Beef liver is very delicious and is among the super sources of vitamin A and Iron.

Do you want to up your health game in a tasty way?

Then, you should consider adding beef liver to your diet.

Packed with nutrients and vitamins, beef liver is often referred to as “nature‘s multivitamin“ due to its many health benefits.

From boosting your immune system to providing your body with essential vitamins and minerals, beef liver is an excellent source of nutrition.

In this blog post, you‘ll learn all about the health virtues of beef liver, so you can make an informed decision about adding it to your diet.

Beef liver: overview

In the medieval ages, the consumption of animal organs was very famous, especially in Europe.

Later on, it became less and less famous especially in the ’90s due to the “mad cow” epidemics. (1)

The first recipe recorded using liver dates back to the 4^th century, then its use was inherited in most of Europe and especially in the Jewish communities.

Any living being has a liver, and the nutritional value is almost the same as whatever the animal to which it belongs.

However, the taste, texture, and price are very different.

Beef liver, also named “heifer’s liver” when it comes from a young cow that has not yet born a calf, is very fine in texture and cheaper than calf liver.

On the other hand, a calf liver is recommended for people with poor health.

Calf liver is the finest, but also the most expensive.

If the calf is raised on milk only, the liver usually is light pink.

That color changes to dark pink as soon as the calf starts eating grass.

This liver is slightly sweet and very tender with a pleasant flavor. (2)

Beef liver nutritional values and health benefits:

There are two types of vital organs AKA offal: red and white!

There is the white type including the brain, the spine, the intestines, and the testicles.

This type needs more preparation to be cooked.

The liver, the kidneys, the lungs, and the heart are parts of the so-called red-offal. (3)

Red offal is usually easier to prepare compared to white offal.

However, not everyone is a fan of red or white offal and yet, they are full of nutritional benefits.

Nutritional data:

Beef liver is a balanced nutrient and particularly a very good source of Iron.

In fact, it contains twice as much Iron compared to muscles which are why its consumption is recommended for people with anemia. (4)

In addition to Iron, it contains 12 vitamins, mainly from groups A and B, and many minerals such as copper or zinc.

Beef liver, like all livers, is also a good source of protein, about 27g per 3.5 ounces, that’s more than the amount found in shrimps and almost the same found in chicken breast and tuna.

It has a low-fat content and carbohydrates, only the right amount to give it a little sweetness when cooked.

With just 150 calories for 3.5 ounces, this liver can be considered among the lean meats. (5)

These are the nutritional data for 3.5 ounces of a beef liver:

• Calories: 180
• Protein: 27g
• Carbs: 3.9 g
• Fat: 3.6 g
• Cholesterol: 400mg
• B3 vitamin: 100%
• B5 vitamin: 100%
• B6 vitamin: 54%
• B9 vitamin: 100%
• B12 vitamin: 988%
• A vitamin: 338%
• Iron: 27%
• Zinc: 27%
• Copper: 488%
• Phosphorus: 39%
• Selenium: 57%

It is one of the foods that is perfectly adapted for the diet.

Nutrients of beef liver:

In fact, beef liver is the most expensive compared to other animal livers such as lamb or pork.

This is because this liver is very tender and firm with a mild and not too powerful flavor.

Also, since it is rich in protein and poor in carbs and fats, beef liver makes one of the healthiest foods for a diet.

It is recommended to eat liver at least once a week as it will help your body balance certain deficiencies caused by diet. (6)

4 ounces of beef liver offers more than 10 times the daily dietary allowance of vitamin A and 50 times that of vitamin B12.

As it offers 200 calories per 4 ounces (114g), it is a much leaner cut compared to other meats.

However, the main drawback is its high cholesterol content of 400mg per 4 ounces (114g) which exceeds most meat cuts.

On the other hand, the fat content of a weekly serving of beef liver does not exceed 5% of the safe daily dose.

With a low-cholesterol diet, there should be no concern about occasional serving only if the person already has heart issues. (7)

Livers in general are one of the food with the highest Iron levels as a beef liver for example offers up to 50% of the daily need.

Iron is an essential mineral that plays a key role in the production of red blood cells. (8)

This explains why specialists advise weekly liver consumption for people who suffer from iron deficiency anemia. (9)

In addition, it is also rich in B vitamins as a small portion would offer 200% of the daily need in vitamin B2 and 100% that of vitamins B3, B5, and B9.

Health benefits:

There are numerous health benefits from consuming beef liver as it helps with:

Anemia:

The most common anemia type is an “Iron deficiency anemia” and this is where the this liver comes in handy.

Thanks to its large content in Iron of more than 40% of the daily need per 3.5 ounces (100g), beef liver can be the perfect food for an Iron deficiency.

Building muscles:

A small portion of beef liver the size of your hand palm offers more protein than red meat, tuna, and almost the same as chicken breast.

Consuming 3.5 ounces (100g) of beef liver will supply your body with more than 50% of its daily need in protein. (10)

To nurture your muscles and increase your energy, it is very beneficial to include beef liver in your diet once a week.

Boosting the immune system:

The liver is full of copper with more than 100% of your daily need per serving. (11)

Among the many functions of copper in the body, it protects nerve cells and boosts the immune system.

It is the mineral responsible for healthy cells, bones, blood, and most of our body functions.

Benefits  for women:

Thanks to its abundance in vitamin A, consuming beef liver increases the production of collagen and improves skin regeneration.

In addition, it helps relieve painful symptoms of menopause and menstruation. (12)

It is also a good choice for those who are on a low-calorie diet as it will supply them with many nutrients with minimum calories.

Benefits for men:

As for men, much researches shows the good effect of zinc on the overall masculinity of a man.

Consuming beef liver will significantly increase the presence of zinc which increases the production of prostate hormones.

Also, zinc normalizes the function of the testicles and improves the quality of the sperm. (13)

In addition to zinc, the protein content of the beef liver helps stimulate rapid muscle gain.

Other benefits:

Consuming beef liver once a week will be totally safe and provide you with many health benefits including: (14) 

• Slows down brain aging and nerve deterioration.
• Fights fatigue.
• Boosts physical activity.
• Maintains the figure.
• Stimulates the memory.
• Reduces stress.
• Strengthens the bones.
• Naturally thin the blood.
• Prevents blood clots.
• Reduces blood pressure.
• A good treatment for visual impairment.
• Can reduce blood sugar levels thanks to its chromium content.

Precautions you need to know before you consume beef liver:

Overdose of vitamin A:

Usually, it’s impossible to consume a harmful amount of vitamin A from classic diets.

However, because of the extreme amounts of vitamin A in beef liver, regular consumption could lead to Hypervitaminosis.

In fact, just 100g of beef liver contains more than 10 times the daily need in vitamin A.

Even though this liver is one of the best sources of vitamin A but any unconsumed amount is stored in the body.

A regular intake of large quantities of vitamin A accumulates in your liver and can lead to severe liver damage or: (15)

• Kidney failure.
• Severe skin dehydration.
• Dry eye.
• Liver failure.

May cause of poisoning:

Generally, a natural beef liver is safe and not poisoned.

However, they can sometimes be home to bacteria because of poor handling and storing conditions. (16)

For instance, bacteria will develop on a liver if it is put at a high temperature or touched with a bare hand.

Hence, you should buy beef liver-only from a trusted place, cook it properly, and do not eat it raw.

Harmful for pregnancy:

Before and during the first few weeks of pregnancy, if the woman consumes a lot of vitamins it may result in birth defects. (17)

Because of that, specialists recommend not to consume liver more than once in general and avoid it in case of pregnancy.

Contamination by leftover chemicals:

The main function of the liver is to filter and process a variety of chemical compounds including antibiotics, drugs, and toxic pollutants.

Some of those toxins may still be in the liver and this is why most people avoid consuming it

Nonetheless, the liver does not store toxins as they are but it processes them and transforms them into a non-toxic compound easily dismissible.

Cardiovascular complications:

In addition, eating beef liver does not increase blood cholesterol for the majority of people.

However, there is an exception for those whose bodies cholesterol levels are influenced by the food they eat. (18)

It should be noted that cardiovascular diseases are a result of a rise in cholesterol levels produced by the body not taken from food.

As a precautionary measure, those who already suffer from cardiovascular diseases should avoid consuming liver.

May complicate gout:

Animal liver in general contains a large amount of purine which makes our bodies produce uric acid. (19)

An accumulation of uric acid accumulates in the joints and leads to severe pain especially for those who usually deal with joint issues.

Thus, be careful not to go overboard with eating liver, as it is rich in purines and that could cause problems if you suffer from gout.

How to minimize possible beef liver health damages?

Here are some tips you can use to avoid health damages from eating beef liver:

To avoid health damage, he advises:

Consume small portions:

Instead of cooking the main liver dish, try adding small amounts of the chopped liver to your rice or pasta.

You should also know that to safely have the benefits of beef liver, specialists recommend eating it once a week.

Cooking it well:

As mentioned above, the beef liver may be contaminated due to poor handling and storage.

Thus, you should make sure you cook it very well to ensure the elimination of any living bacteria.

Choose organic liver:

Industrial beef farming usually involves food and herbs that are treated with pesticides and chemicals.

An organic liver is that of an animal that feeds on natural herbs which is less toxic.

Cooking beef liver:

 

As for cooking, the beef liver can’t be eaten raw.

Also, overcooking it may result in dryness as it only needs 2 minutes for grilling and 5 minutes in a stew or sauce.

However, the beef liver doesn’t require any preparation or seasoning you just cut it and cook it.

You may cook it the same as tuna steaks, pan-grilled, or fried for 2 to 3 minutes for each side.

That will be enough time for the liver to be done while keeping its softness inside.

Grilled beef liver combines very well with hazelnut butter, steamed apples, and some vinegar.

In another Spanish dish of a similar style, you can pan-fry the liver pieces in olive oil with chopped tomatoes, onions.

If you are more into frying, try to flour the beef liver pieces lightly before frying to avoid them going dry.

The liver can also be cooked in most soups too, but as it is so fragile it is better to not let it cook for too long, rather add it raw to the soup 5 minutes before it’s done.

Lastly, you may roast beef liver in a casserole or in the oven for 25 minutes and then add it like canned tuna to your salads, pasta, or rice.

Beef liver with onion and tomatoes:

Ingredients:

• 1lbs of beef liver.
• Chopped onions (3 average).
• Chopped tomatoes (3 average).
• 3 tbsp o vegetable oil (corn or olive oil).
• 1 tsp of ground black pepper, salt, oregano powder (or mint), garlic powder, paprika.

Preparation:

• Start by heating the oil in a pan then add the chopped onion and keep stirring until it turns yellow.
• Add the slices of beef liver and chopped tomatoes and keep stirring for 3 minutes until you notice a change in the pieces of liver.
• Add the ground black pepper, salt, oregano powder (or mint), garlic powder, paprika, and mix all the ingredients together while they are cooking in the pan.
• Cover the pan and let the ingredients cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the liver pieces are cooked entirely.

This easy-to-make dish will serve up to 4 people, enjoy it!

Buying beef liver:

This may be your first time buying beef liver, or even if you did buy it before you may discover new buying tips for our list:

The surface of a beef liver, or any liver, must be shiny with an even color as an indicator of freshness.

Also, there should be no external growth on the surface of a liver as those are more likely pathogens.

The best choice is to refrigerate the liver to ensure some of its natural nutrients are still there.

By pressing on a beef liver with your finger, there should be no trace remaining.

Just like any meat, the odor must be gentle with no impurities or unpleasant smells.

In case you chose a frozen beef liver, make sure there is no ice inside as that is a sign of freezer burns.

Storing beef liver:

Almost the same as most offal, beef liver is fragile and it’s better to be eaten fresh and not long after purchase.

However, if you bought too much don’t hesitate to freeze it as that will help prevent its spoiling.

You can freeze beef liver for up to 6 months without it being spoiled.

To do that, cut the liver into pieces then wrap it with plastic foil or in a sealed plastic bag before you put it in the freezer.

Remember to thaw the frozen liver in the refrigerator (not at room temperature) 4 hours before you use them.

 

 

References:

(1): Impact of ‘Mad Cow Disease’ publicity on trends in meat and total vitamin A consumption in Geneva between 1993 and 2000 | European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (nature.com)
(2): Beef Liver. A Complete Guide: Functional Food & Ultimate Supplement – TruBeef (truorganicbeef.com)
(3): Meat Technology: Classification of offals (meattechnologyblog.blogspot.com)
(4): Liver diet as a cure for pernicious anemia (amsny.org)
(5): Organ meats: Benefits and risks (medicalnewstoday.com)
(6): How Often Can I Eat Liver Safely? | Livestrong.com
(7): Heart Disease and Diet | Department of Medicine | Georgetown University
(8): THE ROLE OF IRON IN HEMOGLOBIN SYNTHESIS – Conference on Hemoglobin – NCBI Bookshelf (nih.gov)
(9): Most Beneficial Food For A Patient With Anemia | PCP For Life
(10): Beef Liver – Is This the Ultimate Bodybuilding Food ? – Fitness and Power
(11): Copper in beef liver, per 100g – Diet and Fitness Today
(12): The Nutritional Impact of Organ Meats on Hormone Health – HormonesBalance.com
(13): Top 5 Superfoods to Boost Fertility | Fertility Specialists Medical Group (ivfspecialists.com)
(14): Beef Liver Nutrition and Benefits | Nature’s Top Superfood | Dr. Robert Kiltz (doctorkiltz.com)
(15): Hypervitaminosis A: Symptoms, causes, and treatment (medicalnewstoday.com)
(16): Does the Liver Store Toxins? (marksdailyapple.com)
(17): Eating liver during pregnancy | BabyCenter
(18): Is the Cholesterol Worse in Beef or Chicken Liver? (sfgate.com)