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So let's say you just can't stomach organ meats, even though you have really, really tried. Are there any good substitutes out there, like say foods that will provide you the same nutrients or supplements that you can take that will have the same effect?

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My goodness! Am I the only one with a dirty mind today? I had some very different ideas for answers! :) – sherpamelissa Jul 22 2011 at 14:25
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 So maybe I'm not so bad in that when I saw a post asking "why is my jaw cracking" and had a similar reaction. – Aravind Jul 22 2011 at 14:43
LOL GW! I have to admit, I have a mind of a 12 year old boy most of the time. – sherpamelissa Jul 22 2011 at 14:54
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 If someone posts a question involving an illness/serious condition, I would never make light of it and would do my best to be thoughtful with a response. But for other topics, if there is ANY way of perverting it, game on. Having a tight sphincter is NOT paleo! – Aravind Jul 22 2011 at 15:07

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I don't know if it would be as effective as eating organ meats but I used to take something called Simplex F, which seemed to have a bit of every organ, it might be just for girls though, I think I remember it saying ovary on the ingredient list. I know I've seen other brands with an organ sampling, usually claiming to be "synergistically blended" for adrenal or thyroid support. I take one for thyroid sometimes.

There are also liver pills you can take. Most I've seen are from grassfed cows in Argentina, they're cheap too as far as supplements go. You can also make your own capsules of any organ meat you think you're lacking, just slice it thin, dry it out in the oven, grind it up, and pack it into capsules. Tastebuds completely bypassed.

If you are trying to get the vitamin D and A I think you could get that from grassfed butter and cod liver oil.

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I'll check into those. I have no problem with swallowing capsules. Definitely much easier than choking down liver, which borderline makes me want to gag. – turkeytyme Jul 22 2011 at 11:44
I doubt the powered organs do much in terms of essential nutrients. – WaveHunter Jul 22 2011 at 13:35
I've wondered about that. I regularly take Uni-liver tablets, but since they're defatted, I worry that they may not be a sufficient replacement for real liver. I also take fermented CLO, though, so maybe the synergy of the two together are better than nothing? Maybe?? – Kimmie Jul 22 2011 at 14:31
@kim-Powered liver doesn't have much except protein. CLO by itself is good because of the vitamin A & D. I think the nutrient most lacking in our diets found in liver is Vitamin A. – WaveHunter Jul 22 2011 at 15:17
Huh. According to the package, Uni-liver contains a good deal of vitamins A, C, D, K and E; the entire B-complex, vitamin C, iron, copper, zinc, chromium, selenium, cobalt, molybdenum, magnesium, manganese, potassium, phosphorus and calcium. So are the vitamins no good in the absence of fat? – Kimmie Jul 22 2011 at 16:40
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Shellfish. They're nutritionally flabbergasting. Calorie for calorie, oysters are pretty comparable to liver -- super high in iron, B12, copper, zinc, selenium, vitamin D, etc. Mussels aren't too shabby either.

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hi denis, nice to see you active on paleohacks. – oak0y Jul 22 2011 at 11:12
No vitamin A though and pretty sub par in the b vitamin department compared to liver – cliff Jul 22 2011 at 11:28
Well that is awesome to know because I have been throwing down on some oyster shooters lately! Definitely a perk of living in Maryland. Glad to see you on here too; thanks for all your great work! :) – Jules K Jul 22 2011 at 11:36
So what would be good to make up the deficit? I would be cool with eating a couple of different things to get the total nutrient value. – turkeytyme Jul 22 2011 at 11:42
also highest source of Cadmium... – WaveHunter Jul 22 2011 at 13:37
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Eggs are comparable to organs in some ways. They have significant A, D, choline, B12, iron, selenium, zinc, etc.

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+1. I agree.... – Aravind Jul 22 2011 at 14:28
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have you tried braunschweiger? It's made from liver, but many people who say they don't like liver enjoy it.

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 I don't enjoy it but I can stand it. I put it on pork rinds rather than ruining something good with it. – Harry Jul 22 2011 at 16:43
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 I have some that I haven't opened yet. I haven't had the nerve to try it yet. – turkeytyme Jul 22 2011 at 18:12
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Well the main thing you want from liver is vitamin A, so take a 10kiu retinol supplement daily and you got that covered.

For the b vitamins/copper eat some tubers/fruit.

If you feel liver has some special property you could get powdered liver which is supposedly very rich in Cytochrome p450. Its pretty easy to down in milk/water or with some food.

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How you cook organ meats and seafood is even more important. You can nutritionally destroy salmon by steaming it because it allows for PUFA putrifaction to increase the six to three ratio of the fish. Seems counterintuitive until you understand the biochemistry of cooking.

Samething holds true of liver and oysters.

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How do you cook your salmon? – Matt Jul 22 2011 at 11:21
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 Do elaborate on steaming and PUFA putrifaction. I tried looking this up once to no avail, so any sources would be much appreciated. – Kamal♦ Jul 22 2011 at 13:13
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 @Kamal: This has clearly been proven to be true in the Imaginary Journal of Quiltology Research. – Matt Jul 22 2011 at 13:33
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 @Kamal: There is evidence from a single study that steaming salmon can produce more oxidised cholesterol than frying, probably due to the longer cooking time. Omega-3,6 content or ratio was not altered. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15291510 – Matt Jul 22 2011 at 13:38
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 Does this even answer the question? – mari Jul 22 2011 at 15:50
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