I know sometimes liver is hard to stomach but there are easy ways to eat liver, which is why I wrote this Paleo roundup post. I love liver and find the healthier the animal the more tasty it is. Adding a lot of grass fed butter or ghee with herbs and spices and apple cider vinegar can reduce the strong flavor. Other people mask the flavor by freezing liver in small pieces and swallowing it like a pill. Other sneaky mom’s put it into chili, stews or meatloaf. I even have one friend below who puts liver into a fruit smoothie without her kids knowing, now that is smart! With this Paleo roundup there easy ways to eat liver!

8 reasons to eat more liver:

1.Vitamin A: Just 3.5 oz of liver provides nearly 200% of the daily value of Vitamin A, which is important for healthy skin as well as proper thyroid and immune function. It is vital for growth, development and healthy eyesight. It is important to get animal food sources of vitamin A because the most people cannot convert Beta-carotene to usable vitamin A. It is also important to note that fat is required for the body to synthesize Vitamin A.

2. Liver supplies DHA important for brain and nervous system health.

3. Riboflavin: Just under 1/2 cup of liver provides 100% of the daily value of Riboflavin (B-2), which is important for high energy production and healthy mucous membranes.

4. Folate- 3.5 oz of liver has nearly 147% of folate, which is important for a healthy pregnancy, proper fetal development and proper reproductive function. Folate is also crucial in preventing anemia, gingivitis, digestive system disorders.

5. B-12 (cobalamin) 3.5 oz provides 200% of this anemia-preventing vitamin that is synergistic with folate. It also helps prevent Alzheimer’s type symptoms common in the elderly. This vitamin is only found in animal foods.

6. B-3 (Niacin) Liver is rich in Niacin which is made from tryptophan and important for preventing dementia, dermatitis, and has been shown to be helpful for arthritis. Niacin also keeps the mucosal lining of the intestinal tract healthy preventing diarrhea.

7. B-5 (Pantothenic Acid) is vital for processing fats and carbohydrates as well as lowering triglycerides. It is important for proper adrenal function and is considered an anti-stress vitamin. About a 1/2 cup of liver gives 71% of the RDA of B-5.

8. Minerals: Liver is also rich in vital minerals such as Selenium which is a powerful antioxidant. Rich in Iron, liver is important for proper lung function and is commonly deficient among Americans. Copper, which is important for healthy blood, strong bones, and wound healing. Phosphorus supports healthy teeth/ bones and increases calcium absorption. Commonly low in the elderly, Zinc is crucial for a good sense of smell and male sexual health.

Don’t Like Liver ? Liver is nature’s multi-vitamin so If you do not like liver there are many ways to get it in. You can chop it up into ground beef, put it into a stew/soup or dice into spaghetti sauce. You can also freeze it for a month then slice it into slivers and swallow like a pill. Read more about the benefits of liver from Chris Kresser here. Always use pastured and organic poultry or grass fed beef liver.

Where to buy good liver?

Us Wellness Meats has some wonderful veal liver and bison liver. You can check Eat Wild to find a local farm near you. One of my favorite places to buy liver in San Francisco are The Fatted Calf on Gough and Fell in Hayes Valley. Also Marin Sun Farms has local grass fed beef liver and pastured chicken liver. Both of these butchers have stalls at the Ferry Building on Saturday mornings.

Check out liver articles and recipes from blogger friends:

This Liver Meatloaf will be in my upcoming hardcover cookbook Mediterranean Paleo Cooking