Offal: Are Organ Meats Healthy?

Let’s start with the bad news: organ meats are not good for you. The word “organ” has come to describe these parts of the body, but in reality, an organ is a special type that performs a specific function and without which life would be impossible. There are five different types of organs, and they each have their own risks associated with consuming them. While some people believe that there are health benefits to eating organs, most practitioners agree that it should only be done from necessity or as part of an overall healthy diet.

Offal is the name given to organ meats such as liver, heart, and tongue. Offal is a great source of nutrients and vitamins.

Although most of us don’t consume offal — also known as organ meats — this nutrient-dense food is rich with vitamins, minerals, and micronutrients that may have a significant influence on your health.

Organ meats, surprisingly, contain significantly more nutrients than the muscle meats we’re accustomed to.

Beef liver, for example, has 50 times the amount of vitamin B12 as steak and more folate and B vitamins than any other meal. In addition, it has more vitamins and minerals than kale, spinach, and broccoli combined.

So, how do you begin to include this superfood in your diet? Continue reading to learn all there is to know.

What Exactly Is Offal?

The official offal definition, according to Merriam-Webster, is “the viscera and trimmings of a slaughtered animal removed in preparing it for sale or consumption.”

Offal, often known as organ meats or variety meats, is not widely eaten in most Western countries. Offal is often associated with dogs or other animals, rather as a nutritional complement to human meals.

On the other hand, Organ meats are abundant in vital vitamins and minerals, with significantly greater concentrations than many other diets.

Furthermore, for over 3,000 years, offal has been highly appreciated in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). One of TCM’s core tenets is that eating animal organ meat will help maintain the same organ in your own body.

Depending on where you reside, there are hundreds of “acceptable” varieties of offal. Here are some of the most frequent offal types:

Liver

Chicken liver is often described as a healthy superfood since each serving includes more than twice the recommended amount for vitamin A and B12.

Furthermore, the folate and riboflavin in the chicken liver are more than 100 percent of what the typical individual needs daily.

Vitamin B6, niacin, pantothenic acid, iron, phosphorus, selenium, and copper are all abundant in chicken liver.

Heart

While the heart (particularly cow heart) may not have as many nutrients as the liver, it contains the highest CoQ10 of all of the offal meats.

It also contains considerable levels of niacin, iron, phosphorus, copper, and selenium and over 100% of the recommended value of vitamin B12 and over half of the daily value of riboflavin.

Kidneys

Eating kidneys is an idea that may take some getting used to, but a cow kidney has almost five times the amount of B12 you need each day, as well as over two times your riboflavin requirement.

In addition, the cow kidney provides 228 percent of the needed daily selenium intake. This trace mineral has been linked to a range of strong health advantages, including cancer prevention, reduced oxidative stress, and improved immunological function.

Tongue

The tongue is a favorite variety of meat in the offal family; however, it is significantly less nutritious than other organ meats.

Vitamin B12 and other micronutrients like niacin, riboflavin, and zinc are abundant in this tough-skinned organ.

Another thing that makes this offal less of a home hit is that one dish has approximately 250 calories. That isn’t a huge number, but it is far greater than many other organ meats.

Sweetbreads

Do you know what sweetbreads are? This misleading nomenclature refers to organ meat present in two different parts of the body: the thymus and the pancreas.

These meats aren’t very nutritious, even though they aren’t sweet or formed from bread.

They do, however, have a lot of dietary cholesterol and fat in them. So we gradually understand that consuming high-fat meals isn’t completely terrible for you, but it’s still worth mentioning.

This is also the first offal meat to have vitamin C as the top nutrient, making it great for increasing immunity and reducing cancer risk.

Brain

Surprisingly, the brain may not be the best option when choosing offal.

While it provides several minerals in substantial proportions, it also has over 800 percent of the daily recommended cholesterol consumption.

Not only that but ingesting prion disorders like bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE), popularly known as Mad Cow Disease, may be increased by swallowing tainted brains or spinal cords. As a result, muscle meats and other forms of offal are typically advised whenever feasible.

Tripe

What exactly is tripe? Tripe is another popular organ meat prepared from different animals’ stomach lining.

Although it contains about 14 grams of protein per serving, the other nutrients aren’t available in large quantities.

Gizzard

The gizzard is a good offal meat to add to your list since it ranks above tripe for a few nutrients and has a whopping 44 grams of protein per serving.

What precisely are gizzards? Gizzards are organs that grind up food in the digestive tract of certain animals, such as chickens.

It has a lot of cholesterol in each meal, but it also has 85 percent of the selenium your body needs each day.

Oxtail

What exactly is oxtail? The tail of a cow or an ox is the source of this well-known variety of meat.

Several recipes are accessible on the internet, but their nutritional value is almost non-existent. So if you’re looking for high-nutrient offal, stay away from this one.

Liverwurst

The nutritional profile of liverwurst, also known as liver sausage, is comparable to that of the liver, with a high concentration of vitamins A and B12. It also has a high selenium concentration and a high riboflavin content.

Benefits

1. Vitamin A 

Most organ meats contain large amounts of vitamin A, one of the most effective antioxidants known to man.

There are two forms of vitamin A in food: active vitamin A (also known as “retinol”) and beta-carotene. Retinol is a form of vitamin A present in foods that do not need to be converted into anything before being used by the body.

Vitamin A protects your body against various disorders linked to oxidative stress and inflammation because it works as an antioxidant to prevent free radical damage.

Vitamin A is also essential for maintaining good eye health. In addition, it’s linked to a decreased risk of macular degeneration, an age-related condition that may lead to blindness, when ingested regularly.

Vitamin A is also an excellent immunity booster. In addition, vitamin A-rich foods may help your body cope with various ailments, including the common cold, autoimmune illness, and more.

Vitamin A also aids in the maintenance of skin health, keeping it elastic, flexible, and smooth.

2. B-Vitamins 

All B vitamins in organ meats (vitamin B12, niacin, vitamin B6, and riboflavin) have been linked to heart health. This implies that they all serve to protect you against heart disease somehow.

These B vitamins achieve this by reducing homocysteine levels in the blood, an amino acid linked to the development of heart disease.

They’re also renowned for assisting in creating healthy blood vessels, maintaining appropriate blood pressure levels, lowering high cholesterol, and lowering blood triglycerides.

Offal rich in B vitamins may also help maintain your brain in good shape. These nutrients may help lower your risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, enhance your learning and memory, and protect you against mental illnesses like sadness and anxiety.

3. Provides CoQ10

Coenzyme Q10, commonly known as CoQ10, is another vital vitamin present in various organ meats.

CoQ10 is an antioxidant that has long been used as a natural technique to prevent and cure illnesses, even though it is not classified as a vitamin since it is created in tiny amounts by the body.

CoQ10, which is found in the greatest concentration in the heart of all organ meats, has certain properties that are comparable to those of the B-complex vitamins.

Synthetic or dietary CoQ10 supplementation may assist in promoting heart health, improving cognitive function, reducing the aging process, and increasing energy levels.

4. Aids in the prevention of anemia

Organ meats include a variety of nutrients that act synergistically to combat anemia.

When your body cannot produce and transmit enough oxygen-rich, hemoglobin-filled blood cells, this disease develops.

Hemoglobin is the iron-rich protein that gives your blood its red color. Therefore, increasing iron intake by eating more iron-rich foods such as organ meats is a common therapy for anemia.

B-complex vitamins also aid in the treatment of anemia. For example, megaloblastic anemia is caused by a deficiency in vitamin B12, which is essential for the creation of additional blood cells.

Other B vitamins, such as riboflavin, are also required to develop healthy blood cells, which is why eating nutrient-dense organ meats is so advantageous.

5. Encourages a healthy pregnancy

Offal contains several vitamins that are essential for a healthy pregnancy.

Vitamin B6, for example, reduces pain responses to menstrual cramps and may also aid with nausea associated with pregnancy’s “morning sickness” period.

Folate is also important for fetal growth and development, which is why it’s included in almost all prenatal vitamins and diet regimens.

Low folate levels in the womb have been linked to neural tube abnormalities such as spina bifida, anencephalus, and heart issues.

However, keep in mind that most varieties of offal are also rich in vitamin A, which may cause birth abnormalities if taken in large quantities. As a result, it’s essential to limit your consumption, particularly if you’re also taking additional vitamin A supplements.

6. Encourages muscle growth

Organ meats are a good supply of protein, which is a crucial component for tissue development and repair.

When it comes to creating and maintaining muscle mass, getting adequate protein in your diet is critical.

For example, a research published in the Journal of Nutrition, Health, and Aging found that greater protein consumption, particularly from animal sources, was connected to enhanced muscle preservation.

Traditional Meats vs. Organ Meats

Organ meats have gone out of favor until recently and were often seen as inferior to regular muscle meats. On the other hand, Western society is steadily transforming, and more forms of offal are appearing on local restaurant menus.

The distinction between regular meats and organ meats is that organ meats have a different function throughout an animal’s life cycle. These rare forms of offal, such as the liver, kidneys, bone marrow, and heart, are particularly abundant in necessary nutrients for human activities.

When you look at the figures, you’ll see that many organ meats have considerably more colorful nutritional profiles than their muscle meat equivalents. But, of course, this isn’t always the case, and each item must be considered.

Offal is less popular than typical meals for various reasons, one of which being the unsightly packaging and delivery of most of it.

Few people want to eat an animal’s whole face or ignore the fact that they’re eating marrow from an actual bone from a once-living creature.

If you can get over that, though, eating organ meats occasionally may be a terrific way to add diversity to your diet while also getting some additional nutrients.

How to Locate and Utilize

Offal, unlike typical meats, is difficult to come by without a little digging.

Look for butchers that use ethical techniques of growing and slaughtering meat at your local farmers’ market. You’ll almost always have to ask for the exact organ or variety of meat you want, although they may frequently be found at reasonable costs for the quantity of flesh you get.

There are hundreds of preparation ways for home-cooked meals depending on what meat you obtain.

You may also hunt for restaurants that provide offal-based dishes locally and internationally and try out their various ethnic cuisines.

Try the shredded Russian tongue, Peruvian anticuchos (a famous street meal made from the beef heart), or Argentina’s parilladas (a dish including small cow intestines, blood sausages, and sweetbreads).

Side Effects and Risks

Purines, a chemical compound associated with increased gout flare-ups, are found in most organ and variety meats. However, there is no proof that consuming offal causes gout to develop in the first place, so if you do have gout, you should limit your consumption.

The quantity of dietary cholesterol you consume is another small factor while eating offal. While consuming cholesterol in meals isn’t as terrifying or deadly as many people assume, it’s still not something you should do in excess.

Try not to overdo it with dietary cholesterol and keep an eye on the nutrition of what you eat.

Pregnant women should keep a close eye on their vitamin A consumption to prevent overdoing it. This is particularly crucial if you’re taking any other drugs or supplements that may include vitamin A since excessive amounts of the vitamin might cause birth problems.

Last Thoughts

• Many organ and variation meats known as “offal” are highly packed with nutrients, despite their reputation as “lesser” meats or as potentially harmful.
• Because agricultural practices have such a big influence on organ meat quality, it’s crucial only to consume meat that’s been grown responsibly, which means free-range animals given species-appropriate diets (not grain-fed).
• Vitamin A, an antioxidant related to lowering cancer risk, protecting your vision, and reducing chronic inflammation, is abundant in certain forms of offal.
• Offal often includes high quantities of B-complex vitamins, which are renowned for their involvement in cancer prevention, heart disease prevention, and cognitive function enhancement.
• Minerals that benefit in pregnancy and fetal health and those that may help alleviate anemia are often found in offal.
• Organs such as the liver, heart, kidneys, sweetbreads, and gizzard fulfill the formal “offal meaning” and have the finest nutritional profiles.

Beef kidney nutrition is a meat that is not often eaten. Beef kidneys are rich in nutrients, but they can be tough and chewy. They can also be hard to cook. The beef kidney has a mild flavor, and its texture is similar to veal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it healthy to eat offal?

A: In general, yes. Offal is the internal organs and entrails of a slaughtered animal that are used as food by humans. Some organ meats like the liver can be high in cholesterol, while others, such as kidneys, have less fat and higher levels of nutrients.

What is the nutritional value of offal?

A: Offal is a term used to describe the internal organs of an animal. The nutritional value depends on what you are serving it with, as many of these organ meats contain high levels of iron and other minerals but also cholesterol and fat.

What nutrients are high in organ meats?

A: Organ meats are high in nutrients such as B vitamins, selenium, and vitamin E. They also provide essential minerals such as zinc and iron that may be lacking in the average diet.

Related Tags

• beef liver for gut health
• pork kidney nutrition
• beef heart nutrition
• best organ meats
• beef heart benefits