Fun fact: Way back in the day, organ meat was considered a delicacy by our hunter-gatherer ancestors.
Now, you might be reading this thinking there's no way you could ever eat organ meat. But the truth is, you're missing out on a whole lot of health by not including organ meat in your diet.
That's because it's:
- Super high in protein to fuel your fat-burning and muscle-building goals.
- Rich in a wide variety of vitamins and minerals crucial to your immune, visual, and even dental health.
- Cheaper than other cuts of meat out there, which can substantially reduce your grocery bill.
What Is Organ Meat?
In today's world, animals are eaten primarily for their muscle tissue. When you go to a restaurant and order a nice steak, have a drumstick of chicken, or even your basic hamburger, that's all muscle tissue.
However, there are parts of an animal that often get glossed over. non-traditional parts of an animal-like organ meat-often get glossed over. Also known as "offal," organ meats are the non-traditional yet highly nutritious organs of animals (like cows, chickens, pigs, and lambs) that you probably don't think about eating but provide great value for your health. We're talking liver, heart, kidneys, etc.
Different Organ Meat Types
What are the different kinds of organ meats? Here are some of the most common ones:
- Liver: This just might be the king of organ meats. People call it "nature's multivitamin" because it's loaded with a ton of vitamin and mineral goodness.
- Heart: A lean cut of organ meat with a lot of flavor. It's super high in riboflavin, or vitamin B2. In fact, heart organ meat contains about twice as much of this important vitamin as muscle tissue does. Riboflavin is essential to energy production in the body. The heart is also a fantastic source of coenzyme Q10 (COQ10), which is known for its anti-aging benefits and improving fatigue in those who consume it.
- Kidneys: Packed with omega-3 fatty acids, which have anti-inflammatory properties and have been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, improve autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis, and even guard against age-related cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's Disease.
- Spleen: Considering the fact that spleen extract is used to help those with low white cell blood counts or to fight against cancer, it's safe to say spleen meat is good for immunity. It's high in iron and also vitamin B5, which is a vitamin essential for human life. Your body needs it to create blood cells and convert glucose into fuel you can use for energy.
- Pancreas: The organ meat that comes from the pancreas is called sweetbread. The reason why is unknown but this type of organ meat is packed with vitamins and nutrients. Sweetbreads are probably the top animal for vitamin C and they also have plenty of selenium, which is a powerful antioxidant that reduces oxidative stress and prevents infection.
- Testicles: Before you turn your nose up at eating testicles, just hear us out! In just 100 grams of bull's testicles, there's a whopping 26 grams of protein! If you're a gym rat or someone who likes working out, then you know how important protein is to helping you build muscle, burn fat, and recover faster. It'll also give your zinc levels a boost. To all the fellas out there, low levels of zinc have been linked to erectile dysfunction.
What Are the Benefits of Eating Organ Meat?
Organ meats are exceptionally nutritious. And pound-for-pound, they're packed with more nutrients than your traditional meat from muscle tissue.
- Keep you fuller for longer: Research shows that eating protein reduces hunger hormones (like ghrelin) and increases satiety hormones (like peptide YY). In other words, protein helps keep you full. When you're trying to lose weight, feeling full can make all the difference in the world. Due to their high-protein content, organ meats have a super effective satiating effect.
- Speed up your metabolism: Did you know that eating protein actually speeds up your metabolism? That's due to the thermic effect of food, which is the calories your body burns while digesting food. Out of the three primary macronutrients (carbs and fats being the other two), protein has the highest thermic effect, which means that eating more protein actually helps you burn calories
- Build and maintain muscle: Another thing about protein, it's key to building and preserving muscle. Organ meats also contain the nine essential amino acids your body needs to operate at peak performance.
- It's high in iron: Specifically, organ meats are high in heme iron, which is more easily absorbed by the body than non-heme iron (comes primarily from plant-based foods).
- Packed with fat-soluble vitamins: These might be the most crucial vitamins of all. Fat soluble vitamins (such as vitamins A, D, E, and K) are key to optimal bone, immune, and visual, and dental health.
- High in choline: Odds are, you're not eating enough choline. But organ meats provide a steady dose, which is great because choline is crucial to helping your brain, liver, and muscles all function properly.
- Cheaper than other cuts of meat out there: You won't burn a hole in your wallet buying organ meat at the store.
Interested in Trying Some Organ Meat?
Do yourself a favor and give organ meat a try. They're high in protein, which is a key macronutrient to achieving fitness goals. And you can give your immunity, bone, visual and dental health a boost with organ meat's vast assortment of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. If you're hesitant about trying organ meat, start slow by subbing out traditional meat once a week for some organ meat. Then, build up from there.
Try our organ meat products today!
- Premium Beef Organ Capsules: Packed with nutrient-dense organ meat, our three flavors include beef liver, testes, and a supreme organ meat blend.
- Carnivore Complete Protein Powder: Make a delicious shake with our protein powder made from premium grass-fed beef organs and tallow.
About the Author:
Chad Richardson is a freelance writer from Cincinnati, OH. When he's not behind his computer, you'll most likely find Chad getting his Arnold Schwarzenegger on at the gym, in the kitchen trying a new recipe he got off social media, or scrolling through Netflix for a new binge-worthy show.
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