Hey everyone! Remember that quote from ol’ boy Hippocrates, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”? Well, you might be surprised to find out that liver is one of those foods that is jam-packed with all sorts of vitamins and minerals; very important ones too!
What’s In Liver?
Did you know that liver contains all of the B vitamins including the essential B12? It also contains vitamins A, C, E, folic acid, high-quality protein, zinc, copper, chromium, coQ10 (a cardiovascular aid), and the list goes on; liver literally has more nutrients per ounce than any other food; and since it’s in a natural state, everything is much easier for your body to absorb than from processed or synthetic sources.
There is also a benefit from eating liver that still puzzles scientists; the fact that it provides a significant energy boost. In 1951, a man named Benjamin K. Ershoff, PhD conducted an experiment with rats; for several weeks he fed some of the rats a regular diet with supplemental vitamins including B complex. He took another group of rats and added powdered liver to their diet. At the end of several weeks, he put each group of rats into tubs of water where they were forced to swim. The rats that ate powdered liver were able to swim almost 8x longer than the others. Why? It’s a mystery! Athletes have taken advantage of this by adding liver powder to their dietary supplements; and really, guys… who couldn’t use an energy boost these days!
How Do I Eat It?
Maybe you’re thinking to yourself, but I don’t really care for the taste of liver. Don’t be discouraged; there are a lot of recipes out there from all over the world that use this miracle meat! You’re sure to find a way to prepare it that will be delicious; chili, liver pate, nira reba, and more. Just remember that the livers of commercially-raised meat animals may not be so healthy due to a forced diet and confinement; in fact, most health experts suggest only eating livers from grass-fed/grass-finished animals and/or free-range poultry.
So, get ready to start adding some fresh liver to your diet, and have fun cooking!