Food as Medicine
The health benefits of incorporating organ meat into your diet
Here at Ishawooa we pride ourselves on raising 100% grass-fed and finished beef, from steak to organ meats, it is our goal to offer the best taste, quality, and nutrition possible. Lately we’ve had some folks asking about the benefits of incorporating beef organ meats into their diets and we wanted to share our thoughts.
So what’s the deal with Organ Meat anyway?
Organ meat, also called offal, has been a part of the human diet for centuries and was treasured by our ancestors for its high nutrient density. Offal refers to the edible internal organs and other by-products of butchered animals. This includes cuts like liver, heart, kidneys, tongue, and tripe.
If we've been eating organ meat for centuries, why did we stop?
Well, in short, we haven’t. Organ meat is still a staple in many cultures across the world. But, the disappearance of organ meat from the American dinner plate is actually quite an interesting story.
What Happened to Organ Meat?
There was a time when folks used the whole animal, heart, liver, kidneys, and all. But as cities grew and the Industrial Revolution rolled in, fewer families were raising their own meat. Hard times like the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl limited access to fresh food, and people turned to mass-produced, shelf-stable foods like canned meats and cornmeal. That way of eating stuck around, especially during the war years when shelf-stable food was shipped to soldiers.
After WWII, convenience ruled, and traditional cooking skills, like how to prepare organ meats or process game meat, began to fade. Large industrialized farms took over, and there was an increase in the use of pesticides and growth hormones. Livers and kidneys, the organs responsible for filtering toxins, became riddled with these and were not valued as highly, making organ meat a tough sell for processing facilities. And so, bit by bit, we lost touch with the most nutrient-dense parts of the animal.
That's why sourcing organ meat from grass-fed, responsibly managed animals, like our cows at Ishawooa, matters more than ever.
What makes Organ meat so healthy?
Beef organs are nutrient-dense powerhouses. They are packed with essential nutrients often lacking in modern diets, such as B vitamins, iron, phosphorus, and zinc. For instance, the liver, often called nature's multivitamin, is particularly rich in vitamins A, D, E, K, B12, folic acid, and trace minerals.
Organ meats are full of nutrients and are often pound-for-pound more nutritious than muscle meats.
Which organ meats are the healthiest?
All organ meats offer health benefits, but some standouts include:
Liver: High in vitamin A, iron, and B vitamins.
Heart: Packed with CoQ10, essential for heart health and energy production.
Kidneys: A good source of selenium and B12.
Tongue: Though a muscle, it's nutrient-dense and offers essential fatty acids.
Even with its clear health benefits, we still hear a lot of arguments for why someone wouldn't want to try organ meat, so let’s debunk a few together.
1. Organ meats are toxic
The liver and kidneys are the organs that filter toxins, and a common concern is that they could contain higher levels of undesirable substances than other parts of the cow. This is a valid concern if your organ meat or meat in general comes from a cow raised in a feed lot or factory farm that does not practice good herd management. Residues from substances like glyphosate and low-dose antibiotics, along with added growth hormones and bacteria from overcrowded, unsanitary conditions, can build up in organ tissues and pose health concerns when consumed.
However, in regulated meat production, especially when the cows are well cared for and fed a nutritious diet of native grasses their entire life, the risk of contamination is extremely low. In fact, offal from cows with a grass-fed diet has a higher bioavailability of nutrients. Meaning all the essential vitamins and minerals in organ meats are more easily absorbed by the human body.
2. Organ meats taste gross
Some organs are stronger tasting or have distinct textures, for sure, but the idea that it is gross or uncivilized comes from years of marketing propaganda that insists these are undesirable “throw-away cuts”. But if you find the flavor to be too unique for you, fear not, with our new “Primal Burger,” which contains 10% combined liver and heart along with our classic ground beef, you’ll hardly be able to taste the difference from regular ol’ ground beef and still get all the health benefits of organ meat.
3. Organ meat is hard to prepare
While some cuts require more prep or more delicate handling, we are here to make it easy on you. We now offer a “Primal Burger” which comes in one-pound packages and cooks up just like normal ground beef. For just $10 a package, you can ditch the vitamins and supplements and tap back into a more primal way of eating where your food is your medicine too!
And if you’ve tried it and the flavor isn’t for you, then consider giving some to your dog!
Adding organ supplements to your dog’s diet can greatly enhance their nutrition and overall health. Many brands of kibble lack most of the basic nutrients your dog needs to live their best life, and one scoop a day of a real meat supplement could make all the difference for your four-legged friend’s health and wellness!