Most of us know that liver is good for you but do you know why, and if so, why aren't you eating it? Grass Fed and grass-finished liver from pasture-raised cows is among the most nutritionally dense foods in existence. This type of high-quality liver is loaded with vitamins, minerals, proteins and healthy fats that support collagen synthesis (think skin, hair and connective tissues), immune health, and heart, brain and liver health.* Our early ancestors knew this, which is why their traditional diets included the frequent and nourishing consumption of this nutritional powerhouse. If you can't stomach the taste of liver, you can easily throw a few capsules down the hatch without incident — beef liver capsules are virtually tasteless. If you're looking into a high-quality desiccated liver supplement, see below so that you know what to look for.

High-quality liver from pasture-raised, Grass Fed cows is completely safe to consume. There is a common misconception about the liver being a storage depot for toxins which couldn't be further from fact. One of the many roles of liver is to filter toxins and send them to be expelled — usually in the urine via the kidney. In other words, the liver does not hold on to toxins, it expels them. The liver does act as a storage depot for vitamins, minerals and glycogen. Rest assured, liver from healthy animals is safe, nutritious and time-tested.

Need more assurance... Recall that liver is rich in choline, folate and B12. A diet rich in these nutrients supports methylation. Amongst other things, methylation is central to detoxification. What's more, is that without adequate choline (most Americans) fatty deposits may accumulate that contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Downstream issues include compromised detoxification, high cholesterol and memory problems. The take-home message is this... Grass Fed, pasture-raised liver is not only safe to consume but one could say that its nutrients are required to support and optimize our own detoxification pathways. Enjoy!

About 80% of our customers will see "significant benefit" that justifies re-order purchases. Those that don't are usually deficient in other important key vitamins and minerals. Whether you're part of the 80% who love our liver (or) you're part of the 20% who... let's just say "don't love" the liver, consider the following information for the sake of your strength... your energy... your health and happiness.

• Vitamins A, D, and K2 cooperate synergistically not only with each other, but also with essential minerals like magnesium and zinc, with dietary fat, and with key metabolic factors like thyroid hormone
• Vitamins A, D, and K2 interact synergistically to support energy metabolism, immune health, provide for adequate growth, support strong bones and teeth, and protect soft tissues from calcification
• Magnesium is required for the production of all proteins, including those that interact with vitamins A and D

Now you know that liver is rich in real, preformed vitamin A (5,000 iu per serving) and has meaningful amounts of zinc. That said, if you are deficient in vitamin D, vitamin K2 and/or magnesium, you will not see as much benefit as you could (nor) will you be optimizing health metrics. Do you regularly get mid day sun exposure, or take a vitamin D3 supplement? Do you eat fermented veggies like kimchi or sauerkraut or take a vitamin K2 supplement? Do you take a magnesium supplement (I personally recommend a trans-dermal magnesium oil spray because it's virtually impossible to get enough magnesium from diet alone).

These additional nutrients could easily be the missing link to the strength, energy and other health benefits that we are all after. Send me an email... let me know your thoughts... let me know if you have any questions. Just remember that I believe that we should do as our early ancestors did... there's no replacement for sun exposure and consuming whole, nutrient-dense foods. But... if you can't get sun exposure (for whatever reason) and you can't stomach fermented foods, here are some brands (with good dosing) that can supplement for the real McCoy.

• Vitamin A From Liver
• Vitamin D With K2
• Magnesium Oil

Many of our customers successfully improve their iron status with our Liver product because it naturally provides the cofactors that support endogenous iron production (vitamin A, B12, zinc, copper, etc.) along with a moderate amount of heme iron. For this reason, liver should be considered as a first line supplement option to manage iron status. It's important to know that adding more dietary iron to the equation doesn't always work... if that's not the root cause of the issue.

That being said, sometimes inadequate dietary iron IS indeed the root cause of the issue, in which case, our Spleen product should be considered due to a totally different mechanism of action and the high heme iron content (5Xs more than liver) either in combination with the Liver (or) as a stand-alone product. The spleen plays a critical role in hemoglobin health. When the bone marrow is injured or impaired, cell production is damaged. The incredible thing is that the spleen works as a compensatory organ and takes over to generate the blood cells the marrow was producing. It sometimes swells to 5 times its normal size to accommodate this new activity. It's one of the many ways that our body can adapt and change to overcome injury and disease... it's amazing how smart our bodies are! In these instances, the spleen needs all the help and nourishment it can get. Like supports like... it's grounded in science! For this reason, Liver plus Spleen should be considered as a second line supplement option to provide the cofactors that support endogenous iron production, the compensatory support and it’s a significant and meaningful amount of dietary heme iron.

Unfortunately, there will remain a few non-responders if the root cause is a struggling thyroid which is often the case. A struggling thyroid creates a cascade of struggling metabolic processes including struggling digestion and inadequate nutrient assimilation. If a struggling thyroid is the root of the issue, natural desiccated thyroid support should be considered when FREE T3 levels are not in the functional medicine range (i.e. 3.0 – 4.0 pg/mL) and / or reverse T3 (rT3) are elevated. Our Thyroid product provides 30mg of natural thyroid glandular with 470mg of Liver per capsule for those seeking targeted support in harmony with nature — the old-fashioned way, the way that our early ancestors did.

There's a very good chance that one's iron status will improve with the Liver product alone... if it does not, consider adding in the Spleen product which provides a totally different biological mechanism and it supplies over 500% more heme iron per serving (12.5 MG). Lastly, if iron status remains unimproved, one's thyroid status should be evaluated. If indeed a struggling thyroid is at play, consider a natural desiccated thyroid product like this one as an option to naturally balance, nourish and support thyroid health.

UPDATE:

There are a few other mechanisms that can contribute to low iron health / blood markers. The most common are as follows:

• Not adequate digestion and assimilation... think thyroid status and downstream pancreatic enzymes, stomach acidity, bile production.
• Not adequate digestion and assimilation... think lectins, phytates and other anti-nutrients in the diet.
• Not adequate immune response... think anemia of chronic disease; Thymus and/or BTC may need to be considered in addition to diet and lifestyle changes.

Many gut and digestive issues have a deficiency characteristic such as low stomach acid (80% of Americans), low pancreatic enzymes, low bile and/or low liver function. I'm not saying that all do, just a lot!

Low Acid — Restrict liquids with meals... most Americans actually have LOW stomach acid so stop diluting it with water during dinner... if that's you, also consider adding Betaine HCL and/or Apple Cider Vinegar to produce adequate stomach acid to get the job done right. A ketogenic / paleo / primal diet can help address the root cause.

Low Enzymes — Consider eating pancreas or supplementing with pancreatic enzymes to help... a struggling thyroid, heavy metal exposure and pancreatic insufficiency can all suppress enzymes. A ketogenic / paleo / primal diet can help address the root cause.

Low Bile — Our early ancestors used bile from the gallbladder... it was sprinkled on the meat and used as a condiment as we might use mustard today. Word has it that bile did a lot for the taste of liver. If you can't do this, consider supplementing with ox bile. A ketogenic / paleo / primal diet can help address the root cause.

Low Liver — Most Americans have a non-alcoholic fatty liver that causes a sluggish liver and sluggish bile... supporting your own liver health with lots of choline from egg yolks and eating Grass Fed Beef Liver will do wonders. A ketogenic / paleo / primal diet can help address the root cause.

TOP [14] THINGS TO IMPROVE IRON & FERRITIN HEALTH

In summary, go after the root cause so that you can provide targeted support; however, biological systems are complex and people are lazy. With that said, feel free to throw the kitchen sink at it. Here's a list of literally everything that I know...

1. Grass Fed Beef Liver - works for most people
2. Grass Fed Spleen - different mechansim of action plus tons of hem iron
3. Grass Fed Bone Marrow - red blood cell production
4. Grass Fed Thyroid - thyroid affects everything
5. Grass Fed Thymus and/or Grass Fed BTC - if one suspects it's anemia of chronic disease... these will support and boost immune health.
6. Grass Fed Pancreas - supports pancreatic health and provides digestive enzymes
7. Grass Fed Gallbladder (w/ Ox Bile & Liver) - gallbladder with ox bile to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins
8. Increase acid by restricting liquid with meals, add betaine HCL and consider apple cider vinegar (ACV) with meal too.
9. Love on the egg yolks for the choline... like Chris Masterjohn says "choline is king."
10. Get sensible sunshine, wild fish eggs or add a vitamin D3 supplement
11. Get fermented veggies like kimchi, sauerkraut and nattō or add a vitamin K complex supplement
12. Mind your magnesium orally as well as transdermally
13. Go cyclical ketogenic / paleo / primal (< 150g of carbs / day)
14. Go to our "About Us" page and do EVERYTHING on that list EXCEPT for #8... don't do this if you're not ready for it!

Yes, it's true... non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is everywhere; it affects up to 25% of the US population (probably more), including our children, including yours truly (back in 2002). If you have the classic signs, or you've been told that you have NAFLD, then a return to ancestral living will almost always put you back on the path to health and healing. If you're really serious, and you really want my advice, go to our "About Us" page and do everything there. If you want to skip the details and you just want to be told what to do, then this section is for you! At the very, very least, you'll need to ditch the carbs and start devouring egg yolks, liver and cruciferous veggies. This worked for me... this has worked for a ton of other people... I'm quite sure that it can work for you too!

NOTE: Classic signs include that uncomfortable abdominal bloat, upper abdominal tenderness, fatigue, gynecomastia (enlarged breasts in men), enlarged spleen, yellowish skin and eyes.

TOP [15] THINGS TO IMPROVE FATTY LIVER HEALTH

1. Improve sleep quality and duration... go to our "About Us" to learn how to fine tune your sleep. At the very least, wear the UVEX safety goggles.
2. Go keto / primal / paleo for 3 months (think root cause).
3. Eat 3-4 egg yolks a day, preferably raw but cooked will do too, for the choline... choline is absolutely king when it comes to a fatty liver.
4. Eat 6-8 oz of Liver a week or take our liver capsules.
5. Eat bone marrow or take our bone marrow capsules.
6. Eat vitamin E rich foods like almonds, almond butter, lots of avocados, olives and real, authentic olive oil.
7. Magnesium is a must... transdermal magnesium oil applied to feet before bed and oral magnesium dosed to stool tolerance.
8. Get sensible sunshine, wild fish eggs and/or grass finished tallow for bioavailable vitamin D.
9. Eat lots of kimchi and sauerkraut (the cruciferous veggies) and bone marrow for vitamin K2 (mk-4 and mk-7). I eat 200g of kimchi/day!
10. Walk 10,000 steps a day... 20-30 minutes first thing in the morning... 20-30 minutes after lunch... 30 minutes after dinner.
11. Avoid chemical dangers like estrogen mimetics and BPAs... once again, go to our "About Us" page to see what I mean.
12. Support Liver & NRF2 w/ milk thistle, NAC, turmeric, berberine and more kimchi-like foods (e.g. cabbage, broccoli, cruciferous veggies).
13. Drink adequate native, non-treated spring or well water; add Himalayan sea salt and remember to ditch the plastics.
14. Fast... fasting is the most powerful metabolic intervention since the inception of our species. Go to our "About Us" page to know more.
15. Re-evaluate what goes into your mouth... this includes liver-harsh drugs like statins and alcohol. Many liver, gut and digestive issues have a deficiency characteristic such as low stomach acid (80% of Americans), low pancreatic enzymes, low bile and/or low liver function. I'm not saying that all do, just a lot! If this is you, go to our Intestines w/ Tripe page to learn more. If you have anything to add to the above list, send us an email.

Six capsules provide the equivalent of about one ounce of fresh, raw whole bovine liver that you’d get from your local farmer (or) butcher. Our Grass Fed Beef Liver is a whole food dietary supplement that can be taken with (or) without food (even though it technically is food). The suggested use is 6 capsules a day or as directed by a healthcare professional — for added support, the dose can be doubled. This supplement can be consumed all at once, or in divided servings throughout the day.

Most customers tolerate our supplements without incident; however, approximately 5 to 10% of customers (usually with an autoimmune condition) may experience a detoxification reaction. Detoxification reactions go by many different names including healing reactions, healing crises, cleansing reactions (or) Herxheimer reactions with hallmark symptoms of nausea, headache, lethargy, dizziness and other flu like symptoms. In this instance, detoxification reactions are generally an indication that detoxification pathways in the body are back online... cells suddenly have an opportunity to release an even greater than normal quantity of stored toxins, metabolic wastes, pathogens and unwanted material.

A detoxification reaction is more likely to occur when starting with the full suggested serving size of 6 capsules per day. If you know that you are sensitive to supplements and/or you have an autoimmune condition, you may wish to start slow when adding this product to your current regimen. Tolerability can be greatly improved by starting with just 1 (or) 2 capsules a day and increasing by just 1 capsule every couple of days — this method may take a full two to three weeks to achieve the desired serving size of 6 capsules per day.

If tolerability remains an issue with just 1 (or) 2 capsules a day, our Beef Organs product (w/ liver, heart, kidney, pancreas, spleen) may be a better match for you. We have many customers that experience tolerability issues with our stand-alone Liver product but do wonderfully with the Beef Organs. If you're having trouble tolerating the Liver, and you know that you need the powerful nourishment that only like-supports-like nutrition organs can provide, try the Beef Organs... start with just 1 capsule a day and increase by just 1 capsule every two to three days. This strategy works for most but if it doesn't work for you, let us know and we'll provide a full refund.

Okay, you're convinced! You're going to start incorporating beef liver in your routine because, well... you're educated now... you understand, just as our early ancestors did, that it provides health benefits that cannot be obtained elsewhere. The next step is sourcing it. It's important that you source the highest quality because not all liver is created equal. Whether you're going to pan sear your liver with caramelized onions (or) you choose to go the supplement route, consider the following:

• Your Liver Should Come from An Unpolluted Geographical Region — Isolated, Pure, Healthy Lands
• Your Liver Should Come from Pasture Raised Cows
• Your Liver Should Come from Grass Fed & Grass-Finished Cows
• Your Liver Should Come from Cows That Are Hormone, Pesticide & GMO-free
• For A Dietary Supplement, It Should Also Be Pure... Absolutely No Fillers (or) Flow Agents
• For A Dietary Supplement, It Should Also Be Non-Defatted
• For A Dietary Supplement, It Should Also Be 100% Freeze-dried... Freeze Drying Has Been Shown to Optimally Preserve Nutritional Content

Many people believe that they can get enough vitamin A from their fruits and veggies—simply put, they can't! Fruits and vegetables are high in a family of phytonutrients called carotenoids (e.g. beta-carotene). Because of this, many people (and websites alike), believe that these foods provide vitamin A; however, they do not. The body must convert these compounds into vitamin A; but in humans, this process is inefficient and hardly takes place. The data shows that only three percent or less of carotenoids from plant foods are absorbed. In contrast, eighty percent or more of preformed vitamin A from animal sources (i.e. liver) is absorbed. If you're not consuming liver one to two times per week, you're not getting adequate vitamin A. If you're not getting adequate vitamin A, you're likely not optimizing your skin, hair and nail health nor are you supporting robust collagen production for other key connective tissue systems (e.g., cartilage, ligaments, tendons, gums). The simple solution is to eat liver twice a week. If you're just not going to do it, consider a high-quality liver supplement.

• A Small Percentage of Fruits & Vegetables Are Converted to Vitamin A
• A Huge Percentage of Liver is Converted to Vitamin A
• Genetic Polymorphisms (in 50% of us) Further Impair the Conversion Of Carotenoids To Vitamin A

"Vitamin A plays a critical role in the conversion of cholesterol into sex hormones—estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA and many others. Without it, expect infertility, erectile dysfunction and endocrine problems, such as fibroid tumors and endometriosis." Sally Fallon (Nourishing Fats).

Weston A. Price considered the fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamin A, to be the catalyst on which all other biological processes depend. Price's research revealed that generous amounts of vitamin A insure healthy reproduction and offspring with attractive wide faces, straight teeth and strong robust bodies.

Our early ancestors were in constant contact with nature... Like the fertile ground that we once walked upon, we were a natural extension of this earth. In the modern world, we unknowingly struggle to find direct body-to-earth contact which supports a vibrant, disease-free life. In the book Earthing, authors Clinton Ober, Martin Zucker and Dr. Stephen T. Sinatra put forth a bold proposal that earthing (also known as grounding) has the ability to heal... I believe that they're on to something.

At the heart of earthing is central physics-based relationship. Since the advent of shoes, houses, flooring, and elevated beds, we’ve lost our connection with the earth and its inherent electrical field. Think about it... when was the last time you had your bare feet directly connected to the earth? How long did you stay connected? Our early ancestors were connected 24/7.

"Basically, the theory is that our bodies are meant to come into contact with the Earth (a “grounding” force) on a regular basis. Positive electrons in the form of free radicals (ever heard of those guys?) can build up in our bodies and direct contact with the ground balances this out as it is a negative grounding charge. Our bodies and cells have electrical energy, and especially with the high prevalence of Electromagnetic waves, Wi-Fi and mobile phone waves, many of us have a high amount of positive electrons built up in our bodies." — Katie Wells from Wellness Mama

Reported Benefits

• Improved Sleep
• Anti-inflammatory
• Stress Reduction
• Muscle Recovery
• Pain Management
• Improved Circulation
• Antioxidants
• Protecting The Body from EMFs

How To Do It

This is the easy part... it doesn't cost anything... it doesn't require a whole lot of effort... all you need to do is take off your shoes and put your bare feet directly on the earth (grass, dirt, gravel, sand, etc). That's it! Do this for a 10-minute stretch and pay attention to how you feel. Do it in the morning, do it in the evening or do it every few days... some is better than none. If you see and feel the value in it, you'll do it more... we (The Johnson Family) do it every day for at least a few minutes and we do it weekly when we go on our barefoot hikes. I can't say anything objective about it but I love the ancestral connection, and it just feels right!

Stay positive... think about the wonderful things in your life that you're grateful for... eat like our early ancestors did... move around like our ancestors did... avoid danger like our ancestors did (think lions, trans fats, sugars, fluoride, excessive wifi, emfs, vaccines, mercury, etc)... slow down... go barefoot, connect to the earth... get sensible sun exposure... get cold (environmental conditioning)... mind your magnesium... sleep like a rock... keep stress in check... and breathe like Wim Hof.

You may be aware of the difference between RDA and DV... the DV for vitamin A is right around 5,000 IUs per day. Keep in mind that the RDAs and DVs are not set for health and wellness... they are generally set to avoid disease. In other words, RDA could easily read "minimum daily requirement" to avoid disease.

Our nutrient profile shows about 4,000 to 5,000 IUs of vitamin A for a six capsule serving. We have performed several assays and no two produce the same results. Factors that influence vitamin and mineral content include the health of the animal and how it was raised, time (freshness), temperature (heat stress) and particle size. It is likely that all pasture-raised, grass fed, New Zealand liver will provide the same amount of vitamin A if comparing apples-to-apples (fresh, freeze-dried varieties without prolonged exposures to heat stress).

Do you consume other forms of liver, or real vitamin A rich foods (i.e. liver products) that would contribute to your vitamin A status? Should we be cautious to not over-consume something that most of us are already deficient in and suffering health consequences from? I think that there's a point here and I think that the answer is maybe…

Unfortunately, most people are grossly deficient in vitamin D, A and K. As it relates to vitamin A, our early ancestors would have easily consumed north of 20,000 IUs of vitamin A per day. They probably would have consumed plenty of sunshine too!! Vitamin A and vitamin D work cooperatively and protectively together (to prevent toxicity). Of course, vitamin K plays a key role here too. — Source: https://chrismasterjohnphd.substack.com/p/tufts-university-confirms-that-vitamin

A person would have to eat a 4 to 5oz serving of fresh grass fed beef liver every day (or) swallow 24 to 30 capsules of pure desiccated (double that if it's a product like our Brain, Thymus, Lung or Bovine Tracheal Cartilage) liver every day just to consume what our early ancestors did. I’m not advocating one doing so but I am advocating for people to include this vital nourishment in their lives on a consistent, frequent basis rather than shy away from it.

Hypervitaminosis A is real… but I wonder how real it is when we get our vitamin A from food (beef or sheep liver)… get our vitamin D from sunshine (and wild fish eggs) and get our vitamin K from kimchi, nattō and rich bone marrow… Maybe we don’t need north of 20,000 IUs of vitamin A per day but we at least need an average of 5,000 per day to prevent disease… that means that we at least need to eat two servings of 4 to 6oz of liver per week… or take four to six capsules of desiccated liver per day.

Liver fills nutrition gaps more completely than any other food… it’s amazing how many people are deficient in key nutrients that beef liver supplies (vitamin A, B12, choline, folate, iron)… it’s even more amazing when you read how incredibly well people are doing after they start incorporating it into their lives.

I personally consume north of 20,000 IUs of vitamin A per day. I also consume plenty of sunshine (supplement with wild fish eggs and seal fat in the winter months), plenty of bone marrow, natto and kimchi for the vitamin K2 and plenty of magnesium. I've been doing this for years... I personally know dozens of people that do the same... none of us have ever had an issue with nutrient imbalance. None of us get sick and we have the strength, health and happiness metrics to support this ancient practice. Again, I'm not suggesting that you do what works for my tribe and me but I am suggesting that you don't shy away from it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this... more than anything, I want people to be happy and healthy... in many instances, nourishing foods play a very vital role in this outcome.

All animal cells contain some cholesterol; therefore, all animal foods have it, including ours. Most of our like-supports-like nutrition foods have less than 1/10th of just one gram of fat per capsule... this is hardly anything. There is approximately 4 mg of glandular-derived cholesterol per capsule to nourish cell membranes, to support hormones (including the synthesis of vitamin D), to synthesize neurotransmitters and to support overall nerve function — just to name a few.

Here are some simple, verifiable scientific facts...

• Dietary cholesterol has little, or nothing, to do with blood cholesterol numbers.
• Heart attacks occur more often in people with "normal" LDL cholesterol numbers.
• Inflammation, triglycerides, fasting blood sugar and blood pressure are better predictors of heart health.

Need more assurance... Recall that foods like liver, bone marrow and other organs/glands give us the vital nourishment that we need for energy metabolism, a strong immune system, a properly functioning endocrine system and to heal and be healthy. When our biology works better, there's less need for our own liver to ramp up the manufacturing of more cholesterol. That's right, this is where most of our cholesterol comes from... our own liver makes it and sends it for repair purposes! The take-home message is this... Grass Fed, pasture-raised organs and glands are not only safe to consume but one could convincingly argue that these nutrients are required to support and optimize our blood cholesterol and overall heart health. Enjoy!

If you'd like to know more, here is one of the most comprehensive, scientific and anthropological sources on the topic.