may decrease, so incorporating heart meat into your diet is a great natural way to maintain your CoQ10 levels.

Spleen Has More Iron Than Liver

The spleen often flies under the radar, but it’s actually a powerhouse regarding nutrients. It is an excellent source of B12, and more importantly, it’s a rich source of heme iron.

This is particularly valuable for individuals dealing with anemia, a condition affecting over 30% of women worldwide. While the liver is known for its iron content, containing 4.9mg per 100g of raw liver, the spleen takes the lead with a whopping 44.6mg – a staggering 9.1 times more!

Moreover, heme iron, found in animal sources like the spleen, boasts absorption rates ranging from 15% to 35%. In contrast, non-heme iron, prevalent in plant-based foods, typically has absorption rates between 2% and 20%. This makes you wonder if that daily $12 green smoothie is really doing anything for you except putting a hole in your wallet.

Kidneys Are Great For Allergy Season

The kidneys have their fair share of B vitamins, especially B12, but they also have one thing that the others do not: Diamine Oxidase (DAO).

Those grappling with histamine issues are familiar with DAO. Low levels of DAO can elevate histamine levels, leading to inflammation and allergic reactions. DAO is crucial in breaking down excess histamine levels, presenting a promising natural alternative for managing these issues.

Pancreas Helps with Gut Health

The pancreas is a rich source of iron and Zinc and plays a crucial role in digestion and enhancing nutrient absorption. This makes it a wise choice before considering costly probiotics.

And if you can obtain these top 5 organ meats from a reputable butcher or farmer who raises cattle on 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised diets, you’ve struck gold in quality and nutrition.

Want A Quick And Easy Way To Get Organ Meats?

If you don’t have access to high-quality organ meats or need an easier solution, One Earth Health’s Beef Organs supplement is a great choice. They source their cattle from New Zealand where the cattle are pasture raised among one of the greenest pastures on the planet. Studies show New Zealand organ meats have 40% - 450% more nutrients than U.S. organ meats. A better bang for your buck!

You’re going to get one of the most nutrient-dense food sources. One Earth Health’s Beef Organs supplement is an excellent choice for access or a more straightforward solution. They source their cattle from New Zealand, where they are raised among one of the greenest pastures. Studies show New Zealand organ meats have 40% - 450% more nutrients than U.S. organ meats. We will discuss why New Zealand meats are among the most nutrient-dense meats out there later in this article.

Can Organ Meat Fight Off Depression?

A 2016 study showed that 1 out of 6 Americans use some psychiatric drug. Sally Morell (Founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation) wrote a great article about how nutrient-dense foods may be an excellent remedy for depression.

One scientific study shows how Zinc plays a crucial role in fighting off depression. B12 plays a critical role in maintaining neurological function and helps fight off depression, as stated in this study.

As more Americans become comfortable talking about mental health, the costs and the number of prescriptions are increasing each year.

He is not saying eating nutrient-dense foods is a cure-all. But it’s a simple and cost-effective way to get your body up to par before taking the pharmaceutical route.

And remember, he’s talking about whole foods, not packaged foods fortified with vitamins such as cereal or protein bars. All foods are absorbed better by the body than that $5 protein bar chemically designed for you to eat more than one.

Do Organ Meats Make You Live Longer?

The Mediterranean Diet, made famous by Ansel Keys, who studied key countries in the 1960s, is better known as the “Seven Countries Diet.” The study concluded that saturated fats (red meat, tallow, butter, and lard) caused heart disease and that we should use vegetable oils instead.

One issue with the Seven Countries Diet was that Ansel didn’t include France, which has one of the lowest heart disease rates and a saturated fat-heavy diet.

Nevertheless, the media promoted Ansel Keys as the savior of the heart disease problem since, at the time, it was the #1 killer in America.

This created a snowball effect: vegetable oil consumption dramatically increased in the last 80 years, causing an explosion of processed and packaged foods.

The media and the health community conveniently omitted many case studies showing how meat and saturated fat are tied to longevity.

As recent as 2022, the 175-country study showed that eating meat positively correlates with longevity.

We are all aware of the “Blue Zones” and the correlation of people living past 100 in these areas. The Blue Zone is a phrase people use in the media to promote a vegetarian diet. But like Ansel Key’s study, these Blue Zone studies leave out multiple examples of meat-based communities living longer than their plant-based communities.

Sardinia is one of the Blue Zone hotspots. But a 2014 study showed that people in the mountain regions, where traditional meat diets were embraced, lived longer. Their meat intake was higher than that of the rest of the island.

In Okinawa, Japan, many Blue Zone plant-based proponents claim Okinawans eat a plant-based diet, which is why they have one of the highest rates of people living to 100.

However, this study reveals that their diets were meat-based and included eggs, milk, and other fats and oils.

Many more studies show that people who ate a meat-based diet thrived better than their neighbors. These studies range from Costa Rica to Greece and even Loma Linda, California.

But the one study, or group of studies, that really changed my mind was Dr. Weston Price’s book Nutritional and Physical Degeneration.

Price documents his extensive research conducted during the 1920s and 1930s, where he traveled to various remote regions worldwide to study the diets and health of indigenous peoples still following a traditional lifestyle.

Initially believing a vegetarian diet optimal, he embarked on a journey only to discover that indigenous communities thriving on traditional diets, abundant in whole, unprocessed nutrient-rich foods, enjoyed remarkable health. These diets encompassed a variety of animal-based foods, including meat, organ meat, fish, eggs, and milk, alongside fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, showcasing the significant nutritional benefits of such balanced consumption.

A well-balanced whole-food diet, which many people label as an ancestral diet, was the winning combination.

Price’s work laid the foundation for the modern understanding of the importance of nutrition in health and influenced many subsequent researchers and nutritionists.

The Food Source Matters

Dr. Weston Price emphasized that food sources significantly affect nutrient density. He saw how feeding cattle high-quality grass versus low-quality grain feed impacted the vitamin levels in the butter made from cow’s milk.

This is further emphasized when comparing the nutrient levels of a US-based raw liver and a New Zealand-based raw liver. Overall, the New Zealand-based liver had higher vitamin levels than the U.S.

Vitamin A - New Zealand liver has a whopping 459% more than U.S.-based liver.

Thiamin (Vitamin B1) - New Zealand liver has 96% more than U.S.-based liver.

Iron - New Zealand liver has 72% more than U.S.-based liver.

Vitamin B5 - New Zealand liver has 44% more than U.S.-based liver.

Vitamin B12 - New Zealand liver has 43% more than U.S.-based liver.

New Zealand’s farms are owned mainly by family farms where the cattle are raised on green, lush pastures. No grain feed, no glyphosate or fertilizers, just natural lush grass for the cattle.

The primary factor? Soil quality. Rich soil yields nutritious grass, which contributes to the nutrient density of crops or meat. However, in the United States, the emphasis tends to be on quantity over quality, leading to soil degradation through excessive fertilizer use aimed at short-term benefits.

The evidence is clear. Numerous studies indicate a decline in nutrient levels in crops in Western nations such as the U.S. A 2003 study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition analyzed USDA data spanning from 1950 to 1999 for 43 various vegetables and fruits, revealing consistent decreases in protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, vitamin C, and B2 levels.

A Kushi Institute nutritional data analysis from 1975 - 1997 showed the following declines in vegetables:

Calcium - 27% decline

Iron - 37% decline

Vitamin A - 21% decline

Vitamin C - 30% decline

The British Food Journal study saw similar declines. Lastly, a study showed that you would have to eat eight oranges today to get the same amount of Vitamin A as our grandparents would have gotten from just one!

It’s not the end of the world, folks. Change in agricultural practices and being vocal and demanding better practices will make a difference. More importantly, people can make an immediate change by embracing an ancestral whole-food diet. Start adding high-quality meats and organic meat to your diet. Forget the processed foods. Eat high-quality fruits and vegetables and rotate your diet so that your stomach has a robust microbiome.

The founder tries to incorporate organ meats when he can, add New Zealand-based meats when available, or buy from the farmer’s market with trusted vendors.

He knows that many need access to high-quality organ meat. However, it can be difficult to source or require help handling the texture.

We have a solution for that. One Earth Health has created a wide variety of organ-based supplements sourced from New Zealand. These supplements allow access to nutrient-dense organ meats in a convenient capsule, saving you time in sourcing and cooking these high-quality meats.

People have seen increased energy levels. Others use it as a way to get a wide variety of vitamins at a higher quality than the regular multivitamins you get at the store. The one that covers all your bases is the One Earth Health Beef Organs, which has liver, heart, kidney, spleen, and pancreas all in one bottle.