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Beef liver

Bos taurus

Also known as Ox liver, Calf liver (younger animals)

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The metabolic and storage organ of cattle, and consequently one of the most nutrient-concentrated foods in the human diet by a wide margin. Its strong flavour comes largely from stored iron and metabolic residues.

Energy & MetabolismWomen's Health

Potential health benefits

Best supported: Limited

Ordered by how well the human research supports them — strongest first. A rating describes the state of the evidence, not how impressive the food is. How we rate evidence.

Energy metabolism

Energy & Metabolism
Limited evidence

Contains compounds associated with energy metabolism, including riboflavin, B12 and copper. Whether eating liver changes how energetic someone feels has not been tested directly; correcting a deficiency is the only situation where a change would be expected.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

2 sources

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Pregnancy nutrition

Women's Health
Limited evidence

Has been studied as a source of choline, folate, iron and vitamin B12, all of established importance in pregnancy. This has to be read alongside the strong advice against liver in pregnancy because of its preformed vitamin A content.

Limited evidence. Early human work, or mostly lab and animal research.

1 source

Deep research mode adds each paper’s own conclusion and stated limitations.

Iron status

Women's Health
Insufficient evidence

Has been studied for improving iron status. Liver combines a high iron concentration with the heme form that is absorbed efficiently, and intervention studies using liver or liver-based products report improvements in iron markers in deficient populations.

What may be going on: Heme iron uses a dedicated intestinal uptake route that is largely unaffected by phytates and polyphenols in the same meal.

Insufficient evidence. Not enough human research to say anything useful yet.

No source is attached to this association yet, so it is rated insufficient by default. It is listed because people commonly ask about it — not because there is evidence for it.

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Key nutrients

Nutrient content per 100 grams
NutrientAmount% DV
Macronutrients
Calories135 kcal7%
Protein20.4 g41%
Total fat3.63 g5%
Carbohydrate3.89 g1%
Fibre0 g0%
Total sugars0 g—
Water70.8 g—
Fats
Saturated fat1.23 g6%
Monounsaturated fat0.479 g—
Polyunsaturated fat0.465 g—
Cholesterol275 mg92%
ALA (omega-3)0.0070 g—
EPA (omega-3)0 g—
DHA (omega-3)0 g—
DPA (omega-3)0 g—
Linoleic acid (omega-6)0.299 g—
Vitamins
Vitamin A4968 µg552%
Vitamin C1.3 mg1%
Vitamin D1.2 µg6%
Vitamin E0.38 mg3%
Vitamin K3.1 µg3%
Thiamin (B1)0.189 mg16%
Riboflavin (B2)2.75 mg212%
Niacin (B3)13.2 mg82%
Pantothenic acid (B5)7.17 mg143%
Vitamin B61.08 mg64%
Folate290 µg73%
Vitamin B1259.3 µg2471%
Choline333 mg61%
Minerals
Calcium5 mg0%
Iron4.9 mg27%
Magnesium18 mg4%
Phosphorus387 mg31%
Potassium313 mg7%
Sodium69 mg3%
Zinc4 mg36%
Copper9.76 mg1084%
Manganese0.31 mg13%
Selenium39.7 µg72%
Other measured compounds
Beta-carotene232 µg—
Alpha-carotene11 µg—
Lycopene0 µg—
Lutein + zeaxanthin0 µg—
Caffeine0 mg—
Ash1.31 g—

Nutrient values are per 100 g of the USDA reference entry named on this page and vary with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

Source record: Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw (USDA FoodData Central, FDC ID 169451).

% DV uses the FDA Daily Values for adults and children aged 4 and over. A dash means no Daily Value has been established for that nutrient.

Bioactive compounds

Compounds present in meaningful amounts. Presence is banded rather than quantified, because whole-food levels vary enormously with variety, growing conditions, storage and preparation.

How preparation changes things

Only effects with real support are listed. If a preparation method is missing, it is because nothing dependable is documented — not because it makes no difference.

  • soakedReduces flavour compounds and residual blood

    Soaking sliced liver in milk or salted water before cooking is a long-standing technique for reducing its metallic bitterness. The effect is sensory rather than nutritional.

Things to know

Allergies, interactions and intake concerns. Every food gets this section — a reference where everything is uniformly good is not a reference.

  • Avoid

    Preformed vitamin A in pregnancy

    Liver contains preformed vitamin A at levels where a single ordinary portion can exceed the upper intake level several times over. High preformed vitamin A intake in early pregnancy is teratogenic, and pregnancy guidance in many countries advises avoiding liver entirely.

  • Interaction

    Vitamin K and warfarin

    Liver contributes meaningful vitamin K, which opposes the action of warfarin and similar vitamin K antagonists. The issue is fluctuation rather than amount: sudden changes in liver intake can destabilise INR.

  • Too much

    Chronic vitamin A accumulation

    Preformed vitamin A is fat-soluble and accumulates. Eating liver several times a week over long periods has been associated with hypervitaminosis A, including liver injury and, in observational data, reduced bone density.

  • Too much

    Copper and purines

    Liver is exceptionally high in copper, which matters in Wilson disease, and high in purines, which is relevant to people managing gout.