Beef liver is one of the most nutritious animal organ meats you can take. In fact it is a rich source of significant amount of vitamins, mineral salts and amino acids all essential for a healthy body. Beef liver provides the body with essential fatty acids including EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), DHA (docasahexaenoic acid), and AA (arachidonic acid) as well as Vitamin B12. Besides vitamins the liver is a rich source of iron that helps in the biosynthesis of hemoglobin an important component in the function of red blood cells.
A slice of liver will provide you with recommended daily allowances of a wide array of minerals, vitamin B12 and iron. If you are looking for a good source of iron for people suffering from iron deficiency related anemia, beef liver should be your number one food choice.
Health Benefits of Beef Liver
Let’s look in depth at the different health benefits of beef liver and get to understand why you should be taking more liver.
Rich Source of Protein
Beef liver is of course of the riches sources of amino acids. Liver should provide you with the essential amino acid for body cell growth, repairs and regeneration. The liver contain about 12 of the known 290 amino acids making it one of the richest source of amino acids compares to other protein sources.
Source of Vitamin B 12
Beef liver contain high amount of Vitamin B 12 that helps in management of nervous system disorders. Vitamin B12 deficiency causes deviant behaviors and nervous signs. Liver is a premium source of vitamin B12 and should therefore be taken by people suffering from Vitamin B 12 deficiency as well as health individuals. Vitamin B12 is also abundant in a number of animal meats and products but the liver provides higher amounts.
Rich Source of Vitamin A (Retinol)
Vitamin A is an important vitamin for sight and deficiency leads to night blindness, vitamin A is also important for building a strong immunity against diseases. Luckily you have beef liver that contains enough amount of Vitamin A.
Rich Source of Copper Mineral
Copper is an important mineral for the proper functioning of the body enzymes. Copper dependent enzymes are important for promotion of the activity of antioxidants in the body. This ensures that the body continually fights free radicals that predispose you to cancer. Liver provides a good source of copper and therefore should be top of the foods that provide good amount of copper.
Health Benefit Caution
Lastly, beef liver consumption also comes with one disadvantage. Beef liver has a high amount of cholesterol and therefore too much consumption of beef liver could significantly increase the amount of cholesterol in your blood circulation. Research has found that increase in cholesterol intake leads to increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
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