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Organ Meats Can Be a Keto Game Changer - Thomas DeLauer
Organ meats contain varying amounts of carbs depending on the type, but they are generally quite minimal:
Kidneys, and hearts, for example, generally contain less than 0.5 g net carbs per 100 g, so they’re very keto friendly
Liver contains the highest amount of carbs, as it stores glycogen, and should be consumed in moderation when doing keto - a hundred grams of beef liver contain 3.9 g of carbs, so a serving of 200 g would come at almost 8 g net carbs
Tongue falls in the same category - beef tongue contains 3.7 g net carbs per 100 g - so not excessive, but do need to keep track
Benefits
Heart: CoQ10
Kidney: B2 & B12
Liver: Vitamin A & Choline
Heart
A 100g serving of beef heart contains 112 calories, 17.7 g protein, 3.9 g fat and 0.1 g net carbs
Heart is the best food source of CoQ10, with pork heart and beef heart topping the list at approximately 127 mcg/g and 113 mcg/g, respectively
By comparison, sardines supply only about 64 mcg/g, beef liver contains 39 mcg, beef muscle meat contains 31 mcg, and pork muscle meat has anywhere from 24 to 41 mcg
CoQ10, also known as coenzyme Q10, or ubiquinone, a coenzyme that works as a powerful antioxidant and plays a fundamental role in the energy process within the body - helps generate energy in your cells (it’s stored in the mitochondria of your cells)
**heart also contains more collagen than muscle meat**
Kidney
B2 & 12 (and while it’s low in the fat, the fat does come in the form of omega 3’s)
Beef kidneys provide about 1,300% of the RDI per 3.5-ounce (100-gram) serving of B12 - also provide more than 100% of the RDI for vitamin B2
A 100 g serving of beef kidneys contains 103 calories, 17.4 g protein, 3.1 g fat (omega 3), and 0.3 g net carbs
B2
Kidneys are an excellent source of riboflavin (B2) – a water-soluble vitamin (that is readily flushed out of your system, which is why you need to consume it daily), important for properly metabolizing carbs, proteins and fats for the energy needs of your body
Vitamin B2 helps break down proteins, fats, and carbohydrates - it plays a vital role in maintaining the body's energy supply as it helps convert carbohydrates into adenosine triphosphate (ATP)
Liver
Liver is an important source of retinol, which is preformed vitamin A - three ounces of beef liver contains 26,973 IU of vitamin A, while pork liver and chicken liver contain 15,306 IU and 11,335 IU, respectively
Preformed vitamin A doesn’t need to be converted to become active - it’s been ‘preformed’
Concerns
Liver contains a very high amount of vitamin A, which is fat-soluble and excessive amounts of it cannot be easily flushed from your body - why liver should be consumed in moderate quantities
Some people believe that consuming organs should be avoided, as they filter and process toxins
While some organs do have a filtering function (the liver and the kidneys, for example) they do not actually store the toxins - as far as toxins are concerned, they’re as safe as regular meat
Brains should be consumed with caution, though, as they could transmit prion diseases - the risk is small, but unfortunately it still exists
References
1) Coenzyme Q10. (2018, July 8). Retrieved from
2) Coenzyme Q10. (2018, July 18). Retrieved from
3) Garrido-Maraver J , et al. (n.d.). Coenzyme q10 therapy. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from
4) Gül I , et al. (n.d.). Oxidative stress and antioxidant defense in plasma after repeated bouts of supramaximal exercise: the effect of coenzyme Q10. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from
5) Glover EI , et al. (n.d.). A randomized trial of coenzyme Q10 in mitochondrial disorders. - PubMed - NCBI. Retrieved from
6) Choline. (2018, January 1). Retrieved from
7) The Role of Acetylcholine in Learning and Memory. (n.d.). Retrieved from
8) Retrieved from
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