Organs: to eat or not to eat?

You may have noticed the uproar on social media debating whether or not it’s healthy to eat organs.

There are fairly strong opinions on both sides of the argument, and if you’re new to the world of metabolic health, all the noise can be overwhelming.

It can be hard to discern right and wrong from all the noise. Being told to just ‘do your homework’ isn’t always helpful in this case.

That’s why I’m condensing both sides of the argument: so you can make your own decisions.

Both sides of the great organ debate

In the interest of fairness, I’ll save my personal thoughts until the end. I’ll also share any relevant research so you can do some reading on your own.

Quick side note: When I refer to organs here, I’m not just talking about liver. Liver is probably the most commonly eaten organ, but this discussion includes other offal such as kidneys, hearts, and tongues.

With that in mind, let’s dive in.

Those who do eat organs

There are three major arguments for the constituents of this camp:

“Quality nutrient profile”

Organs are one of the most nutrient-dense animal-based products.

Most organs offer:

• Vitamin A, which is key for your immune system and bone health. For context, the average beef liver contains more than 9,000mg of vitamin A.
• Riboflavin, sometimes called vitamin B2, supports cellular energy and growth. Your gut microbiota produces a small amount of B2, but it’s not enough to live on without dietary supplementation.
• Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA), which protects cellular health . The highest concentration of ALA is found in kidneys and beef hearts.
• Metals such as iron, zinc, and copper. These affect blood production, blood pressure, and blood vessel creation, respectively.

Keep in mind not every individual responds well to high quantities of these nutrients (which I’ll touch on in a later section).

“High protein for metabolic health”

Most people don’t realize how much protein they need to be metabolically healthy. The average American makes protein approximately 16% of their diet , with more than a third of it coming from plant-based sources.

If you’re physically active, pregnant, or diabetic, you likely need even more protein. Organ meat easily satisfies this requirement:

• Lamb heart: 28g of protein per 4oz
• Pork kidneys: 19g of protein per 4oz
• Beef tongue: 17g of protein per 4oz

Organs are also one of the cheapest sources of protein you can buy.

Which leads into the next point:

“Cheap and satisfying”

This argument is fairly self-explanatory.

The average sirloin steak was priced at $11.69 per pound in 2023 . In contrast, the average pack of beef liver costs around $2.83 per pound .?

Even pasture-raised, locally-farmed beef livers cost ~$5 per pound, which is less than half the cost of a sirloin steak (and with a higher nutrient value as well).

Organs are also a very cheap way to make very impressive progress on your metabolic health. Studies show people who regularly consume organ meats may have a lower prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease .?

Those who don’t eat organs

Not everyone believes eating organs is good for you.

These are the arguments you might hear on the other side of the conversation:

“There’s too much cholesterol and saturated fat”

Most organs are higher in cholesterol and saturated fat than other non-animal foods. Beef heart, for example, contains 105 mg of cholesterol. But red meat alternatives such as the Impossible Burger contain 0 mg of cholesterol.

Saturated fat content varies depending on your organ. A single chicken liver has less than 1g of saturated fat, while a single pork kidney contains 2.42g of saturated fat.

Now, you should know the bulk of this argument is rooted in outdated science. Dietary cholesterol and the ‘evils’ of saturated fat have been heavily debunked in recent years:

• Eating cholesterol-rich foods such as shrimp and eggs does not directly increase your blood cholesterol levels . They also don’t lead to heart disease , contrary to popular belief.
• There is no substantial evidence showing that the saturated fat in red meat is bad for your health. Other studies find no connection between saturated fat and cardiovascular disease .
• Many studies examining the ‘healthiness’ of organs do not distinguish between preparation methods. There’s a big difference between kidneys sauteed in butter, and chicken livers covered in flour and fried in vegetable oil , for example.

I cover this extensively in my course on cholesterol and guide to saturated fat .

“You can get too much of a good thing”

As mentioned earlier, organ meat contains a wide variety of nutrients. But because they’re so densely packed, they may be harmful in high quantities — but only in specific populations.

For example:

• Those suffering from gout may experience worsened inflammation from the purines in organ meat.
• Pregnant women eating more than 10,000 IUs of vitamin A may have a higher risk of birth defects than women consuming fewer IUs.
• People with hemochromatosis, or too much iron in their blood, could potentially get iron toxicity from eating organ meats.

Keep in mind the organs themselves aren’t toxic per se — but the concentration of nutrients could be problematic to some people.?

That’s why many constituents of this argument suggest limiting how much you eat. Although the range swings widely depending on who you talk to.

“The liver is a filter”

Since one of the primary functions of the liver is filtration, some people worry about toxins, parasites, and diseases.

Unhealthy livers have been known to spread:

• Mad cow disease. This is transferable through all infected meat, not just organs. There have been six cases in the US since 2003.
• Bacterial infections. E. coli, Campylobacter, and Salmonella are always a risk with improperly cooked meat.
• Toxocariasis. Ingesting raw cow liver can raise your risk of internal parasites.?

Of course, the constituents of this argument do acknowledge the difference between grocery store organs and farm-fresh, locally raised meat. The nutrient profile will be different, the management practices will be different, and the likelihood of diseases and parasites may also be lower.?

Cooking organ meat well also negates potential problems. For example, studies show that proper cooking practices slash the risk of foodborne illness by up to 85% .

So should you eat organs?

Most members of the great organ debate take a black-and-white approach. It’s either a ‘superfood’ you should eat every day, or a dangerous carcinogen to avoid at all costs.

I believe the answer falls somewhere in the middle.?

You need to know where your food comes from . I’d urge you to purchase the highest-quality options available. Avoid fried organ meat (especially with seed oils), and try not to add processed carbohydrates like flour.?

At the end of the day, it’s your body’s reaction that matters. It’s certainly worth trying — especially for your metabolic health.

And if you’re interested in learning more about the impact of meat on metabolic health, you’re welcome to explore my free resources below:

• Red meat and metabolic health: what’s the truth?
• Understanding the carnivore diet
• I’m a doctor and I lost 100 pounds on the carnivore diet

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