Doctor Reviews: Primal Queen

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Primal Queen is a dietary supplement that contains dried and powdered beef organs in capsule form. These organs include the liver, kidneys, heart, and other parts that many people don’t usually eat. Typically, beef organ meats, also known as bovine offal, cost about $6-8 per pound (or $13-18 per kilogram) when bought raw. However, since about 75% of this weight is water, the cost for the dried and powdered version is around $52-72 per kilogram.

Each pack of Primal Queen costs $60 for 60 capsules, with each capsule containing 337.5 mg of powdered beef organs. This totals about 20.25 grams per pack, which makes the price equivalent to nearly $3000 per kilogram. This is significantly more expensive than buying raw organ meats from the market. Despite this price difference, the nutritional benefits remain the same, whether the organ meats are consumed raw or in capsule form.

But why consider consuming these organ meats at all? Parts like the cow’s uterus, ovaries, liver, kidneys, and heart are packed with nutrients that can offer various health benefits.

Beef vs Organ Meats

Organ meats are packed with essential nutrients like vitamins, minerals, and proteins. For instance, beef liver and kidneys offer higher levels of vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, zinc, selenium, and copper compared to a regular steak. However, it’s important to note that liver and kidneys act as the body’s toxin filters, which means they can contain higher levels of toxic substances.

For example, studies have found higher levels of heavy metals, such as lead and cadmium, in beef liver and kidneys compared to regular beef. The exact levels depend on factors like the cows’ diet and environment. However, liver and kidneys sold in North America typically remain within safe limits.

Beef heart and tongue are similar to steak in terms of nutrition since they are also muscle tissue. In fact, ground beef in the US often includes beef heart and tongue mixed with regular beef. These cuts provide a good balance of nutrients and can be a nutritious part of your diet.

Intestines and stomach contain less protein but are rich in collagen, offering unique nutritional benefits. Because they are part of the cow’s digestive system, they can harbor bacteria and parasites, so it’s crucial to wash and cook them thoroughly.

Beef sweetbreads, which are the thymus or pancreas of cattle, are not sweet and have nothing to do with bread. They contain less protein and more fat compared to regular beef, providing different nutritional benefits linked to the immune system and digestion.

Beef brain has higher fat content due to phospholipids and choline but contains less protein overall. A significant concern with consuming beef brains is the risk of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease). This disease can be transmitted through prions, which are unique proteins found in brain tissue. Unlike bacteria or viruses, prions are not destroyed by high heat, making it unsafe to consume infected brain tissue. Because of this, the sale and consumption of cow brains are generally prohibited in North America.

Reproductive organs like cow testicles, uterus, and ovaries are much less commonly consumed. They offer no significant nutritional advantages over regular beef, and there’s no evidence to suggest that consuming them affects human hormonal levels.

Best Organ Meat to Eat

When it comes to choosing the most nutritious organ meats for your diet, beef liver and kidney are top picks. They contain a higher concentration of vitamins and minerals compared to regular beef. However, they can also have slightly elevated levels of heavy metals, which isn’t ideal.

Another option is beef stomach or intestines, like tripe. These are rich in collagen, which can be beneficial for your health. However, they need to be thoroughly cleaned and cooked carefully. Other organ meats don’t offer much more than regular beef in terms of nutrition. Plus, they can be harder to find and might not taste as good.

Are they “Superfoods”?

It’s important to understand that relying on organ meats as “superfoods” may not be as impressive as it sounds. The nutritional differences between organ meats and regular beef aren’t as extreme as you might think. For example, beef liver is packed with vitamin B12—about 30 times more than regular beef per ounce. However, if you’re only eating a 3-ounce serving of liver each day, that’s just 68 extra micrograms of B12. On the other hand, supplements can provide anywhere from 250 to 2500 micrograms per pill.

Taking a supplement made of organ meats, like Primal Queen, might seem convenient, but to truly reap the nutritional benefits, you’d need to consume a decent amount—maybe a serving or two per day, which translates to about 80 to 200 grams.

Think of it like this: Imagine the health benefits of blueberries, with their fiber, anti-inflammatory compounds, and vitamins. Just eating one blueberry daily won’t make a significant difference. Similarly, a small sprinkle of nutrient-rich oatmeal won’t do much for you. To see real benefits, you need to eat a meaningful portion regularly, like a handful of blueberries or a cup of oatmeal.

Problem with Primal Queen

Even though Primal Queen claims to offer valuable nutrients, the main issue is that taking one or two capsules a day doesn’t provide enough nutrition to make a meaningful difference. To put this in perspective, let’s do some math. Each capsule of Primal Queen contains a dry weight equivalent to about 1.4 grams of fresh organ meat.

So, if you want to get the same nutritional benefits as a small 85g (3 oz) serving of fresh organ meat every day, you’d need to take all 60 capsules of Primal Queen daily. Yes, that’s right – the entire $60 bag is nutritionally equivalent to a single 3 oz serving of fresh organ meat. That’s a very expensive way to get your daily dose of dried organ meat.

Is Primal Queen Effective?

Some women say they feel better on Primal Queen. Honestly, it might be the placebo effect. However, it’s true that beef organ meats are rich in nutrients. These women might be correcting a nutrient deficiency by taking these pills.

They could be low on key vitamins like A, B12, B6, B5, folic acid, iron, zinc, selenium, or copper. Deficiencies in B12 and iron are especially common in women. My advice? Talk to your doctor about taking individual supplements for these nutrients. It’s much cheaper than taking Primal Queen.

Or, if you’re adventurous, you could start eating beef liver or kidney. Just remember, in reasonable amounts, they’re nutritionally similar to regular beef. If you eat too much, you might face issues like heavy metal contamination and the strong taste. Beef organ supplements aren’t much different, except they can be a lot more expensive.

Top alternatives to Primal Queen

• Iron bisglycinate – 1 cap / day
• Selenium – 1 to 2 caps / day
• Vitamin B complex – 1 to 2 caps / day
• Vitamin B12 – 1 cap / day
• Zinc citrate – 1 cap / day

Learn more about

• Best Supplements for Menopause
• Best Supplements for PCOS

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