Doctor Reviews: Ancestral Supplements Beef Organs

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Imagine combining a butcher shop with a supplement store—that’s what Ancestral Supplements does. They offer beef organs like liver, kidneys, and heart, which are dried, powdered, and packed into capsules. While fresh beef liver from a butcher shop or supermarket typically costs around $6-8 per pound (or $13-18 per kilogram), the dried and powdered form is much pricier.

Since about 75% of the weight of organ meat is water, drying and powdering it increases the cost to about $52-72 per kilogram. Ancestral Supplements sells a pack of Grass-Fed Beef Liver for $48, which includes 180 capsules. Each capsule contains 500 mg of powdered beef liver, totaling roughly 90 grams per pack. This translates to around $533 per kilogram, significantly more expensive than buying raw liver.

Despite the price difference, the nutritional benefits of these organ meats remain the same, whether raw or in capsule form. So, what are the benefits of consuming these organ meats?

Beef vs Organ Meats

Liver and kidneys

Organ meats are nutrient powerhouses. They are rich in vitamins, minerals, and proteins. For instance, beef liver and kidneys have higher levels of vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, zinc, selenium, and copper compared to a regular steak. However, these organs act as the body’s toxin filters, potentially exposing consumers to higher levels of toxins.

For example, beef liver and kidneys might contain more heavy metals like lead and cadmium than regular beef. The exact levels depend on environmental factors, such as the cows’ diet. In North America, liver and kidney meats generally stay within safe limits, but their toxin levels are still higher compared to regular beef.

Heart and tongue

Beef heart and tongue are nutritionally similar to steak since they are also muscle tissue. In fact, ground beef sold in the US often includes beef heart and tongue mixed with regular beef.

Intestines and stomach

Intestines and stomach have less protein but are richer in collagen, which can offer unique nutritional benefits. However, because they are part of the digestive system and can harbor bacteria and parasites, they need thorough cleaning and cooking.

Sweetbread

Beef sweetbread consists of the thymus or pancreas, organs linked to the immune system and digestion. They contain less protein but more fat compared to regular beef.

Brain

Beef brain is higher in fat due to phospholipids and choline but has less protein. There is a significant risk associated with consuming beef brains because of Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (mad cow disease). This disease is caused by prions, which are not destroyed by cooking. Therefore, even thoroughly washed and cooked brains are unsafe if infected. Consequently, the sale and consumption of cow brains are generally prohibited in North America.

Bone marrow

Bone marrow is mostly fat and much higher in calories per weight compared to other organ meats. It also contains high levels of iron and calcium.

Reproductive organs

Reproductive organs like testicles, uterus, and ovaries are less commonly consumed and offer no significant nutritional advantages over regular beef. Despite being hormone-producing organs, there is no evidence that consuming them, cooked or raw, affects human hormone levels.

Thyroid

Thyroid tissue is usually not eaten but is often dried and sold as desiccated thyroid medications. These medications mostly use pig thyroids rather than cow thyroids, as pig thyroids more closely mimic human thyroids. Desiccated thyroid is sometimes used to treat conditions where the thyroid gland does not produce enough hormones. However, taking it without a thyroid condition can cause problems such as hyperthyroidism.

Some people prefer desiccated thyroid as a natural alternative to synthetic medications because it contains a wider range of thyroid hormones. However, the hormones in desiccated thyroid can be stronger, making safe usage harder and increasing the risk of side effects. Hormone levels can vary significantly between brands and even within the same batch, leading to inconsistent dosing and effects. Additionally, desiccated thyroid is often less available and sometimes more expensive than synthetic alternatives.

Best Organ Meat to Eat

When choosing the most nutritious organ meats for your diet, beef liver and kidney stand out. They have higher concentrations of vitamins and minerals compared to regular beef. However, they may also contain slightly elevated levels of heavy metals, which is the main tradeoff.

Another great option is beef stomach or intestines, like tripe. These are rich in collagen, which can be beneficial for your health. However, they require thorough cleaning and careful cooking.

Other organ meats don’t offer much more nutrition than regular beef. They are often harder to find and cook, and may not taste as good.

It’s important to consult your doctor before consuming desiccated thyroid. It can affect your thyroid hormone levels if not used carefully.

Should you eat Organ Meats?

With all the hype around organ meats, you might wonder if they’re really worth it for the nutritional benefits. In reality, the differences between eating organ meats and regular beef aren’t game-changing.

For instance, beef liver is loaded with vitamin B12—about 30 times more than regular beef, ounce for ounce. But if you’re eating just a 3-ounce serving of liver each day, that’s only 68 extra micrograms of B12. In comparison, supplements provide anywhere from 250 to 2500 micrograms per pill.

Problems with Ancestral Supplements

Trying to get these nutritional benefits from an organ meat supplement is impractical. To gain the full nutritional benefits from organ meat, you’d need to consume a decent amount, like one or two servings per day, which is about 80 to 200 grams. Taking one or two capsules amounting to a few hundred milligrams a day doesn’t provide enough nutrition to make a meaningful difference.

Let’s do the math: Each capsule of Ancestral Supplements liver contains the dry weight equivalent of about 2 grams of fresh liver. To get the same nutritional benefits as a single 3-ounce (85 grams) serving of fresh organ meat, you’d need to take 42-43 capsules. Essentially, the entire $48 bottle, which contains 180 capsules, is nutritionally equivalent to roughly 4 servings (360 grams) of fresh organ meat. That’s less than a standard $6-7 tray of beef liver you can get at your local grocery store. This makes it quite an expensive way to get your daily dose of organ meat.

Should you take Ancestral Supplements?

Beef organ meats are packed with nutrients like vitamin A, B vitamins (B12, B6, B5, and folic acid), iron, zinc, selenium, and copper. However, a more efficient way to gain these benefits is to take specific nutritional supplements. For example, if you have a B12 or iron deficiency, talking to your doctor about supplementing these directly is far more effective than taking Ancestral Supplements.

Or, you could start eating cooked beef liver or kidney, assuming you can stomach these kinds of foods. Nutritionally, they are pretty much the same as regular beef if you’re eating reasonable amounts each day. Consuming beef organ supplements is going to be no different, except now you’ll also be consuming an unnecessarily high cost.

Top alternatives to Ancestral Supplements

• 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

• The Best Proteins and Fats for Losing Belly Fat
• Supplement reviews

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