Health Benefits and Safety of Paleovalley Grass Fed Organ Supplements

Exploring the Health Benefits of Paleovalley Grass Fed Organ Complex

Organ meats like liver and heart have long been prized as nutritional powerhouses in certain diets and health circles. Today, newer supplements like Paleovalley Grass Fed Organ Complex encapsulate bovine organ tissues to provide convenient access to their unique nutritional profiles.

But can ingesting desiccated organ supplements really make you healthier? What does the science say about grass-fed organ complexes?

The Nutritional Value of Organ Meats

Organ meats or offal like liver are uniquely dense in certain nutrients hard to find elsewhere. For example, beef liver contains:

• Vitamin A - helps maintain healthy vision and fight infection
• B vitamins - support energy, brain health and nerve function
• Iron - enables blood oxygen transport and energy production
• Copper - indirectly aids iron absorption and nerve health

Grass-fed livers also provide more omega-3s and antioxidants like vitamin E than grain-fed. Heart, kidney, pancreas and other organs also offer distinct nutritional advantages.

The Concept Behind Organ Supplements

Organ complex supplements aim to nutritionally mimic eating various bovine organs. For example, Paleovalley aims to provide:

• Liver - for vitamin A, Bs, iron and copper
• Heart - for CoQ10, an antioxidant that supports energy pathways
• Pancreas - provides digestive enzymes to aid nutrient breakdown

By encapsulating powdered extracts from grass-fed cattle organs, supplements try to capture their nutritional density in convenient oral form.

Potential Health Benefits of Grass Fed Organ Complexes

Fans claim organ supplements like Paleovalley provide better energy, immunity, skin health, thyroid function, eyesight and more. But does the science back this up?

Energy and Exercise Performance

Some evidence suggests organ supplements may support energy pathways. One study found giving athletes bovine spleen extract increased oxygen uptake efficiency during exercise. More data is still needed specifically on complexes though.

Skin, Hair and Nail Health

The high nutrient density of desiccated liver and organ supplements may translate to better skin, hair and nail condition. For example, iron and vitamins A and C support collagen production, while zinc and biotin aid hair and nails.

Thyroid and Metabolic Function

In those with micronutrient deficiencies, optimizing intake of vitamins and minerals like iodine and selenium found abundantly in organs may help normalize thyroid hormone levels and metabolic function.

Eye Health

Grass fed liver is extremely high in vitamin A, which supports good vision health. Vitamin A deficiency causes visual impairment and blindness. Supplementing may benefit those at risk.

Immunity

Organ meats provide zinc, selenium, vitamin A and iron to support normal immune cell activity. One study gave older adults bovine liver extract for a few months and observed enhanced antibody response from vaccination.

Bioavailability Questions in Organ Supplements

Despite the theoretical benefits, some questions remain around supplementing with desiccated organ extracts rather than whole food organs.

Nutrient Changes During Manufacturing

Processing methods like exposure to heat, pressure and chemicals may damage delicate nutrients in organ tissues like B vitamins, antioxidants and enzymes. This could limit supplements nutritional value.

Gastrointestinal Absorption Issues

Bioavailability refers to how efficiently nutrients get utilized. Whole organ meats likely provide better vitamin and mineral absorption compared to reconstituted powders.

Lack of Supporting Clinical Trials

While bovine spleen extract showed promise for athletes, few studies exist exploring multi-organ complexes for fatigue, thyroid health, metabolism or other outcomes fans cite. More data is needed to verify advantages over whole food or standalone liver extract.

Paleovalley Grass Fed Organ Complex Ingredients

Paleovalley aims to provide a nutritionally balanced organ supplement via four main complexes:

Grass Fed Desiccated Beef Liver

Liver extract offers dense nutrition including vitamin A, B vitamins, iron, copper, zinc and chromium. These support energy, skin health, thyroid function and metabolism.

Grass Fed Beef Heart

Heart provides CoQ10 (or ubiquinone) involved in cellular energy production pathways. It also supplies B vitamins to aid energy metabolism and heart health.

Grass Fed Pancreas

Pancreas contains digestive enzymes like amylase, lipase and protease to theoretically aid nutritional breakdown of supplements. Evidence for benefit is limited though.

Mixed Tocopherols

This natural vitamin E complex has antioxidant activity to prevent liver oxidization so nutrients remain viable through shelf life.

Nutrient Profile Per Capsule

In total, two capsules provide significant levels of:

• Vitamin A - 850 mcg (95% as retinol)
• Vitamin B12 - 48 mcg
• Iron - 12 mg
• Zinc - 10 mg

Plus complementary B vitamins, selenium and chromium.

Safety Considerations With Organ Complex Supplements

When used appropriately under medical guidance, beef liver and organ extracts are likely safe for most healthy adults. However, some considerations apply:

Allergy Risks

Those with beef allergies should avoid organ-derived supplements due to risks of reactions like itching or anaphylaxis.

Medication Interactions

Nutrients like vitamin K in organ supplements can interact with blood thinners. Check with your doctor about interaction risks with existing medications like Warfarin.

Dosing and Vitamin A Toxicity

Too much preformed vitamin A found in abundant amounts in liver can cause hypervitaminosis A. Stick within supplement serving guidelines.

Other Dietary Considerations for Health Gains

While desiccated organ supplements show theoretical promise, broader diet and lifestyle optimization likely provides more impact for those seeking to improve energy, skin, thyroid and overall vitality naturally.

Eat More Organ Meats

Rather than solely relying on capsules, also incorporate whole food organ meats like grass fed liver into your diet up to once weekly. This provides more complete nutrition alongside supplements.

Follow an Ancestral Diet Template

Emphasize ancestrally supported foods like organ meats while limiting heavily processed modern foods. This provides more nutrients and antioxidants to support overall wellness.

Optimize Lifestyle Factors

Sleep, stress management, social connection and physical activity strongly influence health and vigor. Optimize these alongside nutrition.

Should You Take Grass Fed Organ Complex Supplements?

Organ supplements likely have merit for those struggling with suboptimal energy, skin roughness or metabolic issues related to poor nutrition. Grass fed organ complexes can conveniently provide hard-to-obtain nutrients.

However, research specifically on multi-organ formulations is very limited. Those seeking supplements should still emphasize dietary improvements first.

Under medical guidance, desiccated organ products provide an additional nutritional tool as part of an overall vitality plan, rather than a miracle solution on their own. Those with quality diets may obtain limited further advantages.

Talk to your doctor if interested in trying organ supplements and carefully track any benefits or side effects experienced. But also focus on organ meats and improving diet quality for long term health.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment regimen.