Why bother with organ meat when you can just have a ribeye? After all, steak is already one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. It's a fair question, and one I get all the time.

The ancestral health world has generally answered it with "because our ancestors did" or "because predators eat the organs first," and while those things are true, they don't actually tell you what you need to know.

The real question is how much more nutritious is an organ than a steak. Is it 10% more? Twice as much? Because if the gap is small, eat the steak and move on. But if it's enormous, that changes things.

In this episode, I share the results of a lab analysis that finally answers the question with actual data, nutrient by nutrient.

Our freeze-drying partner sent samples of freeze-dried beef organs alongside grass-fed and grain-finished ribeye to the Center for Human Nutrition Studies at Utah State University, where Dr. Stephan van Vliet led the project. They accounted for water content across all samples so the comparison would be fair.

And the results weren't subtle.

For example, compared to ribeye, 100 grams of freeze-dried beef liver had…

73 times more B12
42 times more preformed Vitamin A
430 times more folate
280 times more Vitamin D
55 times more copper
7 times more choline.

Perhaps what was most interesting, though, is that the study revealed that no single organ does it all.

Liver wins on fat-soluble vitamins and B vitamins.

Heart dominates in CoQ10.

Kidney leads with folate and choline.

Spleen owns iron by a wide margin.

Together, they cover virtually every essential nutrient your body needs.

Ribeye is a great food and by far my favorite cut, but it's not complete food. The animal as a whole is.

In the episode, I also go into why eggs can help narrow the nutritional gap but can't fully close it, why a traditional Sami reindeer herder in Norway told me they feed the organs to the dogs, and why declining soil fertility makes concentrated nutrient sources like organs even more important than they were a generation ago.

Learn More: Top Health Benefits of Consuming Organ Meat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WytdCdykAaA

Beef Liver: Benefits of Consumption and Supplementation: https://michaelkummer.com/beef-liver-benefits/

The Health Benefits of Eating 15 Different Organ Meats: https://michaelkummer.com/organ-meat-benefits/

Thank you to this episode's sponsor, Apollo Neuro!

Apollo is a wearable that delivers gentle vibrations to calm your nervous system and help your body stay in a restful state through the night. I've been wearing it for years and still notice a measurable difference — higher HRV and a lower resting heart rate on nights I use it. That's not placebo. That's my nervous system responding differently.

If your sleep issues feel stress-related — and honestly, most of them are — Apollo is worth trying.

To learn more, visit apolloneuro.com/michaelkummer and use code PRIMALSHIFT for $60 off.

In this episode: 00:00 Why organs matter

02:06 Modern meat habits

02:46 Sami reindeer lesson

04:40 Eggs versus organs

09:19 Lab test setup

11:11 Liver nutrient bomb

13:46 Heart, kidney, spleen

16:27 How to eat organs

19:42 Soil nutrients decline

21:21 Final thoughts

Find me on social media for more health and wellness content:

Website: https://michaelkummer.com/
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Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaelkummer/
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/mkummer82
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/realmichaelkummer/

[Medical Disclaimer]

The information shared on this video is for educational purposes only, is not a substitute for the advice of medical doctors or registered dietitians (which I am not) and should not be used to prevent, diagnose, or treat any condition. Consult with a physician before starting a fitness regimen, adding supplements to your diet, or making other changes that may affect your medications, treatment plan, or overall health.

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I earn affiliate commissions from some of the brands and products I review on this channel. While that doesn't change my editorial integrity, it helps make this channel happen. If you'd like to support me, please use my affiliate links or discount code.

137: The Nutrient Gap Most Carnivores Don't Know About