Organ meats are a nutritional powerhouse – they provide a whole spectrum of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fats and amino acids in a highly bioavailable form that is hard to match.
Interestingly enough, organ meats are higher in nutrients than muscle meats we’re used to eating. For instance, grass-fed beef liver has 50 times more vitamin B12 than muscle meat and more folate and B vitamins than any other food on the planet. They are rich in minerals, with easily absorbable forms of iron, magnesium, selenium, copper and zinc and equally important fat-soluble vitamins like A, D3, E and K2. In addition, organ meats are an excellent protein source. They provide all essential amino acids that your body needs to function effectively.
An important matter that is generally unnoticed is that vitamins are not individual molecular compounds, they cannot be isolated from their complexes and still perform their specific life functions within the cells. Vitamins are biological complexes consisting of nutrients, enzymes, coenzymes, antioxidants and trace minerals activators. Therefore, taking vitamins and minerals elementally, that is, on their own is not always helpful. Even worse would be to take synthetic nutrients that our bodies cannot absorb and sometimes can have adverse health effects.
Our bodies have never been used to getting minerals or vitamins individually. Most nutrients don’t work individually – they interact, cooperate, combine and work in pairs.
For example: calcium is absorbed with active assistance from vitamin D; vitamin D also lends a helping hand in the absorption of phosphorus (another mineral important to keeping bones strong and healthy) and magnesium. Vitamin B12 and folate form one of nutrition’s more notable pairs. They work together to support some of the most fundamental processes of cell division and replication. Folate depends on vitamin B12 to be absorbed, stored, and metabolized.
Vitamin B6 helps to break down proteins into amino acids. Zinc and copper balance each other alongside sodium and potassium. That’s why a wider nutrient spectrum and their interactions benefit us by helping with absorption.
Natural nutrients come in a protein or fat matrix in the food we eat, which is then broken down and associated minerals and vitamins are then used by the body as building blocks for a healthy body and mind. Beef organs are a biological complex that provide a whole spectrum of bioavailable nutrients in every serving.
Here we can take a look into some of the most known and researched nutrients and their cellular functions:
Vitamin A is a fat-soluble nutrient that plays a vital role in the body. One of the best-known functions of vitamin A is its role in vision and eye health.
It helps protect and maintain the outermost layer of your eye – the cornea. Vitamin A is essential for both male and female reproductive system because it plays a role in sperm and egg development.
Additionally, this important vitamin impacts immune health by stimulating responses that protect your body from illnesses and infections which means vitamin A boosts the immune system’s response and function. (1, 2)
Iron is an essential element for blood production. Most of your body’s iron is found in the red blood cells, called hemoglobin and in muscle cells called myoglobin.
Hemoglobin is needed for transferring oxygen from the lungs throughout your body. This powerful mineral is also essential for cognitive function, including memory, problem-solving, concentration and learning. Your brain will perform at its best if your body has enough iron in its system. In that case, you won’t have to drink coffee every 3 hours to stay sharp.
Also, Nutriest supplements contain naturally occurring heme-iron, which is non-synthetic, kind to your stomach and easily absorbed. (3)
Vitamin B1, namely thiamine, is a nutrient that all tissues of the body need to function properly. Like the other B vitamins, thiamine is water-soluble and helps the body turn food into energy.
The body needs thiamine to make adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This is a molecule that transports energy within cells. It also helps prevent complications within the nervous system, brain, muscles, heart and stomach. (4, 5)
Vitamin B2 or riboflavin, must be consumed every day, because the body can only store small amounts, and supplies can go down rapidly. Like the other B vitamins, it supports energy production by aiding in the metabolizing of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. Vitamin B2 is also required for red blood cell formation and respiration, antibody production, and for regulating human growth and reproduction. It is essential for healthy skin, nails and hair growth. (6)
Niacin, also known as vitamin B3, is an important nutrient. Your brain needs niacin — as a part of the coenzymes NAD and NADP — to get energy and function properly.
Brain fog and even psychiatric symptoms are associated with niacin deficiency. Some types of mental disorders can be treated with vitamin B3, as it helps undo the damage to brain cells that occurs as a result of deficiency. (7)
Vitamin B4 or choline, is particularly important to DNA and RNA formation. It is required for the formation of these nucleic acids. Choline contributes to ensuring the equilibrium of the DNA structure.
Vitamin B5, also known as pantothenic acid, helps your body process fats and proteins. It’s also needed for maintaining healthy mental performance, reducing tiredness and fatigue, production of steroid hormones and processing vitamin D.
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine) plays an important role in mood regulation. This is partly because this vitamin is necessary for creating neurotransmitters that regulate emotions, including serotonin, dopamine and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA). (8)
Vitamin B7 or biotin, aids cell growth and helps maintain the mucous membranes and is commonly known to strengthen hair, nails, and skin.
Vitamin B9 or commonly known as folate is pivotal for making red blood cells, helping in rapid cell division and growth, synthesis of RNA and DNA and enhancing brain activities.
It holds high significance in maintaining the growth and replication of cells and tissues during development stages such as during pregnancy, infancy, childhood and adolescence.
Folate is especially important for women because it prevents birth defects formed in the first trimester of pregnancy. (9)
Vitamin B12 or cobalamin is a crucial B vitamin. It can only be found naturally in animal products. It is needed for nerve tissue health, normal function of the brain, and the production of red blood cells. Vitamin B-12 deficiency can result in irreversible damages to the body, especially to the nervous system.
Even slightly lower-than-normal levels of vitamin B-12 can trigger deficiency symptoms, such as depression, confusion, memory problems, and fatigue. (10)
Zinc is a trace element that is the second-most-abundant trace mineral in your body — after iron — and is present in every cell. Zinc is known to play a central role in the immune system, and zinc-deficient persons experience increased susceptibility to a variety of pathogens. It is also responsible for a number of functions in the human body, and it helps stimulate the activity of over 300 enzymes that aid in metabolism, digestion, nerve function and many other processes. (11, 12)
Copper is an essential trace mineral that is found in all body tissues and plays a role in making red blood cells and maintaining nerve cells and the immune system.
It helps maintain healthy bones, blood vessels, nerves, and immune function, and it also helps the body form collagen and absorb iron. (13)
Selenium is an essential mineral, meaning it must be obtained through your diet. It’s only needed in small amounts but plays a major role in important processes in your body, including your metabolism and thyroid function. A healthy thyroid gland is important, as it regulates your metabolism and controls growth and development.
Selenium is a powerful antioxidant that fights oxidative stress and helps defend your body from chronic conditions, such as heart disease and cancer. (14)