Martina Bouchard, ND.A.
December 2023
The odds are, that even if you do your best to source the highest quality foods at your grocery store, your body is still lacking some vital nutrients. A study by the University of Texas found that the nutritional values of popular vegetables has dropped significantly since the 1950’s. On average, across the 43 vegetables analyzed, iron content declined by 15%, phosphorus by 9% and calcium by 16%, among other levels of micronutrients that showed similar decreases¹.
So, what can you do to nourish your body? …yes, you guessed it, eat organ meats!
The Lost Tradition
When you look at the nutritional habits of our ancestors, there has always been a deep relationship between the human body and the natural world. Like countless other species, human beings are meant to interact with the environment around them. Anthropologists have studied the evolutionary history of our species and predict that our human ancestors were shaped by around 301,000 years of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, 13,900 years of plant domestication (or agricultural innovation), and only 100 years of outsourcing our food². The first grocery store opened in 1916³, so it is still a relatively new concept compared to the hundreds of thousands of years of scavenging the land for food.
In our modern world, we have moved farther and farther away from the evolutionary basics that once shaped our ancestors. And because of this, we have fallen out of touch with the natural world that surrounds us.
Nose-To-Tail Eating
Our ancestors were hunter-gatherers, meaning they hunted, fished, and foraged the local land for their food. They didn’t eat organ meat out of superstition or from lack of knowledge; on the contrary, the practice of eating organ meats was likely perfected by generations and generations’ worth of trial-and-error¹⁰. Our ancestors actually prized organ meats above anything else, in fact in times of scarcity, organs were preferentially given to tribal chieftains, elders and pregnant women; in times of plenty they were enjoyed by everyone¹⁰. Today, the modern human may still eat a variety of these animals, but the big difference between most of us and our ancestors is that our ancestors ate the whole animal, not just the muscle meats⁴.
Because the whole animal was eaten (among other lifestyle choices), the hunter-gatherers were almost certainly in optimal health. Dr. Roming in Alaska said that in his 36 years of contact with native Americans who ate as their ancestors had, he had never seen a case of malignant disease, tooth decay, arthritis, the need for acute surgical problems requiring operation on internal organs, or tuberculosis⁴. He also noted that all these issues were on the rise in the native Americans who became modernized and pushed aside their hunter-gatherer way of life⁴.
As the incidence of chronic disease is increasing⁵, there is a large group of people are seeking to re-connect to the natural world to heal their bodies⁶. One of the several elements people are implementing on their journey back to the natural world and to optimal health is called Nose-to-Tail Eating, a term made popular by Dr. Paul Salandino (a huge advocate for the ancestral lifestyle). In truth, this new term is not so new as our ancestors have been practicing it for far longer than us, but the term does have a fun ring to it.
The best part of nose-to-tail eating is you don’t have to start living off the land to reap the benefits – you can simply add organ meats a few times a week or month to nourish your body. That is, until you see how good you feel after eating organ meats and choose to eat them daily!
Organ Meats as the Standard of Nutrition
The ancestral perspective brings a whole new meaning to the term whole food, or whole animal. The whole food is far superior to its isolated nutrients. For hundreds of thousands of years, there was no concept of vitamin B12 – let alone a B12 supplement². Our ancestors had a connection to the natural world that gave them insights we are still trying to understand today. They understood how to use the entire animal not only to survive but to strive.
We do understand today that the human body is highly complex and consists of intricate biochemical processes that rely on the foods we eat. We also understand that these processes require multiple nutrients that react synergistically to function. In other words, whole foods should be the standard of care to address nutrient deficiencies² and support healthy vitality.
The Most Nutrient Dense Food in the World
As I mentioned above, our foods are not as nutrient dense as they used to be, which makes organ meats more crucial today than ever before in history. Thankfully, we have organ meats to provide us with the most nutrient dense food in the entire world⁷. They are natures gift to us and provide us with the most concentrated source of virtually every important vitamin, mineral, amino acid, and fat⁷.
It is also important to differentiate that animal meat in general contains the bioavailable (more easily absorbed) forms of nutrients compared to those from plant sources⁹. Organ meats are even far higher in nutrients than muscle meats that we are used to eating⁸. For example, beef liver contains more B vitamins than any other food on this planet⁸ – yes, including beef muscle, peas, spinach, and broccoli.
Organ meats are also considered organ-nourishing foods⁸. This is the basis of glandular therapy, or like-cures-like, which is using animal tissues and cells to support our own physiological functioning. In other words, when we eat animal organ meats, we heal our own organs. Below are some examples of the most common organs and why you should start eating them.
The Noteworthy
Liver
The top all-star, the most celebrated, and your new go-to superfood. This organ converts nutrients from the food the organism eats into compounds the body can use and helps the body to neutralize (not store) toxins². It contains cytochrome P450, which is an important family of liver enzymes that assist with hormone production and breakdown, detoxification, and the overall health of your own liver⁷.
A 1-oz serving of liver has almost 100% of your daily requirement of Vitamin A (retinol), and in fact has so much Vitamin A that it should not be consumed everyday¹⁰. It also contains synergistic amounts of vitamin D, E, K, B1, B2, B6, folate, iron, copper, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, manganese, choline, and essential fatty acids².
Bones
Technically not a meat, but bones are classified as a structural organ and must share the spotlight in nose-to-tail eating. Starting with the obvious – its rich in calcium; and a unique form of calcium called microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (MCHA)¹⁰. Bovine derived MCHA may strengthen bones and reduce the risk of osteoporosis¹⁰, again think like-cures-like. The bone marrow contains an abundance of nutrients and stem cells that are known for their regenerative capabilities. Recent research has also discovered that the bone marrow is rich in alkylglycerol, an immune-boosting fat that is found in breast milk¹⁰.
Bones are also rich in protein, specifically amino acids such as glycine and proline which are used to help rebuild collagen in your body. This is especially true when you choose articulations to make your bone broth as they are rich in connective tissues and cartilage. Glutamine, another amino acid found in bone broth, has a special role in intestinal health and in maintaining your gut barrier function¹¹. Glycosaminoglycans found in bone broth are used to maintain connective tissue, and are needed to make synovial fluid, the lube of your joints¹¹.
Heart
Yes, technically the heart is a muscle, but it is also a bioelectric organ that assists in the delivery of nutrients around the entire body². It is a great source of copper, selenium, iron, folate, phosphorus, and zinc². The heart is also a rich source of collagen, an important nutrient for connective tissue health². It also provides you with the most coenzyme Q10 (a powerful antioxidant) out of any of the organ meats, and over 100% of your daily value of vitamin B12⁸.
Kidney
Functionally the kidneys remove waste from the bloodstream, help to regulate sodium, potassium, and calcium levels in the body, and secrete a hormone that influences blood pressure². The kidneys are high in omega 3 fatty acids¹⁰, and rich in vitamin A, vitamin D, B12, niacin, selenium, iron, zinc, copper, potassium, and phosphorus². A fun fact, cow kidney can give you 228% of the daily value recommended for selenium; a trace mineral that is associated the prevention of certain types of cancer, reduces oxidative stress, and enhances immune function⁸.
Sweetbreats
Neither sweet, nor a bread, this organ meat comes from the blend of the thymus and the pancreas¹⁰. Due to its purpose in the body, raw pancreas was once used to treat high blood sugar². The organ itself is rich in vitamin C, B12, B5, B2, B3, selenium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc². Sweetbreads are also the animal kingdoms best source and provides the highest concentration of vitamin C¹⁰. The thymus is rich in several immune-signaling peptides, including thymosin fraction 5, thymosin alpha-1, and thymic humoral factor, which nourishes your own thymus¹⁰.
Finding Organ Meat
Since most modern humans are not hunter-gatherers, we need to adapt the ancestral ways to fit our actual lifestyle. If we choose to rely on organ meats for nutrients and vitality, then it is of the upmost importance that those organs are sourced from healthy, naturally raised animals². When sourcing beef organs for example, my primary concern is that the cow has fed on organic pasture (without synthetic fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides) its entire life, and is free from hormones.
My suggestion is to visit your local butcher or farmers market and don't hesitate to ask them about their practices, they are usually happy to see people valuing their lesser-known cuts and are proud of the quality they deliver. Some even offer tours of their farms if you’re interested and may give you their favourite methods of preparing and cooking the organs. The best part of eating organ meats is that they are usually very cheap, so no matter your financial situation, you can reap the benefits of these superfoods.
If you do feel adventurous about eating organ meats, I would recommend starting with bone broth and beef, veal, or lamb liver. Veal (calf) liver comes from a young animal and is therefore an even better source of nutrients, and is more tender and potentially more flavorful than beef or lamb liver Liver12. Liver is also more visually appealing and is easier to hide the texture and taste than the other organs. If you ask, some butchers can even make a half-half mix of liver with ground muscle of the preferred animal.
Look up some fun recipes and enjoy the process of adding these superfoods into your routine.
How will you get organ meats on your plate?
References available upon request