Discover Organ Meat Benefits: A Guide to Going Offal!

How do you feel about eating organ meat? Benefits for your health abound, but many of us that haven’t grown up eating them may feel some aversion. Is that you?

Thankfully, organ meats are making their comeback! Our hunter-gatherer ancestors regularly ate nose-to-tail, incorporating organ meats into their diets, and we should all be taking notes. 

Nose to tail eating is the practice of consuming all parts of the animal, including the organs, for optimal nutrition. It is a practice that honors the natural life cycle of the animals that feed us, and is one of the best ways to optimize your nutrition.

This is not only because of the nutrient density of organ meats, but also because you get the appropriate proportion of amino acids (protein) that your body can best utilize.

As I say to my clients, it makes no sense to kill a chicken just to eat it’s breast. Our bodies thrive on all those collagen-rich bits and pieces that are best extracted through slow (water-based) cooking practices. Otherwise known as SOUP (bone broth, meat stock, etc).

In this blog post, we’ll be discussing the benefits of organ meats, their nutrient profile, and how to begin incorporating them into your diet for whole-body health benefits. 

Organ Meat Benefits for your Health

Organ meats are some of the most nutrient-rich foods out there, with essential vitamins and minerals that can be difficult to get in other sources.

Eating organ meats is a great way to obtain all the nutrients you need to thrive. Not only are organ meats a rich source of many vitamins and minerals, but they’re also a good source of protein and fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, as well as alpha-lipoic acid.

Incorporating organ meats into your diet may also help you retain muscle mass and keep you fuller for longer. Before we get to the benefits of each organ meat, let’s understand exactly what we are referencing.

What are organ meats?

Organ meats , also known as offal, are most popularly used from beef, pork, lamb and poultry.

They include liver, bone marrow, spleen, heart, kidney, thymus, intestines and testicle

Benefits of Liver (Nature’s Multi-Vitamin)

Of all the organ meats, liver has been dubbed the multivitamin of nature and its nutrient levels can’t be beaten!

It’s an excellent source of heme iron, folate, choline and vitamin B12, as well as being high in retinol/vitamin A – perfect for those with skin problems. It’s no wonder why liver is one of the most popular organ meats. 

The benefits of liver have been well documented and is the reason why it is emphasized in many healing protocols, such as the Auto Immune Paleo Protocol (AIP), the GAPS diet, and in the Weston A Price Diet, which is based on nutrient-dense foods.

Benefits of Heart Organ Meat

Heart organ meat has excellent nutritional value, providing high levels of essential fatty acids and B vitamins (riboflavin, niacin, B12), as well as other key minerals such as iron, phosphorus, copper and selenium.

In the case of heart, like supports like. Beef heart in particular is an excellent source of CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10), which supports the cardiovascular system and overrall cellular health.

If you are new to consuming organ meats, heart can be one of the most palatable options. It typically has a very mild flavor and is more like muscle meat.

Benefits of Kidney Organ Meat

Kidney organ meat is a good source of protein and fat. It has many B vitamins, along with phosphorus, zinc, selenium, copper and iron. 

Benefits of Thymus and Spleen

Both the spleen and thymus organs serve important roles in our immune system. Thymus and spleen organ meats are nutritional powerhouses, providing high levels of selenium, zinc, iron, and vitamin B12.

The best way to hide organ meat is mixed with ground beef in a chili con carne

How to Add Organ Meat to Your Diet

1. Add a Small Amount of Organ Meats into Ground Beef

If you’re new to incorporating organ meats into your diet, the best place to start is with ground meat and organ mix. You can do this by simply blending up a small amount of organ meat (liver is great because it has a smooth texture), and then mixing it up with ground beef.

You can use this mixture in any recipe that uses ground meat. For those of you trying to get children (reluctant adults) to consume organ meat, I find it “hides” particularly well in well seasoned recipes such as chili or meatballs with marinara sauce.

Often times those that most “need” the nutrients in organ meats, are the most resistant to it. For picky eaters, begin with using just 5% organ meats and increase up to 20% as you get used to the flavor.

You can get this from your local organic farmer from their butchers menu. Another option is sourcing pre-made organ blends from a few brands that sell at grocery stores such as Whole Foods, or direct to consumer online. This is an easy way to season and hide any stronger flavors that you may not be used to. 

Some sources of organ blends:

  • US Wellness Meat– they have Liverwurst and Braunschweiger, which are sausages that include organ meat, and ground beef with organs. They also sell all types of grass fed meats and ship nationally in the United States.
  • Force of Nature – has ancestral blends which are ground meat that include organs. (You may be able to find it at Whole Foods).
  • Nose to Tail– has blends as well

2. Make Bone Broth

Another great way to get organ meat into your diet is through a high quality bone broth. Not only is it a nutrient gold mine, containing 17 amino acids, and over a dozen vitamins and minerals, but it’s also a great source of collagen, which makes up 30 percent of the protein in your body.

Bone broth is linked to many health benefits – from skin, bone, and joint health to brain, gut, and cardiovascular benefits! 

Note that while bone broth can be a great on the Full GAPS diet, it is also higher in histamine. For those just starting out with GAPS, meat stock may be more appropriate.

A wonderful healing componenet you shouldn’t miss out on, is bone marrow. You can use marrow bones in preparing your meat stock and eat the marrow in the soup.

Alternatively, roasted marrow bones is a delicacy that is a powerhouse of nutrients and healthy fatty acids.

3. Supplement with Desiccated Organs

If you’re still not ready to embark on eating organ meats, there’s always the option to utilize a supplement with desiccated organs. 

Nowadays there are many brands which offer either single organs, such as desiccated liver, or pre-made blends that include a variety of organs. Generally speaking like supports like, so you want to choose supplements based on what your body needs.

Some brands to check out include: Smidge, Ancestral Supplements, and Heart and Soil. (Clients can contact me for a personalized recommendation).

4. Try traditional Recipes for Organ Meat

Organ meat dishes have been popularized around the world for centuries, each culture transforming them in their own unique way. From fried chicken livers in the United States to stewed lamb offal in the United Kingdom, the variety of organ meat recipes is surprisingly robust.

Scottish Haggis, Carribbean “Dirty Rice”, and French liver pate, are just a few of the more well known uses for organs. Not to mention, that organ meat has also traditionally been used in sausages, the casing made from intestines.

Here a couple traditional liver recipes that you can try. 

Check out a full list of Organ Meat Recipes to Try!

5. Eat them raw and frozen

Once you’ve gotten used to consuming organ meats, or if you are going through a healing protocol and need to consume them in larger amounts, there is an option to consume them raw.

Unless you are eating raw organs from a freshly butchered animal, you will need to freeze the organs for at least two weeks to kill off any potentially harmful bacteria. Then you can cut up into tiny pieces and swallow them whole.

(If you choose to do this, it is at your own risk. Consuming raw meat may increase your risk of foodborne illness.)

Where to Buy Organ Meat

When shopping for organ meats, it’s best to go for pasture-raised or grass-fed/grass-finished and organic options. You can find your local farm on farmmatch.com, or use an online butcher to make sure you’re getting top quality. Organ meats are typically well priced!

It is important to source organ meats from grass fed animals, as they tend to have higher levels of essential vitamins and minerals. This is also because heavy metals tend to get stored in fatty tissue (including some organs).

Organ Meat on the GAPS Diet

The GAPS diet focuses on the most nutrient dense foods in order to promote self healing in the body. This means that you should eat nose to tail and give a special emphasis to organs.

An adult on the GAPS diet should be consuming either a small amount (tablespoon) of liver daily, or a larger amount once a week. That said, you should consult with your practitioner as to the recommended amount for you.

Some people may have difficulty tolerating that amount, and may have to build up very slowly, or start with another organ meat such as kidney.

Consuming liver can be extrememly detoxifying for some people and you may notice some detox reactions. Adding this superpower food slowly is the name of the game.

The Benefits of Organ Meat, in Sum

Eating nose to tail and incorporating organ meats is a fantastic step for your health journey, and a great way to support your body, the animals and our environment. So why not give it a go, and see the incredible health benefits for yourself!

If you’re curios about incorporating organ meats or other nutrient dense foods to support your health and wellness goals, set up a discovery call and find out how we can work together!

References

Chałabis-Mazurek A, Valverde Piedra JL, Muszyński S, Tomaszewska E, Szymańczyk S, Kowalik S, Arciszewski MB, Zacharko-Siembida A, Schwarz T. The Concentration of Selected Heavy Metals in Muscles, Liver and Kidneys of Pigs Fed Standard Diets and Diets Containing 60% of New Rye Varieties. Animals. 2021; 11(5):1377. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11051377

Cole, Will. “The Amazing Health Benefits of Organ Meats.” Dr. Will Cole, 4 Jan. 2021, https://drwillcole.com/food/the-complete-functional-medicine-guide-to-organ-meats.

Kresser, Chris. “Nose-to-Tail Eating: Everything You Need to Know.” Chris Kresser, 29 Sept. 2022, https://chriskresser.com/nose-to-tail-eating-everything-you-need-to-know/.

Saladino, Paul. “The Beginner’s Guide to Nose to Tail Eating.” Heart & Soil Supplements, 28 Oct. 2022, https://heartandsoil.co/nose-to-tail-nourishment/.

Zaleska. “Benefits and Risks of Organ Meat – Cleveland Clinic Health Essentials.” Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Clinic, 4 Dec. 2022, https://health.clevelandclinic.org/organ-meat-benefits/.

The information contained in this post is for educational purposes only and should not be considered medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before starting a new program.

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