The lesser-known superfood is beef liver packed with vitamins and minerals. Consuming has shown these eight beef liver benefits for health.
When it comes to identifying what’s healthy, there is so much information out there that it is hard to keep track of everything. One lesser-known superfood is beef liver.
While it may be a little weird, with a low level of carbohydrates and a high level of protein, this is a great food for all kinds of diets.
If you are not familiar with the nutritional value of beef liver, this article is for you!
Beef Liver Nutrition
Beef liver has many nutritional values and can act as a multivitamin with everything that it contains.
Beef Liver Vitamins
The following vitamins in beef liver include:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B6 and B12
- Vitamin C
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin E
- Vitamin K
- Folate
- Niacin
- Riboflavin
- Thiamine
Source: Medicalnewstoday
Beef Liver Minerals
Beef liver also contains the following nutrients:
- Calcium
- Choline
- Copper
- Iron
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Phosphorus
- Selenium
- Zinc
Source: Healthline
Other superfoods such as Kale, Spinach, and Blueberries don’t have close to the same levels of vitamins and minerals as beef liver, making them the superior choice.
Benefits of Beef Liver
Because of the many vitamins and minerals contained in beef liver protein, there are many benefits of beef liver that you can take advantage of.
These benefits include, but are not limited to:
Increased Energy
We all live in an overwhelming society that can wear us out, so we can all benefit from an energy boost.
Beef liver can be that boost, with nutrients and vitamins that promote energy such as Vitamin B12, Vitamin C, Iron, Magnesium, Niacin, and Riboflavin.
These nutrients help with energy, oxygen levels, stamina, and concentration.
Endurance and Physical Strength
Magnesium, found in beef liver, can be great for your muscle health and development. This can help increase muscle strength and performance.
If you are someone who exercises regularly, you also need magnesium to maintain your muscles and make your workout gains even better!
Great Skin
The vitamins that help you maintain clear and luminous skin are also found in beef liver.
- Increase vascularity and firmness to reduce the appearance of aging
- Reducing wrinkles
- Protects skin from damaging UV rays
Related: Best anti-aging cream for men
Immune Boosting
Having a strong immune system is important for us all. The maintenance of our immune system can be tricky and requires a multitude of vitamins and minerals.
Some found in the beef liver that can help include vitamin A, C, D, Copper, and Zinc.
How?
- Vitamin A: prevents pathogens from passing into tissues or the bloodstream
- Vitamin C: boosts immune response and reduces tissue damage
- Copper: defends the cells against free radicals
- Zinc: can assist with healing wounds
Fertility
If you are a male, vitamin B12 can increase sperm count and motility, which can help you with your fertility and increase the chances of getting pregnant in a timely manner.
This can also help women who are pregnant with their fetus's development. The main component of the beef liver that helps during pregnancy is iron, which is a highly sought-after nutrient for pregnant women.
Bone & Heart Health
Strong bones and a healthy heart are very important to everyone’s health and beef liver can help with both!
Beef liver contains Potassium that can help lower your blood pressure making your heart healthier.
Healthy Eyes
Healthy vision requires vitamin A, which is found in abundance in beef liver.
Brain Health
If you are looking to be better focused, and increase your brain function, the beef liver might be the choice for you.
Naturally, selenium decreases as you age and it can affect your brain function. The selenium in the beef liver can help with this.
This is not the only nutrient that can help improve your brain. Copper and Niacin can also help improve cognitive function and improve memory.
Another great brain nutrient is iron. Iron deficiencies can affect brain function and once you start increasing your iron, you can expect better attention, concentration, and even memory.
Mood Improvement
With the stress of the world, having a happy mood is essential and the vitamins and nutrients in the beef liver can help with mood-boosting and stress relief.
Protein in Beef Liver
Most liver is high in protein, making it a healthy and filling food to eat, and beef liver is no exception.
If you are trying to eat more protein, beef liver, or cow liver, is a great option. For every 3 oz of beef liver you eat, you will be consuming 22 g of protein.
On average, 1 quarter of a piece of beef liver is protein.
- Recover quickly after exercise
- Reduce any muscle loss
- Builds lean muscle
- Helps maintain a healthy weight
- Curbs hunger
You might be wondering, what about other liver?
While other liver, like chicken, still has vitamins and minerals, they don’t compare to cow liver when it comes to the vitamins and minerals it contains.
Best Ways to Eat Beef Liver
Beef liver is very good for you, but if you are not used to cooking and eating this type of meat, it could be a challenge.
That is why we made sure to research the best ways to eat beef liver so you can get the health benefits, while also enjoying it.
While you can get the most benefits from eating the beef liver raw, this probably won’t sit well with most people. If you choose to eat it raw, make sure you trust where it is coming from so you don’t risk getting a food-borne illness.
Another option is to freeze-dry it and eat it that way. This way, only a portion (about 3-5%) of the nutrients are degraded. You can also make freeze-dried beef liver capsules.
Capsules and supplements are the best way to consume beef liver because they do not taste like anything and should be the most palatable. If you are looking for even more advice, check out the best beef liver supplements.
Finally, you can always cook the beef liver. This is great for those who like the taste, however, if overcooked, you can destroy some of the vitamins and micronutrients in the process such as vitamin B and C.
When cooking it, it is advisable to marinate in lemon juice or another marinade before cooking. Cook it only for 1 minute per side. If you overdo it, it becomes less healthy.
Can You Have Too Much Beef Liver?
Like anything, eating or consuming in excess isn’t a good idea.
How much you should eat depends on age. A child shouldn’t eat beef liver more than once a week but this rule does not apply to adults.
Adults can get great benefits if the beef liver is consumed more frequently than once per week.
To determine how much you should eat, you will want to know how much of each vitamin is included in the portion you are consuming and attempt to get as close, without going over, the daily recommended amount.
Some consequences of eating too much liver can include Vitamin A toxicity, that’s why you will want to make sure you are not eating over the recommended amount of Vitamin A.
This is especially important if you are eating other foods that contain Vitamin A or taking other supplements with this vitamin.
What Do I Need to Know About Buying Beef Liver?
If you have never purchased liver before, don’t feel overwhelmed!
The following tips will help you pick out the right beef liver when shopping:
- Smell it: beef liver, when smelled, should smell fresh or even clean. If you detect a smell that is strong, pungent, or just bad, don’t buy that one.
- Color: the color should be dark red or even brown in color.
- Buy fresh: make sure you buy fresh liver and not frozen. It is also a good idea not to freeze the liver yourself and instead eat it while it is still fresh.
These tips will help you pick the best liver for your health and that will have the best taste when consumed.
Beef Liver Takeaways
So what’s the takeaway here?
Beef liver is one of the most effective superfoods out there today. Better than superfoods like kale, spinach, and blueberries, beef liver contains a large number of vitamins and nutrients while being low in carbs and high in protein.
It can help with many health and wellness benefits both physical and mental. A quick summary of these benefits include:
- Increased Energy
- Better Endurance and Strength
- Great Skin
- Immune Boosts
- Increased Fertility
- Bone Health
- Heart Health
- Eye Health
- Brain Health
- Improved Mood
There are also some risks to eating liver, but these risks can be minimized with the following guidelines:
- Only eat the recommended amount of daily vitamins.
- Cook the meat properly.
- Make sure you get the liver from a good and trustworthy source if you choose to eat it raw.
- Try supplements instead of liver.
Ultimately, beef liver is a great choice for your health and you can enjoy the many benefits it offers every day.