Boost Mood Food: Beef Liver

Beef liver is a nutritious superfood which unfortunately is unpopular in our modern diet mainly due to its strong flavour which for many suffer a low score on palatability. Liver acts as a storage organ for essential nutrients and has the job of neutralizing toxins using various enzymes. Contrary to popular belief, the liver does not store these toxins.

If you don’t like liver, a good tip is to try beef liverwurst, which is beef liver mixed with other meats and seasoned, basically prepared like sausages. Another benefit of beef liver is its price, due to lower demand it is often sold cheap compared to other cuts of beef.

A single serving of beef liver is is generally 3 ounces or 85 grams with 148 (kcal) calories

An 85 gram serving of beef liver contains 4.4 gram net carbs and is very keto friendly. Beef liver unlike other cuts of meat actually contains a small amount of carbohydrates due to being a nutrient storage organ.

A serving of beef liver contains approximately 22 grams of protein and 4 grams of fat.

Beef liver is a highly bioavailable animal protein and an excellent source of Vitamin A as retinol, Vitamin D, Folate, Choline, Vitamin B1, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12. Liver is so nutritionally dense that just eating a few servings every week would already be beneficial for most, and is in the most bioavailable form for the body compared to any supplement you can buy.

Regardless of whether you are on a ketogenic diet, beef liver will massively benefit your mood.

Firstly, beef liver is rich in antioxidants vitamin D and vitamin C which will help fight inflammation in the body. If you aren’t getting enough sunlight especially in the winter, then beef liver is a good way to get enough vitamin D. Vitamin D deficiency has been shown to be linked with depressive symptoms which is why people get “winter blues”, from the lack of sunlight.

Beef liver is high in the amino acid tryptophan, which is the precursor your brain needs to form serotonin. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which is responsible for us feeling in a good mood or the sense of well being.

Having your brain synthesizing and utilizing this neurotransmitter is essential to maintaining a good mood throughout the day. Beef liver are packed with B Vitamins which support the conversion of the amino acid tryptophan we get from protein to serotonin. In this process, Vitamin B6 is required for the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin and supplementing with more vitamin B6 has been shown to boost serotonin levels. Folate and Vitamin B12 are also involved in the reactions and must be present as well in order for the neurotransmitter to be produced. Also, when B3 deficient, tryptophan is converted into niacin instead of serotonin. Converting tryptophan into niacin is resource intensive, 60mg tryptophan makes 1mg niacin (r), and requires iron, riboflavin and B6 to synthesize, so it is better to get it preformed from foods.

Beef liver is a rich source of all these mood supporting vitamins and so it is effective in helping you achieve this.

Beef liver is high in protein while being low in fat and carb, providing you with the feeling of satiety while allowing your body to instead utilize its own fat stores which is ideal for weight loss.

Beef liver can be used to help provide you with extra B vitamins needed to produce energy. This is especially the case if you are supplementing more added fats or carbs for the extra energy boost. Many forms of added carbs and fats don’t provide enough vitamin B3 which is essential for the metabolization into energy before you can use it.

Taking a post workout protein supplement is highly recommended to build muscle mass. Beef liver is a great alternative to provide your body with a large dose of vitamins, minerals and protein, when it needs it most to support and optimize muscle building, recovery and hormone production. Eating real food, and especially beef liver will be what your body can best utilize.

Beef liver is an extremely rich source of Vitamin A which is known to have toxicity when taken in high dosages in supplement form. Food sources are generally safe but it is wise to exercise caution with this knowledge and not eat too much. For example, eating 400 grams of beef liver a week divided up over multiple days is a safe and provides plenty of nutrition.