The benefits of Liver pate

by Linda de Courcy

Liver, a true superfood
In the past organ meats generally were considered the best parts of the animal to eat due to their high nutrient content.  Liver is no exception.  Despite what you may have heard it is a nutrient dense food containing most vitamins and minerals including:

Vitamin A: water soluble vitamins like the B vitamins, protein and minerals need the fat soluble vitamins like A and D to be assimilated properly by the body.  Vitamin A is essential for good eyesight, reproductive health, building strong bones and maintaining healthy blood.  It is also an antioxidant.  You may have heard too much vitamin A was harmful to the body.  This is only the case where the vitamin was taken as a synthetic supplement; there is no danger of toxicity when it is taken in food form.

Vitamin D: as many people are now aware, vitamin D is essential for a healthy immune system, it also supports bone health as well as mental health. 

Vitamin E: a potent anti-oxidant, it is also essential for reproductive health as well as tissue repair and optimal circulation.

Liver is also a good source of vitamin C and the B vitamins, especially B6, B9 (folic acid) and B12.  Minerals found in chicken liver include calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc and selenium.  Liver is a good source of bio-available protein, 17g/100g.
The only time liver should be avoided is when it has come from a factory farmed animal or an animal that has been given antibiotics regularly.  For many of us the taste can be quite off putting, but making it into a tasty pate solves that problem.