5 Reasons to Eat (Grass-Fed Bison) Liver
Liver is the original superfood! By original, I mean that humans have likely been consuming it as long as we have been human. And in an likelihood, our hominid ancestors were probably relishing ruminant (as well as other species) livers and organs before we’d be willing to call them human. There are many more than five reasons to consume this potent and extremely nutrient-dense substance, but here are my favorite five.
1) unparalleled nutrient-density
Liver, especially from ruminant species, is the most nutrient-dense substance I am aware of. It is the most potent source of bioavailable heme iron (with the exception of spleen) found on Earth, and is extremely rich in usable folate (very important for poor methylators—check your MTHFR gene!), as well as B vitamins—including B12, which can only be found in animal-based products. Ruminant and bison livers also contain every fat soluble vitamin, meaning it is a decent source of Vitamins A, D3, K2, and E. These vitamins are the same that Weston Price found to be so common in paleo and ancestral diets, and likely are a reason why indigenous and paleo communities do not suffer from so-called modern diseases like diabetes, dental decay, heart disease, and obesity. It also contains some CoQ10, a potent antioxidant with myriad effects on human physiology. Bison liver is nature’s original multivitamin!
2) physical energy & mental endurance—Peptides & Anti-fatigue factor?
Consumers of liver most often report increases in physical energy—this means one is able to output both higher volumes and higher intensities of physical effort. Whether it be in the gym, on the field, in the cage, or in the backyard with your kids, more physical energy is a good thing! Liver has been a favorite food among athletes as long as humanity has had athletics, and reports of organ consumption among physical competitors are numerous and robust (among Native Americans, Greeks, those in modern times, and the list goes on).
I have experience it myself, but also receive a lot of reports from liver consumers on liver’s ability to improve mental performance and endurance. Consumers report that liver gives them the ability to focus on a task more intensely and for longer periods without becoming distracted or fatigued.
These effects are robust, repeatable, and widely reported. Personally, even I became puzzled by these effects—what is there in liver and organ meats that is NOT present in multivitamins? Why does liver make me feel so amazing while multivitamins do not have the same effect?
A fascinating and compelling study featured three groups of rats:
(1) Control group, fed basic diet fortified with 11 vitamins
(2) Fed basic diet fortified with 11 vitamins in addition to B-Vitamin Complex
(3) Fed basic diet fortified with 10% liver
Scientists placed the rats in a tank of cold water, with no escape route. The scientists tested the rats to see how long they would endure the cold water and swimming.
Group (1) swam for an average of 13.3 minutes prior to giving up. Group (2) increased the average every so slightly to 13.4 minutes. Group (3) remarkably swam for a minimum of 63 minutes and max (the limit of the experiment) 120 minutes (with the majority of rats in this group making it to 120 minutes).
Keep in mind that the rats had no way of knowing this was an experiment—in their experience, they had to have assumed this was a life-or-death situation. The fact that the majority of rats were able to improve their endurance by a minimum of a factor of 5, and many were able to swim 10 times longer than the control group is stunning. The scientists at the time dubbed the unknown cause “anti-fatigue factor.” They still have yet to discover what this is!
While many peptides are only bioactive through subcutaneous injection and not oral consumption, I speculate that the presence of myriad peptides in liver and other organ meats may be responsible for the mysterious “anti-fatigue factor.”
3) superior to other “superfoods”
Whenever I hear the term “superfood,” I cannot help but roll my eyes and immediately think, marketing gimmick! Most of us have heard this term thrown around in reference to blueberries, goji berries, kale, spinach, chia seeds, broccoli sprouts, wheatgrass, cacao (or dark chocolate), and the list goes on. In fact, the term has been so commonly used to refer to these foods that we basically accept them as “superfoods” as a society.
I am here to burst this bubble.
These so-called superfoods are really mediocre at best in comparison to liver and other organ meats from grass-fed ruminant animals. Let’s take berries for example, prized for their nutrients, fiber, anti-oxidant activity, and minerals. If we bioassay berries vs. liver, the mineral and nutrient density of berries is incomparably sad compared to that of liver and organ meats. Let’s even consider vitamin C, which is in relative high content in blueberries and relatively low (compared to A, D, K) in liver. A single ounce of blueberries contain 2.8mg vitamin C, while the same ounce of liver contains 6.7mg, nearly three times as much as blueberries. As for antioxidant activity—blueberries contain roughly 10x the antioxidant content of liver. However, the compounds in liver (and other organ meats) could significantly enhance the ability of one’s own body and liver to produce antioxidants like glutathione, which in turn significantly elevate blood serum anti-oxidant activity. Before comparing the raw anti-oxidants and surrendering superiority to blueberries, I think a more accurate assessment would be to watch blood serum levels of varying anti-oxidants post-consumption of both liver and blueberries. I would hypothesize that anti-oxidant activity in the blood post-liver consumption would be significantly higher than expected from a food with the raw anti-oxidant content of liver. However, this is just speculation.
Lastly, blueberries do contain more fiber than liver. Yes, fiber is important for gut health and the associated microbiome—however, it is not as if this is unique to blueberries. Should fiber really be a criterion for Superfood status? We can get fiber from any number of fruits or vegetables, or even nuts and other plant-based foods. It is not as if this is a rare property only found in blueberries or superfoods, and I would suggest prioritizing a real superfood like liver or organ meats prior to something like a blueberry (which is also full of fructose—less than ideal!).
I do not mean to pick on blueberries, but they do make a good example of why many of the substances we currently call Superfoods are not necessarily worthy of the title.
In a side-by-side comparison, I am of the opinion that liver is superior to any and all other foods.
4) Alpha AF
OK, it might seem ridiculous (and probably is a little ridiculous), but consuming liver and organ meats from grass-fed animals like bison is alpha af. It is badass. When I get done with a workout and pop some of 100% Grass-fed Bison Liver & Organ Complex, I cannot help but feel like a paleo human who has successfully gone out on a hunt and made a kill. I feel like an alpha male and alpha human, one who is doing everything right for my body and brain. Not only does consuming liver and organs in this way give you the very real benefits outlined above, but I believe it also gives me a mental and attitudinal advantage—remember the light-up shoes as a kid? Or those Nikes that you desperately wanted for the basketball season? Let’s be honest, they probably boosted your performance (even if only slightly) because you felt cool. You felt like your favorite pro who work the Nikes (or Jordans or whatever), and you stepped onto the court with a greater will to win as well as an enhanced sense of confidence.
Well, that is me today—even as a 30 year old man, I feel badass knowing that I am eating the same food that my ancestors relished across the savannahs, steppes, and plains prior to my own life. The same foods giving my ancestors life, vitality, and resilience are doing the same thing for me today. As a martial artist, I step onto the mats just about blowing steam out of my nostrils when I am consuming bison liver and organs. And that is an incredible feeling.
5) Bison liver is best
If you’re going to eat liver, make it a ruminant species. Sure, some liver from poultry, pork, etc. can be better than nothing. However, I do not want to settle for “better than nothing.” I want the best so that I can perform at my best.
I already outlined why American sourced supplements are generally better than those from New Zealand, Argetina, Brazil, and elsewhere. And I have hinted at the idea (OK, maybe more than hinted) that bison is superior than beef, from a nutritional standpoint.
Just take a look at any bison vs. beef nutritional bioassay—bison comes out on top every time. There might be a single nutrient, or maybe two, that are higher in beef than in bison. But generally speaking, bison is demonstrably superior to beef in nutrient-density.
I have never seen grass-fed beef vs. grass-fed bison, but I am willing to assume the results will be the same. Bison is an animal bred for resilience and survival, while beef comes from an animal bred for flavor and marbling.
Like begets like as they say, and I would much rather consume an athletic animal bred for resilience, strength, and power than one selected for taste and yield.
If you’re going to eat liver, grass-fed bison liver from a local source is ideal.
Key Takeaways & Conclusion
Humans (as well as ancestors of homo sapiens) have regularly consumed liver for its density of nutrition
There are quantifiable benefits to physical output and endurance from liver consumption (and we still don’t know exactly why!)
Liver is a true superfood, and the ultimate superfood to which all other foods should be compared
Eating liver will make you feel like a badass (and probably make you more of one too)
If you’re going to eat liver, make it grass-fed bison from a local ranch. If you don’t have a local ranch, or want something more convenient, use 100% Grass-fed Bison Liver & Organ Complex