Beef organ supplements are a convenient way to make organ meat a regular part of your diet without having to worry about sourcing and preparing it. The capsules are tasteless and easy to swallow, making them an excellent alternative to fresh organs for the entire family.
In this article, I’ll share my favorite grass-fed beef organ supplement brands and recommendations.
I recently wrote about the health benefits of consuming organ meat, and I encourage you to check out the linked article for a deep dive into the individual benefits of the various organs, including a detailed breakdown of their micronutrients.
If you don’t have time to read that article, just know that organs — and especially beef organs — are among the absolute best sources of highly-bioavailable and easily-absorbable minerals, vitamins, cofactors and coenzymes available. They’re packed with heme-iron, vitamin B12, retinol (the real vitamin A) and many other beneficial and essential nutrients.
Fresh Organ Meat vs. Freeze-Dried Organ Supplements
As both an advocate for organ meat consumption and the founder of an organ meat supplements brand, I’m often asked about the nutritional difference between fresh and freeze-dried organ meat.
If your goal is to get the absolute maximum amount of vitamins and minerals from organ meat, you’ll need to consume it raw. Cooking degrades (or destroys) some of organ meat’s heat-sensitive nutrients, such as most B vitamins.
However, consuming raw organ meat comes with the risk of food-borne illnesses, so you have to be careful about food handling and trust your source. Plus, at the end of the day, consuming raw animal organs isn’t everyone’s cup of tea.
If that’s true for you, then I recommend treating beef organs like a steak: brown the outside while leaving the center of the meat red (or at least pink).
In comparison, freeze-drying preserves most of the nutrients found in the organs. Based on the studies I’ve seen, the freeze-drying process results in a loss of less than 5% of an organ’s micronutrients, making freeze-dried supplements an excellent alternative.
Personally, I consume a combination of raw, freeze-dried and processed (e.g., liver pâté) organ meat several times per week, whereas my wife and kids stick to freeze-dried beef liver capsules almost exclusively.
What Are the Most Important Organs to Eat (Where to Start)?
My recommendation is to start with beef liver, because liver is the most nutrient-dense food on the planet, containing more than 25 vitamins, minerals and coenzymes.
Next on my list of recommended organs are heart and spleen, because they’re also rich in micronutrients and contain higher amounts of certain vitamins and minerals than liver. For example, the spleen has the highest amounts of heme-iron in any organ, whereas the heart is rich in vitamin C.
Beyond that, you can consider other organ meat supplements (or combinations thereof) based on your individual health goals or ailments.
How to Choose a Beef Organ Supplement
When shopping for organ meat supplements, there are certain criteria you should take into account (as I explain in detail in my comparison of the best desiccated beef liver supplements).
Here’s a quick summary of all the factors I encourage you to consider when purchasing a supplement:
- 100% grass-fed, pasture-raised and free of pesticides. Raising cattle exclusively on pasture yields more nutritious organ meat. Plus, it’s better for both the animals and the environment.
- Potency. Make sure the product you’re picking delivers at least 3,000 mg of organs per serving to provide high enough concentrations of micronutrients.
- Processing method. Stick with freeze-dried (desiccated) supplements instead of heat-dried products because the latter has fewer micronutrients.
- Third-party testing. Make sure the brand you choose tests each lot for heavy metals and other contaminants. If in doubt, ask for a copy of the test report.
- Other ingredients. I recommend sticking with products that don’t contain any additional ingredients or additives besides organs. Some brands use fillers, flow agents and other substances that are potentially irritating and which provide no nutritional value.
- Servings. Make sure you’re getting at least 30 servings per bottle and compare the cost per serving between brands. Comparing the number of capsules per bottle can be misleading because some products require six capsules per serving while others require only four.
- Eco-friendliness. Most dietary supplements come in plastic bottles because they’re cheaper to manufacture and ship. I prefer glass bottles with metal lids over plastic because it’s better for the consumer and the environment.
The Top Grass-Fed Beef Organ Supplements
While there might be other brands on the market that deliver organ meat supplements of equal quality, my two brands of choice are Ancestral Supplements and Heart & Soil. I’ve used them in the past, and I personally met Dr. Paul Saladino (the guy behind Heart & Soil) at an animal-based gathering in Costa Rica in 2021.
Ancestral Supplements
Ancestral Supplements was founded by Brian Johnson (aka the Liver King), a man who embraces the ancestral way of life like nobody else.
What I really like about Ancestral Supplements is the variety of high-quality organs the company provides. As of this writing, they offer 29 different products — mostly beef organ meats (and combinations thereof), but also fish eggs, blood, bone marrow, minerals and more.
All of Ancestral Supplements’ organs are sourced from 100% grass-fed New Zealand and/or Australian cattle (and sheep in some cases) and come in gelatin capsules.
Pros
- 100% grass-fed and finished.
- Sourced from New Zealand and Australia.
- Tested in a third-party lab.
- Freeze-dried and Non-GMO.
Cons
- Uses plastic containers.
- The large number of product choices can be overwhelming.
The challenge with the company’s massive product portfolio is that you may not know where to start. Unless you decide to purchase all 29 supplements the company sells, you’ll have to make a decision about which options give you the most bang for your buck.
I recommend starting with beef liver* (which I consider nature’s ultimate vitamin) because it provides most of the vitamins and minerals you need on a daily basis. Then, you can add in other organs based on any health concerns you might have.
For example, if you have issues with your thyroid, consider supplementing with freeze-dried beef thyroid* — a concept known as “like supports like.”
Alternatively, you could consider Ancestral Supplements’ beef organ complex*, which contains liver, heart, kidney, pancreas and spleen.
The downside to combo products is that they contain only small amounts of the organs that have the most nutrients, especially the liver.
By using the link above along with the discount code MICHAELTEN, you’ll get 10% off your purchase.
You can also find Ancestral Supplements on Amazon*. And if you live in Europe, you can purchase Ancestral Supplements from Ergomax*, a third-party supplements distributor from the Netherlands.
Here’s a list of the bovine organ supplements the company currently sells:
- Adrenal
- Bladder Restore (bladder, kidney and liver)
- Brain
- Eye
- Female Enhancement (reproductive tissue, liver and bone marrow)
- Gallbladder
- Heart
- Intestines
- Kidney
- Liver
- Lung
- Male Optimization (testicle, prostate, heart, liver and bone marrow)
- Organs Mix (liver, heart, kidney, pancreas and spleen)
- Pancreas
- Prostate
- Spleen
- Thyroid
- Trachea
Heart & Soil
Image: Heart & Soil Beef Organs contain liver, heart, kidney, pancreas and spleen.
Heart & Soil was founded by Dr. Paul Saladino (aka Carnivore MD), but with the help of his friend Brian Johnson.
What I like about Heart & Soil is that the company offers clever combinations of desiccated beef organs based on individual health goals.
For example, if your goal is to spark weight loss, then Heart & Soil’s Fire Starter might be the right supplement for you. Or if you want to improve your immune function, then the company’s Histamine & Immune supplement might be the right choice for you.
Of course, Heart & Soil also offers a classic beef organ mix that contains liver, heart, kidney, pancreas and spleen.
Pros
- 100% grass-fed and finished.
- Sourced from New Zealand cattle.
- Tested in a third-party lab.
- Freeze-dried and Non-GMO.
- Uses glass bottles with metal lids.
Cons
- Doesn’t offer individual organ supplements.
The only downside to Heart & Soil is that the company doesn’t sell individual organs.
That’s a problem because, as the Liver King likes to say, well, “liver is king.” So I’d argue that it should be the foundation of your diet.
On the bright side, Heart & Soil uses glass bottles and metal lids for all of their products.
Here’s a list of the bovine organ supplements that Heart & Soil currently sells:
- Warrior (heart and liver)
- Beef Organs (liver, heart, kidney, pancreas and spleen)
- Fire Starter (suet and perinephric [kidney] fat)
- Bone Marrow & Liver
- Whole Package (testicle, Liver and blood)
- Gut & Digestion (tripe/stomach, intestines, pancreas, liver and spleen)
- Skin, Hair & Nails (cartilage, bone marrow and liver)
- Lifeblood (whole blood extract, spleen and liver)
- Histamine & Immune (thymus, lung, kidney, spleen and liver)
- Mood, Memory & Brain (brain, bone marrow and liver)
- Her Package (reproductive organs, liver and kidney)
Unfortunately, Heart & Soil isn’t available on Amazon.
Frequently Asked Questions
I strongly believe that everyone can and should make fresh or freeze-dried organ meat a part of their diet. After all, our ancestors relied on organ meat as a primary nutrient source for millions of years. Heck, even my grandparents ate organ meat (and pig blood), growing up in Austria in the early 20th century.
By removing organs from modern diets, we have eliminated the best source of micronutrients available to us, leading to a higher rate of vitamin deficiencies and chronic diseases.
That’s in large part because plants aren’t a great substitute for organs when it comes to nutrient availability and absorbability. Plus, the nutrient content in plants has been on the decline, due to soil depletion and other factors associated with industrial farming practices.
No, organ meat capsules are tasteless.
Grain-fed cattle are often metabolically sick by definition. After all, cows are fed grains specifically so they’ll fatten up quickly. And we know that both humans and animals who are obese suffer from a host of metabolic issues and chronic diseases.
That’s the primary reason why I recommend staying away from supplements that were harvested from grain-fed animals.
The second argument against the consumption of grain-fed beef is animal welfare.
I don’t want to support an industry that keeps animals in feedlots, and which feeds them a diet that is inappropriate for their species.
Consuming freeze-dried organ meats is generally safe. Just make sure you purchase from brands — such as the ones listed above — that have their ingredients tested by a third-party and that use GMP-certified manufacturing facilities. If you do, you can rest assured that you’re not exposing yourself to any food-borne pathogens.
Liver is indeed a rich source of vitamin A, but unless you’re swallowing an entire bottle of liver capsules at a time there’s no real risk of ingesting toxic levels of vitamin A.
My wife and I take 3-6 grams of freeze-dried liver per day, and I often add fresh liver or liver pâté to one of my meals. Our kids get a third of that (usually in the form of capsules).
To put that into perspective, 3 grams of freeze-dried liver contains approximately 5,000 IUs of vitamin A. That’s about 116% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) and well within the “safe limits.”
Yes, but in lower amounts than adults. As I mentioned earlier in this article, our kids (ages six and eight as of this writing) consume approximately a third of the amount of liver as me and my wife.
Organ meat supplements (and liver and spleen in particular) are a great option if you suffer from iron deficiency or anemia, because both organs have high amounts of bioavailable heme iron that can support the body in making red blood cells.
Liver, thymus, lung, kidney and spleen all contain specific amino acids and peptides that help support the immune system to better fight off allergens, viruses and other pathogens.
Beef liver and beef heart are excellent sources of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and other nutrients that can help support your heart.
Yes! Pound for pound, organ meat has a higher nutrient density than muscle meat.
Yes, freeze-dried (desiccated) organ meat supplements are both keto and paleo friendly.
Elevated homocysteine levels are often caused by low levels of vitamin b9 (folate), vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. Liver and heart are excellent sources of those B vitamins and can help lower homocysteine levels.
Energy levels are closely related to optimally functioning mitochondria (the cells’ power plants), and optimal levels of iron to make red blood cells. I recommend liver and spleen because they’re rich in heme iron and the minerals that help make new red blood cells.
The Best Freeze-Dried Beef Organ Supplements: Final Thoughts
Animal organs are a nutritional superfood and the most nourishing source of micronutrients available to humans and other carnivorous species. As such, I firmly believe they should be at the center of your diet if you care about supporting optimal health and well-being.
Liver is the king of organ meat, and I consider it to be nature’s multivitamin. That’s why I strongly recommend making it a regular part of your diet — even if it ends up being the only organ you consume on a consistent basis.
If you don’t like its taste, use a grass-fed beef liver supplement, such as the one from MK Supplements or Ancestral Supplements*.
Do you make organ meats (fresh or freeze-dried) a regular part of your diet to improve your overall health? Let me know about your experience in the comments section below!
I’m a healthy living and technology enthusiast.
On this blog, I share in-depth product reviews, actionable information and solutions to complex problems in plain and easy-to-understand language.
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Source
Best Beef Organ Supplement Brands (100% Grass-Fed, Freeze-Dried) is written by Michael Kummer for michaelkummer.com
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