If you’ve spent much time at all in the healthy eating sphere, then you’ll have heard all about how healthy liver is for you, especially raw liver. To make sure that it’s safe to eat, many bloggers and wellness sites recommend freezing raw liver first. But is that really true, and does freezing raw liver make it safe to eat?
The benefits of liver
Ancient cultures have consumed raw liver for centuries. It offers loads of health benefits, and a wide spectrum of fat-soluble vitamins, including the most concentrated source of vitamin A, and all of the B vitamins. The liver’s most intriguing benefit is something simply known as an “anti-fatigue factor.”
With all of these benefits, and since liver is such a nutrient dense food, you may have notions to run out to the store and grab a few for dinner. Hold off on that thought though, as store bought conventional liver should definitely be avoided! The liver works as a filter in the body, but it doesn’t typically store toxins.
The importance of grass fed
When cows become overburdened by routine antibiotic use, grains coated in toxic pesticides and other byproducts of factory farming, then it takes a toll on their main detox organ the liver. It’s not uncommon for cows to develop scar tissue on the liver from eating grains. Cows aren’t designed to digest grains. Grassfed liver is also much higher in nutrition. For me personally, it’s also an ethical choice to consume cows allowed to live and eat as God designed them.
Freezing raw liver
So what’s the best way to eat liver? I’ve seen plenty of recipes for frozen liver “pills”, or suggestions to throw a chunk of raw liver in with your morning smoothie to hide the taste. It’s recommended, even by the Weston A. Price foundation itself, to freeze liver before eating it raw.
“Fourteen days will ensure the elimination of pathogens and parasites.”
Wanting to eat healthy, I ate raw liver for a while, but then I started questioning whether or not there was any truth behind the recommendation to freeze it for 2 weeks first, so I did some digging.
Can You Eat Raw Liver?
Freezing doesn’t kill many pathogens and instead helps preserve or even strengthen them in the process. Freezing also kills some bacteria and parasites, but not others. Even if the liver is from a high quality, grass-fed source, there is still a risk that needs mentioning.
While the risk is less if you were using raw grass-fed liver, it’s still entirely possible to contract parasites, and it has happened. This article discusses the fact that -4 degrees Fahrenheit is needed to kill parasites in fish, which not all home freezers are able to do, and even then certain parasites won’t be killed by freezing.
This 2008 study in Parasitology, Toxocariasis, and Ingestion of Raw Cow Liver found an increased risk of roundworms. Over 87% of the group with parasites and positive serum tests said they had recently eaten raw liver.
“Multivariate statistical analysis showed that a recent history of eating raw cow liver was related to an increased risk of toxocariasis (roundworm infection).”
What’s actually in that liver?
So what exactly can be lurking in that tasty liver? This study showed that E-coli, listeria, and staphylococci bacteria were present in various frozen cuts of beef. And if you thought that freezing reduces harmful pathogens, then you may be surprised to find that E.coli and other pathogens are actually best preserved through freezing.
Salmonella, which can be found in raw beef products, is also not killed by freezing temperatures. This study found that freezing E-coli inoculated meat actually enhanced the e-coli survival with a longer freezing time and did not kill salmonella. Even more disturbing, is the fact that not only does freezing meat not kill bacteria, but food that is thawed or partially thawed will harbor more resistant bacteria once it’s re-thawed. This is especially concerning since people are partially thawing their liver to cut into pills before re-freezing.
A dangerous game
So to sum it all up, no. Freezing raw liver for 14 days will not make it safe to eat and kill dangerous pathogens in it. Eating raw liver, especially semi-thawed and then refrozen liver, increases the risk of contracting something nasty. Even though cultures have done it for centuries, I don’t feel comfortable eating raw liver or recommending it.
It’s up to you
There are risks and benefits to everything and eating raw liver carries a risk of pathogen and parasite exposure. I don’t know what percentage of grass-fed beef liver may contain pathogens, maybe it’s a small amount, maybe not.
Many in the natural food community have consumed raw liver without negative effects. However, I feel like that’s playing a bit of Russian roulette. Regardless of whether or not you decide to consume raw liver though, freezing it does not only NOT reduce pathogens, but may make them worse. So if you want to eat raw liver, it doesn’t seem necessary to freeze it first for any safety reasons.
Many, including my husband, eat undercooked beef without issue. However raw liver may cause more problems than we realize.
How to safely (and tastelessly) consume liver
Since freezing raw liver doesn’t make it safer, and I hate the taste of liver anyway, how do you get a good dose of old fashioned liver in your diet? Liver pate with bacon and onions isn’t all that bad and makes a great veggie or chip dip.
Another option is liver capsules. You can buy premade desiccated liver pills, or you can make your own. I dehydrated the liver at 150 degrees, ground it in a coffee grinder, then made pills with a pill encapsulator machine.
Great article! I was going to eat my frozen liver pellets raw, but since I’m pregnant and read this, I’ll definitely cook it first. Do you know how the vital protein people prepare the liver? Steam and/or freeze dry or dehydrate? I looked on their site and can’t tell.
I seem to remember looking into it over a year ago, but I can’t remember what their response was. They should have a contact form on the website though for you to ask. Let me know what they say!
This year I started making raw liver smoothies, I’ve probably done it about 4 times and have felt a lot of energy after drinking them. ( I usually thaw the liver and then soak it in fresh lemon juice over night before I use it.) About a month ago I made one and for the first time I didn’t get energy from it and actually felt fatigued after drinking it. I recently found out I have blood parasites, and I can’t say for sure it was from the raw liver, but its the only thing I can think of that I’ve eaten that I would get parasites from. That said I don’t think I’ll be eating raw liver again as it’s not worth the risks.
Yikes! I’m glad you figured out what may have been the issue though. Are you working with someone to take care of the parasite issue?
How is vital proteins capsules any different from eating frozen raw liver? Isn’t their process to freeze dry it?? This process doesn’t kill bacteria either.. I am confused as to what the difference is.
Did you ever get an answer to your excellent question, Cori? I’m very curious as to the answer.
There have been some changes at Vital Proteins in the last few years and I no longer recommend the brand. I’ve updated the article to reflect this. Thanks for your comment!
The study showed beef needed to be cooked at a higher internal temperature the longer it had been frozen. This was in order to kill E. coli. I hate when articles don’t accurately convey studies. People shouldn’t eat raw meat or meat by-products anyway. It’s risky and unnecessary.
But isn’t desiccated liver just raw liver without the moisture?
This dessicated liver product specifies that it has the benefits of raw liver, but it’s cooked at 200 degrees before powdering, so it’s not raw. So no, it doesn’t seem to mean that the liver is raw after dehydrating and powdering, though it could be that some brands are. https://amzn.to/2rekQAa
It doesn’t say whether the Vital Proteins Beef Liver capsules are defatted or undefatted. Can you clarify that point?
I really don’t know if they are or not, but you could ask the company. My understanding is that grass-fed beef liver is naturally lower in fat, but also the animals aren’t consuming any toxins that tend to accumulate in fat.
I have to wonder if one was to eat a common recipe for resolving parasites the morning after eatjng liver if that wouldnt be a good idea?
1/4 of a Papaya including the flesh of the fruit and 2 or 3 tsp of the seeds in a Vitamix with 1 cup of coconut water, 1 tblsp of coconut oil, 1/2 to 1 tsp cloves and 1 cup of raw pumpkin seeds.
Possibly. However personally I’d rather eat cooked liver and skip the risk altogether. That’s kind of like saying I’ll eat something that might have arsenic in it, then just take the antidote afterward and hope that catches all of it.
You should be able to mix it with Clove, Cinnamon, garlic, and black walnut/wormwood to kill any Micro-organisms. I have used similar herbs to kill bacteria in other foods and they have found clove will virtually all of the bacteria in meat. I.e. put a half tea spoon of cinnamon or clove in apple juice and you can keep it for months without spoiling. I frequently add other spices to rice to make it keep longer, though I use cayenne and garlic since the flavor matches better.
I’ve tried the pills and the frozen tablets and I don’t think that the freeze dried ones are as effective. But it is all up to what you want to do.
Hi ☺️ Thank you very much for writing this. I was just about to make my own raw liver pills. If I blitzed up raw liver, spread it out on a baking sheet & cooked it, then cut it into pill shapes to swallow….Do you think it would be safe, beneficial & digestible to do that instead?
You could, although you’d have to swallow a lot of “pills” at once to get the benefits. I really like making a liver/bacon pate to dip veggies in to get more liver goodness in me. It still definitely has a liver taste, but the onion and bacon help hide it somewhat.
Can you give me the recipe to make pate I have grass fed beef liver how to cook it and then the recipe for the bacon onion Pate Ty
Here’s the recipe I use! https://autoimmunewellness.com/bacon-beef-liver-pate-with-rosemary-and-thyme/
One thing that you are not being specific is that the raw liver MUST COME FROM A FARM. A LOCAL FARM. In your area.
You should not eat raw liver from the supermarket even if it says its grass fed and even if it’s been frozen or one plans to freeze it and then eat it.
Your article is very misleading and you have deliberately misled people. Either on purpose or via poor research.
Notice your plug for the liver supplement. How many hits did you get on it with your fear mongering?
Let me set the record straight one last time.
Consuming raw liver that you get from a farm, you drive to the farm get out of your car & watch the farmer wrap the liver is not toxic. It is one of the most powerful nuticuticle you will ever consume.
The bacteria on raw liver (and meat) comes from the slaughter plant. Nothing to do with farm vs supermarket. Feces on the animal during slaughter, sunning and evisceration get onto the meat products and contaminate. Get your facts straight. A farmer could take their animal to any plant on any day and have an employee not wash their hands at the right time, and contaminate that meat.
Niko: Any cow can have parasites in the liver. It’s not super common among animals that are kept to US’s cattle standards, but it’s not unheard of either. It doesn’t really matter if the cow is healthy and the farmer is careful. It can juts happen like your own pets can get parasites.
Freezing tends to kill the parasites, but it’s not a sure thing. Freezing doesn’t kill bacteria as the article mentioned although it is true that your likelyhood of dealing with bacteria is far less with a local farmer you know and trust because mostly that comes from the butchering process.
All in all, I’m not inclined to eat liver raw. I don’t want to risk the parasites. Even though you can get very sick from bacterial infections, I’m not as concerned with them. I eat raw beef often. Just the liver is more likely to harbor parasites than the muscle meat. I live in a farming community. I would love to eat everything raw. We aren’t there yet. You can gamble with it all you want though.
at the end of the article you mention liver capsules as safe. but how are they safe? are they made from cooked liver?
Hi… Curious how long you dehydrate the liver at 150 degrees, and if there is any nutrient loss?
Also you say you take them in pill form, how many pills do you take and often?
Thanks much.
I just dehydrate the liver until it feels hard and kind of crunchy (but not burnt!) The amount of pills you take will vary by person, but I would start off with 1-2 pills in the morning for a few days and see if you need to increase it to feel results. The info I found from the USDA database shows that there isn’t nutrient loss when cooking liver, and by dehydrating the water it actually concentrates some of the nutrients. It doesn’t include the nutrient differences for all of the nutrients here, but it shows the main ones. https://www.beyondveg.com/tu-j-l/raw-cooked/raw-cooked-2f.shtml