Liver – The Amazing Health Benefits of This Super Food and Best Sources

Liver is one the greatest super foods on the planet.  It’s full of beneficial vitamins and minerals that promote good health.

In fact, we have written about the benefits of raw cod liver oil before on this blog.  Pound for pound, no other food can come close the nutrient value found in liver.

Unfortunately, getting access to fresh liver can be extremely difficult depending on one’s location.  Those living in the city will most definitely find it extremely challenging finding a quality source of this amazing super food.

Luckily, there are several options available for those who don’t have access to this super food.  Even for those who do have access, the following are great additions due to their convenience and overall quality.

Below are the best ways to incorporate liver into your diet

Raw Norwegian Cod Liver Oil

Raw cod liver oil is the best source of essential vitamins and minerals that are extremely deficient in our diet.   We personally like RCLO because it contains all the heat sensitive elements that would otherwise be destroyed by high temperature processing.  In fact, for this reason, liver was traditional consumed raw by many tribes around the world in order to maintain health.

Nowadays we hardly, if at all, consume any animal products in their raw form.  Although cooking can be beneficial in many ways, traditional tribal people would always eat a combination of both cooked and raw animal products.

In fact, it was a staple for early Native Americans during the winter months.  They understood that it contained certain elements that would keep them healthy and nourished throughout the winter.  One study found that supplementing with omega 3 fatty acids from RCLO improved depression and anxiety (1).

Also, both Vitamin A and Vitamin D are both found in abundance and in perfect balance in RCLO.  These two vitamins are extremely important for hormone production and overall health.  Research has shown that vitamin D is crucial for prevention of chronic disease and is extremely important for cardiovascular health (2)

For those interested in purchasing a RCLO supplement, we personally like Dropi Pure Icelandic CLO.  It contains no fillers and is 100% CLO.

liver

Desiccated Grass-Fed Beef Liver

Although, RCLO is much more popular, desiccated grass-fed beef liver is also a great option for increasing your liver intake.

Desiccated simply means without out moisture, or in other words, the liver has undergone a dehydration process.  This preserves the vitamins and minerals in the liver and allows for safe storage.

Of course fresh liver coming from a grass fed animal would be best, however, desiccated liver is a great option for those wishing to get the full benefits of liver in an easy to take form.  One study found that supplemented with desiccated beef liver is a good option for infants and young children struggling with nutritional deficiencies (3).

Furthermore, research has concluded that liver is an excellent food for maintaining the health and integrity of the teeth.  This is namely due to its high vitamin A content which is a fat soluble vitamin responsible for maintaining the health of epithelial cells (4).

That being said, we believe the best source of liver comes from grass fed animals and straight from the farm.  However, we understand the difficulty this may pose for some individuals.  We personally like Ancestral Supplements Grass Fed Beef because it’s a grass fed desiccated liver that comes from cattle grazing green pasture.