In a world where modern diets focus on lean muscle meats and processed foods, it’s worth asking: what did people eat before supplements and fortified foods existed?
The answer is simpler than you might think. Organ meats, liver, heart, and kidney, have been consumed for centuries across cultures for their unmatched nutrient density. They are the ancient superfoods your body still craves today.
A Look Back at Ancestral Nutrition
For thousands of years, traditional cultures practiced “nose to tail” eating. Nothing went to waste, and the most prized parts of the animal were often the organs. Some hunters and gatherers would eat the liver first, saving muscle meat for later.
In many communities, organ meats were reserved for elders, children, or mothers recovering from childbirth because of their incredible nutrient value. Today, experts like Paul Saladino and organizations such as the Weston A. Price Foundation are helping bring this wisdom back into modern diets, emphasizing the unmatched benefits of whole, unprocessed animal foods.
Why Your Body Loves Organ Meats
The secret behind organ meats’ enduring appeal lies in their nutrient profile. They provide vitamins, minerals, and amino acids in forms that your body can easily absorb and use, something modern diets often lack.
Liver: Often called “nature’s superfood,” liver from grass-fed animals is rich in vitamin A, B12, folate, choline, iron, and CoQ10. These nutrients support energy, metabolism, vision, skin health, and immune function.
Heart: Heart tissue contains CoQ10 for energy and cardiovascular health, along with zinc, selenium, and B vitamins that support recovery, endurance, and hormone balance.
Kidney: Kidney provides high-quality protein, selenium, and riboflavin (B2), which aid detoxification, energy production, and hormonal health. It is also a rich source of the enzyme diamine oxidase (DAO), which helps break down histamine in the digestive tract and may support natural histamine balance.
No wonder our ancestors prized these foods. They fuel the body in ways few modern foods can match.
Time Tested Versus Trend Driven
At some point, organ meats fell out of favor. Processed foods became convenient, and lean muscle meats dominated our plates. But by leaving organs behind, we lost one of the most bioavailable sources of essential nutrients.
Today, many health-conscious eaters are rediscovering what our ancestors already knew. Organ meats are real food medicine, supporting whole-body wellness, energy, and mood naturally.
Bringing Organ Meats Into Everyday Meals
Not everyone enjoys cooking organ meats on their own and that’s okay! A great starting point is making a simple liver pâté, which lets you enjoy the flavor and nutrients in a creamy, spreadable form.
If you want something even easier, try one of our custom Primal Ground Meat Blends. These blends include 10% liver and 10% heart mixed into the ground meat, making them versatile and delicious. You can use them in taco mixes, meatballs, or burgers, giving your meals a nutrient boost without the fuss of cooking organs separately.
Bringing Ancient Nutrition Into Modern Life
Not everyone enjoys cooking liver or heart, and that is okay. You can still reap the benefits without preparing organ meats yourself.
At Health Essentials, we carry Higher Health supplements that make ancestral nutrition simple. Their Grass-Fed Beef Liver Capsules and Beef Organ Complex are made from carefully sourced, freeze-dried organs, preserving all the nutrients in a convenient capsule form. These supplements are ideal for supporting energy, metabolism, and overall vitality without stepping into the kitchen.
The Leading Choice for Nutrient Dense Nutrition
For anyone ready to embrace this time-tested nutrition, not all supplements are created equal. Higher Health organ supplements are sourced from grass-fed animals with no synthetic additives, giving your body the nutrients it truly craves.
👉 Explore our Higher Health Grass-Fed Liver and Beef Organ Complex here
Final Thoughts
Organ meats are not simply a relic of the past. They are a timeless, nutrient-dense solution that meets the needs of modern wellness. They have endured through generations because they work, and your body still benefits from the nourishment they provide. In a marketplace overflowing with fad diets and processed foods, sometimes the most powerful nutrition is the one our ancestors have relied on for centuries.
