Grass-Fed Bovine Liver - 180 capsules

Beef liver is called 'nature's multivitamin' for good reason: it is the most concentrated natural food there is, with vitamin A, B12, folate, riboflavin, copper, haem iron, choline and CoQ10 in the forms and ratios in which they occur in food, including the cofactors the body needs to make use of them. A multivitamin contains isolated, often synthetic vitamins. Traditional cultures around the world ate animals nose to tail and regarded the organs as the most nourishing part: liver, heart, kidney, spleen and glands contain more vitamins, minerals, peptides and cofactors per gram than muscle meat. The principle of 'like supports like' from those traditions holds that by eating an organ you take in the same building blocks that the corresponding organ in your own body uses. Ancestral Supplements delivers that nourishment in capsule form, for anyone who doesn't enjoy the taste of organ meat, can't get hold of it or doesn't want to prepare it every day. So it is not an isolated extract or a medicine, but freeze-dried food. Ancestral Supplements uses only organs from cattle (and, for the thymus, sheep) that graze outdoors all year round in New Zealand and Australia: grass-fed and grass-finished, with no added hormones, antibiotics, pesticides or GMOs. The organs are freeze-dried raw (not heated, not defatted), so the heat-sensitive vitamins, enzymes and fat-soluble nutrients are preserved. There are no fillers, flow agents, stearates or anti-caking agents; the only addition is the beef gelatine capsule. Every batch is tested by an independent laboratory and the company operates under GMP certification.

3,000 mg of freeze-dried liver (6 capsules) corresponds to roughly 15 g of fresh liver and provides approximately 1,500 to 3,500 µg vitamin A (retinol), 10 to 20 µg vitamin B12, 40 to 90 µg folate, around 2 mg haem iron, 1 to 2 mg copper, plus riboflavin, niacin, B6, choline, zinc, selenium and CoQ10. Ancestral does not state standardised values, because it is a natural product that varies from animal to animal and season to season. Haem iron is absorbed far better than iron from plant sources or iron tablets and rarely causes stomach complaints.

The standard dose is 6 capsules per day (3,000 mg), taken all at once or spread over the day, with or without food. Start with 1 to 2 capsules for the first few days and build up by one capsule every few days until you reach 6, so your body can adjust. At 6 per day, a jar of 180 capsules lasts 30 days. Because this is freeze-dried food, you can also open the capsules and stir the powder into a smoothie, yoghurt or (not too hot) food; expect a pronounced meaty taste. Products containing liver can have a mildly energising effect because of the B vitamins and haem iron. It is therefore best to take them in the morning or early afternoon, not just before bed. With or without food makes no difference to absorption; if you have a sensitive stomach, take them with a meal.

Most people notice nothing in particular when they start. Around 5 to 10 percent, especially people with a sensitive immune system or an autoimmune condition, experience mild complaints in the first week such as nausea, headache, fatigue or an unsettled stomach. This is usually temporary. If so, build up more slowly (1 capsule per day, adding one every 3 days), take the capsules with food and a large glass of water, and reduce the dose if it persists. If the complaints don't disappear within a few days of reducing the dose, stop and consult your doctor or therapist.

Yes, liver from healthy animals is safe. A common misconception is that the liver 'stores' toxins; in fact the liver filters and processes them so they can be excreted via bile and urine, and what it mainly stores is vitamins (A, B12, folate, copper, iron) and glycogen. Liver from healthy, grass-fed animals from New Zealand and Australia, where no growth hormones and hardly any antibiotics are used, is one of the most nutritious foods there is. Liver does, however, contain a lot of natural vitamin A (retinol): 3,000 mg of freeze-dried liver provides roughly 1,500 to 3,500 µg, which is around or slightly above the daily reference intake. So don't combine it with other high-dose vitamin A supplements or several liver-containing products at full dose at the same time, and if you are pregnant, discuss your total vitamin A intake with your midwife.

Beef Liver is 100% liver and therefore the most powerful source of vitamin A, B12, folate and copper. Beef Organs divides the 3,000 mg between liver, heart, kidney, pancreas and spleen, so 600 mg of liver plus the specific nutrients of the other organs (such as CoQ10 from heart, DAO and selenium from kidney). Beef Blood combines blood, liver and spleen and is focused on haem iron. Choose Liver if you are mainly looking for vitamin A, B12 and folate or as a base; choose Beef Organs for breadth; choose Blood if your iron status is low.

Adults and children can use this product; after all, it is food. For children the dose is adjusted to body weight: a child of 20 to 30 kg, for example, takes 1 to 2 capsules a day (open them into food if you like). During pregnancy and breastfeeding there is no objection to organ meat as such, but keep an eye on your total vitamin A intake from liver and consult your midwife. If you take medication or have an autoimmune condition, consult your doctor first. Combining is fine: Ancestral products are food and can be used alongside each other and alongside other supplements. Two things to keep in mind: many products contain liver, so add up the total amount of liver and keep an eye on your vitamin A intake (see the question about liver); and hormone-containing glands (thyroid, adrenal, testicle) are best not all taken at full dose at the same time. A popular base is Beef Liver or Beef Organs plus Beef Bone Marrow; to that you add a specific organ for your goal.

The product contains beef (and beef gelatine as the capsule) and is therefore not suitable for vegetarians, vegans or people with a beef allergy (alpha-gal). Otherwise it contains no gluten, dairy, soy, nuts, egg, fish, shellfish, sugar, colourings, preservatives or fillers. New Zealand and Australia are officially free of BSE (mad cow disease). Store the jar closed in a cool, dry, dark place, such as a kitchen cupboard; the fridge is not necessary. Freeze-dried organ powder attracts moisture, so close the jar straight after use and leave the silica gel sachet inside. Unopened and sealed, the product keeps until the date on the label; once opened, preferably use it up within 3 months.