Liver Is Nature's Multivitamin

Aside from eggs, liver is the only other major dietary source of choline*. It's also rich in almost every other vitamin and mineral essential for a healthy pregnancy.

*Choline is absolutely vital during pregnancy. It’s recommended early in pregnancy, along with folate and vitamin B12, to prevent neural tube defects. Later in pregnancy, choline will enhance baby’s brain development and ensure the proper development and functioning of your baby’s nervous system.

Liver is the single richest source of iron, a mineral that protects against maternal anemia and numerous other health problems. The iron found in liver (and animal foods, in general), called heme iron, is very well absorbed and does not carry the annoying side effect of consultation common to iron supplement.

Liver is also one of the richest sources of folate and vitamin B12, both key to maintaining red blood cells and fostering healthy brain development in baby.

Liver is also incredibly rich in fat-soluble vitamins, including vitamins A, D, E and K; all nutrients that are difficult to obtain from other dietary sources.

Many women are warned not to eat liver during pregnancy because it is rich in vitamin A.

This has sparked controversy over the years, mostly because old studies linked high-dose synthetic supplemental vitamin A to birth defects. However, we now know that naturally occurring vitamin A does NOT exert this toxicity, particularly when consumed with adequate vitamin D and vitamin K2, nutrients that are also found in abundance in liver.

In fact, the latest research shows, avoidance of liver is a known risk factor for inadequate vitamin A intake.

To meet your vitamin A needs, consuming just a few ounces of liver once or twice a week is sufficient along with the carotenes from vegetables, and the other dietary sources of vitamin A (grass-fed butter, animal fats from pasture raised animals, egg yolks).

If the idea of eating liver is new, foreign or downright repulsive, you’re not alone.

Organ meats were once a staple in our diets, but most of us haven’t grown up eating them. If you’re not used to eating liver or dislike the taste, it can easily be “hidden” in recipes that use ground/mince meat like Meatloaf, Shepherd's Pie, Bolegnese, Chilli Con Carne.

When buying liver, remember that source matters. This organ is designed to filter toxins and store nutrients, so ideally, seek liver from healthy, pasture-raised animals.

If you’re especially averse to the taste, you can purchase desiccated liver from grass-fed cows in capsule form and take it as a supplement.