I love liver, but my family doesn’t. I eat it for lunch, and then ensure that my family gets it via a good quality supplement.
For years, we’ve been taking fermented cod liver oil. But lately, I’ve taken an interest in Radiant Life’s desiccated liver because I can add it to soups, stews and tacos without complaints from any of my liver-haters.
This week we have a guest post from Kathy LeMoine at Radiant Life Company. Radiant Life is one of my favorite suppliers of supplements; they do their homework and have products that no one else has. Check out their website at www.radiantlifecatalog.com to find many nutrient-dense super-foods like fermented cod liver oil and grass-fed ghee.
Beef livers are a virtual treasure trove of nutrients. When sourced from healthy, grass fed cows, liver is loaded with a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, proteins and fat. It is particularly rich in the nutrients that help keep our brains healthy including the essential fatty acids needed by humans for proper nutrition and health like EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docasahexaenoic acid), and AA (arachidonic acid) as well as vitamin B12.
Most animal foods contain some amount of vitamin B12, but liver is by far the best source of this nutrient. Because it is so nutritionally valuable, liver should be eaten at least once a week. Many disorders of the nervous system and a myriad of other illnesses and behaviors result from vitamin B12 deficiency. So if you are experiencing vague symptoms (related to a less than optimal functioning brain and nervous system) such as difficulty in thinking and remembering, panic attacks, weakness, loss of balance, numbness in the hands and feet, or agitated depression, make sure that your source of vitamin B12 is from healthy animal products. It must be from a premium source of liver.
Vitamin B12 is only well absorbed from animal sources. Liver is the highest source of vitamin B12, followed by sardines, mackerel, herring, salmon, lamb, Swiss cheese, eggs, haddock, beef, blue cheese, halibut, scallops, cottage cheese, chicken, and milk.
If you cannot bring yourself to consume liver, then raw desiccated liver from grass-fed cows is a great alternative. Desiccated liver capsules provide the easiest and most convenient option for those who would rather not taste liver. Try adding desiccated liver powder to soups, gravies, stews, smoothies, or broths to introduce this nutritional powerhouse into the diets of those who don’t care for the taste and texture of liver!
Quite simply, desiccated liver contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food!
I love that.
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Joette Calabrese, HMC,CCH,RSHom is a homeopath and mom who has depended solely on homeopathy and nutrition in raising her family without a single drug….ever! If you find this kind of information valuable, consider joining Joette’s 12 month system, How to Raise a Drug Free Family by visiting www.homeopathyworks.net/offers/drugfree.html, or contact her office at 716.941.1045. Lots more free tips like these at www.Homeopathyworks.net.
Love jackpots! As it turns out, after an unintended & lengthy break (I simply forgot…hmmm…one of the symptoms?) from taking my desiccated (Argentina) beef liver supplement, I’ve within the last few weeks resumed. So this is great news and timely confirmation! Thanks for the additional information, as well. Undoubtedly worth checking into.
This is a great reminder for those who don’t like to cook or eat liver. I happen to like liver, and I’ve found a quick and easy way to consume it even if I don’t want to go to the effort of preparing it for a meal. I swallow small whole bits of it raw. Raw liver preserves the natural enzymes and has surprising little flavor, and the bits are small enough that I swallow them whole (quick, down the hatch). I use only the best pasture-raised liver, cut into small bits and soaked overnight in lemon water. I then rinse and freeze (refreezing is fine) between sheets of parchment paper in a glass pyrex bowl. Thaw several at a time and take it like–or instead of–a supplement pill!I I do like the idea of having the dessicated liver pills on hand, and recommending them to the liver haters in the family, or elderly parents who don’t cook much any longer. Great idea!
Interesting alternative. It seems like there are a lot of us out there trying to get the goodness of liver into our bodies in any way possible!
we also have a hard time with liver having not been raised on it. We use grass fed & we make it into liver jerky. I marinate it for at least a week in salt & any spice I want at the time, always garlic & vinegar! Balsamic or apple cider is standard for the vinegar. You can make it spicy or sweet. So when we need the boost, we eat the liver. It helps it go down easier. Then dry it in a food dryer or in a low temp oven till dry. Enjoy~
I make a chicken liver pate/mousse that even liver-aversive people like my husband will eat. I saute a pound or two of livers in butter, good salt and chopped fresh garlic, puree them in the cuisinart with several hard (not too hard!) boiled eggs, optional raw garlic (maybe a clove?) to taste, salt and pepper to taste… you can throw in butter or cream or creme fraiche as desired… and I put in a touch of port wine for a nice flavor. Parsley is optional. It gets nice and fluffy from the eggs. Refrigerate it in containers, and when it’s chilled, you have instant power-food to spread on crackers and enjoy! If you’re interested, I’ll figure out the proportions and offer a real recipe sometime.
Wow! Sounds like a true gourmet way to get your vitamins. A recipe would be outstanding.
Liver is a struggle for me to eat and enjoy. I like the idea of homemade liver pills!
wonderful information!! at what age can children take these vitamins? i have a 1 and 2 year old.
Very, very young children can safely be given liver as long as it from a reputable source. In fact, liver is a main ingredient in one of the healthy infant formulas in Sally Fallon’s cookbook Nourishing Traditions.