Liver can be an excellent source of nutrition. Specifically, beef liver is rich in iron, protein, and vitamins A and B, based on data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).
You probably think about liver in terms of whether or not you enjoy eating it; however, there are also benefits and dangers of eating liver that you should be aware of. Despite it being very nutritious, eating animal liver, like beef or chicken liver, has disadvantages as well.
How Much Liver Can I Eat?
As nutritious as liver is, it’s best enjoyed in moderation. Even if you enjoy eating it, liver is, among other things, very high in vitamin A, which can cause toxicity in large enough amounts. This is one reason why you need to limit your intake.
Eating large portions of liver or consuming it every day is not recommended. Instead, it’s best that you limit your portions and eat liver only a couple of times a week.
Cholesterol Content in Liver
Liver is a significant source of cholesterol, and one of the side effects of eating chicken, beef, or other types of liver is that it could raise your blood cholesterol levels.
But according to the USDA, the relationship between dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol is complex and requires more research. The organization actually removed the recommended upper limit for dietary cholesterol completely in 2015, and a review published in 2022 found that research continues to support that decision.
And yet, while you need some cholesterol (like high-density lipoprotein [HDL], or “good,” cholesterol), having too much “bad” cholesterol — low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol — can increase the risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
If your cholesterol is high, try limiting your intake of dietary cholesterol to a maximum of 200 milligrams (mg) per day, according to MedlinePlus. According to the USDA, a 4-ounce serving of raw beef liver contains 311 mg of cholesterol. According to the USDA, a similar portion of raw chicken liver contains 390 mg of cholesterol.
Excess cholesterol combines with other substances in your blood and forms a substance known as plaque, which sticks to the walls of your arteries, causing them to become narrower or get blocked altogether, according to MedlinePlus. Known as atherosclerosis, this buildup of plaque can lead to coronary artery disease (CAD).
Additional risk factors for CAD include a diagnosis of high cholesterol and having had a heart attack previously. According to StatPearls, other CAD risk factors include:
- Age
- Gender
- Ethnicity
- Family history of CAD
Modifiable risk factors, according to StatPearls, include:
- Hypertension
- Hyperlipidemia
- Diabetes
- Obesity
- Smoking
- Diet
- Physical activity level
- Stress
Vitamin A Toxicity
Another disadvantage of animal liver, like beef or chicken liver, is that it’s very rich in vitamin A. When it comes to vitamin A, you can definitely get too much of a good thing, because this nutrient can be toxic if consumed in high doses.
According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, vitamin A is a group of fat-soluble substances that are important for healthy vision and the reproductive process. Vitamin A also plays a vital role in the functioning of the heart, kidneys, lungs, and other organs. A 2018 study published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine notes that vitamin A also promotes immunity.
So what’s the problem? Well, unlike water-soluble vitamins, fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin A are stored in your body, instead of being flushed out of your system every day. According to the U.K.’s National Health Service (NHS), any excess vitamin A that you consume is stored in your liver for future use. If you regularly consume a lot of liver, or liver products like liver sausage or pâté, a harmful amount of vitamin A can build up in your body.
Like humans, animals also store vitamin A in their livers, which is why animal livers are a rich source of vitamin A. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements, a single 3-ounce serving of fried beef liver has 731 percent of the daily recommended value of vitamin A.
According to the NHS, the rich vitamin A content in animal liver, like beef or chicken liver, has disadvantages that can be quite severe. Regularly consuming too much vitamin A can make your bones more susceptible to fractures when you’re older. Excess vitamin A is also harmful to fetuses, so pregnant people are advised to avoid eating liver.
According to StatPearls, vitamin A toxicity, also known as hypervitaminosis A, can also be fatal in extreme cases. Symptoms of hypervitaminosis A include:
- Irritability
- Headaches
- Double vision
- Vomiting
- Anorexia
- Coarse hair
- Swollen bones
- Alopecia
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