Liver-and-Onions

Beef Liver – Is This the Ultimate Bodybuilding Food ?

Did you think that chicken or red meat are the ultimate bodybuilding foods? Well, think again. The most complete bodybuilding food just might be – beef liver.  Liver is densely packed with protein, minerals and vitamins, that eating it regularly will increase muscle, boost testosterone and decrease estrogen production.

So, is beef liver the complete bodybuilding food ? Let’s take a look at the nutrients it contains:

Beef Liver Macronutrient Profile

Your body needs protein to support the process of and cell repairment. When your body metabolizes protein, it breaks it down into amino acids. Out of 21 amino acids, 12 are non essential (your body can produce them ) and 9 are non-essential (the body cannot produce these amino acids). With around 24-25g of complete protein and 4.5g of fat per 85g of weight, beef liver supplies all 9 essential amino acids needed for muscle growth. The calories that 85g of liver has are about 163.

 

Beef Liver Mineral Profile

What makes beef liver so essential to your health is that it contains more nutrients, gram for gram, than any other food.

Iron – Only 3 ounces of liver supplies about 65 percent of the adult male recommended daily allowance for iron and 30 percent of the adult female recommended daily allowance of the same mineral. Among many other roles of Iron in the body the main ones are : oxygen transportation throughout your body as well as metabolism and immune system support.

Zinc – the same serving of beef liver (3 ounces or 85 g) has 56 percent of the adult RDA of zinc for females and 41 percent of the adult RDA of zinc for males. Zinc has important roles in cellular and protein metabolism, immune function, and cell creation. It is also vital for normal growth and development and maintaining your senses of smell and taste.

Selenium – 3 ounces of beef liver has about 50 percent of the daily recommended dose for selenium.  This mineral helps in prevention from cellular damage done by free radicals. Selenium is combined with proteins and forms selenoproteins, which are known as powerful antioxidants.


Liver Vitamin Profile

Liver (especially beef liver) is a great source of vitamins including vitamin A, all the B vitamins, vitamin C, D and E.

Vitamin A is important for vital organ and immune system functions, as well as vision and reproductive functions.

B12 is responsible for the health of red blood cells. This vitamin is different from the other B group because it produced , exclusively by microorganisms.

Vitamin B6 helps in serotonin production. Serotonin regulates your sleep cycles and mood.

Contrary to the belief that liver stores toxins, liver only neutralizes toxins and it does not store them. What it stores is the vitamins and minerals because they help it do its job in getting rid of the toxins.


Cholesterol

A slice of beef liver contains up to 90 percent of the daily recommended value of cholesterol. Cholesterol is vital to the creation of cells and certain hormones such as testosterone. According to older beliefs dietary cholesterol is the cause of heart disease and other health problems, but recent studies have shown that dietary cholesterol has a low and short-term effect on blood cholesterol.


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