NEWS: Tomorrow I will be announcing the winner of the $85 US Wellness Meats giveaway and give everyone a discount code. You won’t want to miss it!

The liver talk continues today as I answer the two most-asked questions following my Liver: The Superfood article and beef liver with bacon and onions recipe.

Is Liver Full of Toxins?

I should preface this answer with my philosophy on why eating liver makes sense.

1. It is a part of the whole animal. If we are to eat animal products, which I believe add a nutrient density to our diet not otherwise found in plant foods, then we need to consider the animal as a whole when we consume it.
2. It is a traditional food. I do not believe this to be a sole reason to choose any food, but in combination with other factors it makes sense to consider. If you look back hundreds or thousands of years you will see that animal organs were treasured for their nutrients, and prized more than even the meat of the animal. Moreover, every part of the animal was to be used in the context of good stewardship and frugality.

So, does animal liver contain toxins due to it’s role as a filtering organ? The short answer is no. The long answer is it depends on the animal. The Weston A Price Foundation has this to say:

One of the roles of the liver is to neutralize toxins (such as drugs, chemical agents and poisons); but the liver does not store toxins. Poisonous compounds that the body cannot neutralize and eliminate are likely to lodge in the fatty tissues and the nervous system. The liver is not a storage organ for toxins but it is a storage organ for many important nutrients (vitamins A, D, E, K, B12 and folic acid, and minerals such as copper and iron). These nutrients provide the body with some of the tools it needs to get rid of toxins. (source)

The article goes on to say that you need to seek out liver from pastured, healthy animals.

Liver Sources, From Best to Worst

Like all foods there are ideal sources, acceptable sources, and questionable sources.

1. Ideal: from your own animals, raised on pasture.
2. Ideal: from a local farmer, raised on pasture.
3. Okay: from a health food store, organically certified.
4. Questionable: from a regular grocery store – calves liver only.
5. Wouldn’t touch with a ten foot pole: conventional beef, chicken, and pork livers.

Where To Find Good Liver

If you’re looking for liver raised locally and sustainably my two favorite resources are:

• Local Harvest – just enter your zipcode and find local farmers.
• Weston A Price Foundation – when you get in touch with local chapters they give you tons of resources for local, sustainable food.

There is one online company that I trust to order pastured animal products from online. US Wellness Meats supplies liver and liver sausages from healthy, pastured animals. In their own words:

Our mission is simple: Do what’s good for our animals, good for our planet and good for you.

Those are my thoughts on the eating and sourcing of liver. On the liver eating front: this week we tried chicken liver pate and it turned out delicious. In fact I will be enjoying some for lunch today and sharing the recipe next week.

I’d love to hear your thoughts on eating and sourcing liver!

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