Why Beef Liver is Good for You and How to Compare Supplement Brands

Is beef liver good for you? Ounce for ounce, beef liver is one of nature’s top superfoods, well known for providing a wealth of benefits. Beef liver is full of highly absorbable, hard-to-get nutrients such as iron, choline, zinc and B vitamins.

Despite it being one of the most nutritious of foods, beef liver is an acquired taste due to its strong flavour and texture. Bovine/beef liver supplements can be a convenient and effective alternative. 

This post explores the health benefits of beef liver, highlights what to look out for in a beef liver supplement and provides a comparison of three premium brands available at www.goodievibes.com. 

Health Benefits of Beef Liver

Looking at ts nutritional profile,  beef liver is nutrient-dense, high-protein and low-carb superfood. Based on the Food Data Central database of the United States Department of Agriculture, per 100 grams (g), beef liver contains:

•     133 calories
•     20.35 g of protein
•     4.78 milligrams (mg) of iron
•     16,814 international units of vitamin A
•     1.1 mg of vitamin C total ascorbic acid
•     274 mg of cholesterol

Simply put, an ounce of beef liver provides more nutrients than any fruit or vegetable. 

Let’s explore other health benefits of beef liver.

1.     Promotes and Helps Boost Energy

One of the primary nutrients in beef liver is vitamin B12 and it is filled with a full spectrum of B vitamins — these vitamins support your organs and muscles  while helping them receive sufficient oxygen which helps physical stamina and mental concentration. One of the many functions of  B vitamins is to convert food energy into chemical energy for your cells — helping your body turn the food you eat into usable energy.

2.     Supports Skin Health

Liver is loaded with retinol or the active form of Vitamin A which is known to support skin health which helps lessen the appearance of aging by increasing skin vascularity and firmness. It is also vital for vision, reproduction, supporting your immune system, and contributing to the maintenance of collagen under the skin.

3.     Strengthens Bones

Beef liver helps increase bone mineral density and ultimately decreases the risk of bone fractures. It is a good source of vitamin K2, an essential bone health nutrient that helps with calcium balance. Vitamin K2 is known to help direct calcium into the bones and keep it out of the arterial walls.

4.     Supports Muscle Growth

Beef liver helps your muscles grow as it is filled with protein. Another muscle building mineral found in beef liver is magnesium, which is said to improve muscle strength, performance, and cardiorespiratory endurance. 

5.     Elevates Mood

Choline is associated with brain health. In just 3 ounces of beef liver, you get your daily recommended dose of choline. Research shows that choline helps improve cognitive performance, can help repair/create DNA and prevents mood disorders. 

How to Choose the Right Beef Liver Supplement for You

Supplementing your diet with beef liver capsules will provide all the benefits of liver in a palatable and convenient way. When choosing supplements, it is vital to know what to look for to see which one is the right one for you.

✓ Grass-fed and grass-finished beef

✓ Grass-fed liver are loaded with a full spectrum of vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids in their proper ratios.

✓ Pasture raised 

✓ Freeze dried vs desiccated; freeze dried preserves heat-sensitive nutrients, biological activity, and co-factors

✓ Country of origin: New Zealand and Argentina are among the most trusted 

✓ Watch out for fillers and additives

✓ Other ingredients

   Beef Liver Supplement Comparison: Three Premium Brands

The table below compares three top liver supplement brands.

Brand	Smidge	Ancestral Supplements	Perfect  Supplements
Product image
Description	Smidge Beef Liver is freeze-dried capsules in small batches. This process retains the majority of the precious vitamins and minerals.	Pasture-raised, grass-fed, undefatted, hormone-free, pesticide-free, GMO-free.  100% freeze dried to optimally preserve heat sensitive nutrients, co-factors and biological activity.	Perfect Desiccated Liver is grass-fed, undefatted beef liver in its purest form; non-defatted and as close to nature as possible.
Drying process	Freeze-died	Freeze-dried	Desiccated
Cattle Feed and Location	Grass-fed,  Pasture-raised in New Zealand	Grass-fed, Pasture raised in New Zealand and Australia	Grass-fed, Argentina
Other Ingredients	Gelatin capsule	Gelatin capsule	Cellulose capsule
Servings per Bottle	120 capsules	180 capsules	120 capsules
Suggested Capsules per Serving	4 capsules	6 capsules	4 capsules
Liver Content per Serving	2000mg	3000mg	3000mg
Liver Content per Capsule	500mg	500mg	750mg
Servings per Bottle	120 capsules	180 capsules	120 capsules
Suggested capsules per Serving	4 capsules	6 capsules	4 capsules
Liver Content per Serving	2000mg	3000mg	3000mg
Liver Content per Capsule	500mg	500mg	750mg
Manufacturer’s price per Bottle*	USD 39.95/CAD 51.13	USD 48.99/62.84 CAD	USD 23.95/CAD 30.66
Price per Capsule*	USD 0.33/CAD 0.42	USD 0.27/CAD 0.34	USD 0.19/CAD 0.25
Price per 500 mg*	USD 0.33/CAD 0.42	USD 0.27/CAD 0.34	USD 0.13/CAD 0.17

  *USD to CAD conversion rate as of July 2022; USD 1 = CAD 1.28

Beef Liver Supplement: The Takeaway

Beef liver has a wide variety of vitamins and minerals that can benefit almost everyone. All three of the brands covered in this post are excellent options, but they also differ in several ways.

Perfect Supplements Desiccated Beef Liver is a great economical option for getting high quality beef liver into your diet. It’s about half the price per milligram (mg) compared to Smidge and Ancestral Supplements. 

While Perfect Supplements is less expensive per mg of liver, the nutritional value of Smidge and Ancestral Supplements is bolstered by the origin and processing methods that they use. Both offer liver that is grass fed, freeze-dried, non-GMO and that has zero pesticides. Their freeze dried method helps retain more of the precious nutrients, resulting in a higher concentration of nutrients per mg.  This process also minimizes the smell and taste of the capsules. 

By volume, both of these brands are comparably priced, but they can be differentiated on other factors. Smidge liver is a pure-play New Zealand sourced product, while Ancestral Supplements liver is sourced from both New Zealand and Australia. New Zealand is country known for superior grass fed bovine and quality assurance.

Ancestral Supplements focuses mainly on beef organ supplements and offers few other primal products, such as minerals and fish eggs. Smidge focuses on small batch supplements and has a lineup of several different products that range from beef liver and oyster zinc to probiotics and magnesium.

If you’re amazed by the benefits of beef liver, its ability to promote and support physical, cognitive and overall well being, but want an alternative to cooking and eating fresh liver, check GoodieVibes.com and get all the nutrition and health benefits of beef liver in a convenient, effective and prep-free way. Hold the onions.

Whichever brand or type of liver that you try, be sure to check with your healthcare professional to make sure it's right for you, fits with your lifestyle and complements any other products you may be taking. When trying a new supplement, it is best to start with a small dose before gradually trying the full recommend dosage.