People may be divided into two groups when it comes to eating liver of animals: some love it while others are afraid of it. Those who love it usually get over the nutritional value quickly and treat it as a good “ingredient to replenish blood and improve eyesight”, whereas those who are afraid of it keep thinking that the liver is the main organ that detoxifies animals and thus, contains a lot of toxins and, consequently, it is not good for their health. So, the question is whether animal liver should be eaten?
01. The liver is a veritable “little treasure house of nutrition”
The liver is packed with lots of nutrients making it a veritable little treasure house of nutrients. Which ones?
The first thing is that animal livers are high in good quality protein. For instance, pig liver contains 19.3 grams of protein per one hundred grams.
One of the reasons why the liver is called an iron-rich organ is the fact that it contains 22.6 mg per 100 grams of pork liver. Most of the iron is heme, which is very easily absorbed and utilized by the body, and hence, it is enough to eat some liver regularly to prevent or improve iron deficiency anemia.
Besides, the liver holds a very high content of vitamin A, even up to 4972 micrograms per hundred grams of pork liver which is a lot higher than any other animal food source. Among others, vitamin A can speed up growth and development, help maintain normal vision, prevent and cure night blindness, and keep the skin healthy besides, improve the immune system.
The liver is also a great source of vitamin B2 and it has 2.08 mg per 100 grams of pig liver. As Vitamin B2 acts as one of the cofactors in biological oxidation and energy metabolism in the body, it supports the normal metabolic processes of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, stimulates the growth and development of the body, and helps maintain the firmness and health of the skin as well as mucous membranes.
02. Why do many people not dare to eat animal offal?
Animal offal is comparatively high in cholesterol, and the liver is no exception to this trend, as it holds 288 mg of cholesterol in every 100 grams of pork liver. Even though the latest edition of the American Dietary Guidelines has removed the cholesterol intake limits, people who have hypercholesterolemia and other related cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases have to eat them in limited amounts.
The liver is the main detoxifying organ of the animal, and it is possible for certain toxic and harmful substances to be retained in the liver, hence when the liver is consumed, these toxins are ingested as well. Besides, drugs that are given to animals in excess, for instance, antibiotics, may also be concentrated in the liver.
03. Consuming the liver in moderation has more advantages than disadvantages
After discussing so much about the pros and cons of liver, can we still say that it is okay to eat animal liver? The reply is yes, only if you eat in moderation.
There is no denying that eating “the liver” is nutritionally very beneficial. Regarding the whole issue of cholesterol and possible harmful substances, as long as the consumption is not excessive, our bodies are capable of handling it and thus, there is no need to worry. The liver consumption in moderation has more advantages than disadvantages.
Animal liver can be prepared in many different ways: it can be fried, boiled, made into porridge, or boiled into soup. Braised liver tips, braised pork liver, pork liver porridge, fried chicken liver, salted duck liver, etc. are all great dishes that have become traditional over time.
04. How much is appropriate to eat for animal liver?
Animal livers are extremely good for you, and they still taste a lot more particular.
First of all, buy fresh, healthy, and well-quarantined animal livers. Healthy animal livers are bright, reddish-brown in color with a smooth surface and soft texture. Do not consume the livers of animals that are sick or ones which you do not know the cause of their death.
Proper washing, which is working to lessen the remaining harmful substances. First it would be better to wash under running water then soak the liver in water for about 30 minutes and finally rinse after soaking.
Cook the food thoroughly. Some people like their food to be tender and so the liver is stir-fried for a short time and the pot is still bloodshot inside, which is wrong and the heating should be thorough to ensure food safety.
The liver should be consumed in moderation. The liver should not be consumed daily and an average person can eat it once or twice a week, approximately one or two times each and that should be enough. There has only been one case of poisoning by eating a large amount of cod liver, or foie gras.
“Dr. Rana Patir is an eminent Neurosurgeon of India with more than 30 years of experience in the field of advanced neurosurgery. Besides being a teaching faculty at AIIMS and at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, and professor of Neurosurgery at Guwahati Assam. He has also been the head of the department of Neurosurgery at Max hospitals, and Sir Ganga Ram hospital New Delhi. He is known as one of the best Neurosurgeons and spinal surgeons in India, having more than 10,000 neurosurgical procedures to his credit. He specializes in Minimal Invasive Brain and Spine Surgery, Skull Base Surgery, Neurovascular Surgery, Extra Cranial-Intracranial Bypass Surgery,”
