Benefits of Tripe | Healthy Eating | SF Gate Benefits of Tripe Benefits of Tripe Tripe comes from the stomach of cows, sheep or oxen. While it may not be the most popular part of the animal, tripe -- the lining of the stomach of a cow, sheep or ox -- does provide a number of essential nutrients. Don't worry, the butcher will usually have treated the tripe with lime and cleaned it out for you before you buy it. Should you want to give it a try, keep in mind that tripe requires a long and slow cooking time of at least 12 hours if you want it to be tender. Basic Nutrition Facts A 3-ounce serving of cooked tripe will provide you with 80 calories, 10 grams of protein, 1.7 grams of carbohydrates and 3.4 grams of fat, including 1.2 grams of saturated fat. This is only about 5 percent of the daily value for fat and 6 percent of the DV for saturated fat, making tripe a relatively low-fat option. But this serving also provides 44 percent of the DV for cholesterol, so you shouldn't eat other foods high in cholesterol on days when you eat tripe.

Foods high in cholesterol may increase your blood cholesterol levels and your risk for heart disease, although dietary cholesterol doesn't have as much of an effect as saturated fat. Source of Selenium You'll get 10 micrograms of selenium, or 14 percent of the DV, in each 3-ounce serving of tripe. Selenium is an essential mineral that acts as an antioxidant to limit cell damage from harmful compounds called free radicals. It also helps with immune function, thyroid function and the creation of DNA. Meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, Brazil nuts and brown rice are other good sources of selenium. High in Vitamin B-12 Vitamin B-12, which is only naturally found in significant amounts in animal products, is important for forming DNA and red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body. Getting enough vitamin B-12 from your diet may help lower your levels of homocysteine and thus your risk for heart disease, according to the Linus Pauling Institute. Each serving of tripe will give you 0.6 microgram of vitamin B-12, or 10 percent of the DV.

You can also get vitamin B-12 from fortified breakfast cereals, seafood, chicken, turkey and beef. Provides Zinc You'll also get about 1.5 milligrams of zinc in each serving of tripe, or 10 percent of the DV. You need zinc for immune function, wound healing, blood clotting, reproduction, thyroid and insulin function, healthy vision and a proper sense of smell and taste. Zinc may also lower your risk for heart disease and cancer by acting as an antioxidant and protecting your cells from free radical damage, notes the University of Maryland Medical Center. Other foods that provide significant amounts of zinc include seafood, poultry, red meat, legumes, cheese and whole grains. Tripe: Looks like you are eating an alien and probably tastes like it to! – The Offal Food Guide By The Guide My first encounter with tripe was at a terrific creperie in Paris called the Breizh Café. Since all of the menu items were in French (and I am terrible with languages), I asked the waiter which crepes he recommended. After mentioning a couple I decided on one that seemed cheesy and meaty.

Upon my selection, the water asked me if I was sure about my selection, since one of the meats included in that particular crepe was tripe. At the time, I was dining with good family friends who were French and I did not want to appear an uncouth American in front of them or the waiter. In turn, although I had never tried tripe before (and frankly had no intention of ordering it at that point in time), I confidently said that I did know there was tripe in the crepe and that was why I ordered it. To be perfectly honest, I had no idea what to expect. Tripe is a type of edible offal from the stomaches of various farm animals. Generally the most popular form of tripe is beef tripe which is usually made from the first three chambers of a cow’s stomach: the rumen (blanket/flat/smooth tripe), the reticulum (hone ycomb and pocket tripe), and the omasum (book/bible/leaf tripe). Since the stomach is utilized in the storing of bile, tripe has a bitter flavor. In turn, it is not a particularly popular dish.

But in the olden days, tripe was a popular nutritious and cheap dish for the British working classes from Victorian times until the latter half of the 20th century. Now, tripe has come to be regarded as peasant food (aside from the occasional restaurant that includes it on their menu). When I tried tripe for the first time, it had a somewhat bitter and distinctive flavor and to be honest looks pretty strange. While it has a dominating flavor profile, it complemented the meats and cheeses within my crepe quite nicely. I later went on to try and th oroughly enjoy trippa alla romana (Italian style tripe with white wine and tomatoes) both in Rome and at my favorite Italian restaurant in New York, Felidia. Tripe requires a labor of love (to be cooked for a long period of time, and in many instances butter or other sauces), to minimize the bitterness, but if done well it is a tasty albeit acquired taste. So if you are in an Italian restaurant and see it on the menu or are having dim sum at a Chinese restaurant, it might be worth a gander.

Tripe is certainly the least user friendly of all offal (in my opinion), but for the select few it has a cult following. Share this: Is Tripe Good for You? | LIVESTRONG.COM Is Tripe Good for You? by SYLVIE TREMBLAY, MSC Last Updated: Dec 06, 2013 Sylvie Tremblay, MSc Sylvie Tremblay holds a Master of Science in molecular and cellular biology and has years of experience as a cancer researcher and neuroscientist. Based in Ontario, Canada, Tremblay is an experienced journalist and blogger specializing in nutrition, fitness, lifestyle, health and biotechnology, as well as real estate, agriculture and clean tech. The lining of beef stomach, tripe has a chewy texture that can take some getting used to, but it has a mild flavor that works well in soups and stews. Tripe serves as a source of minerals as well as protein and vitamins your body relies on for good health. But tripe and other organ meats should be consumed infrequently -- and in small portions -- due to their cholesterol content, notes the University of Michigan Cardiovascular Center.

Basic Nutrition Information Tripe fits well into a calorie-controlled diet -- at 80 calories for a 3-ounce portion of simmered tripe, it provides just 4 percent of the calorie intake in a 2,000-calorie diet. Each serving of cooked tripe provides 10 grams of protein, a source of amino acids your body needs to make hormones, enzymes and new tissue. Tripe also offers 3.4 grams of total fat per serving, with 1.2 grams consisting of saturated fatty acids. Consuming fat as part of a balanced diet supports your active lifestyle because it serves as a source of energy, but saturated fats boost harmful cholesterol -- the type of cholesterol that puts you at risk of cardiovascular disease. Essential Minerals Including tripe in your diet helps you consume more selenium. Your cells rely on selenium to control enzyme activity, and a diet rich in selenium fights cell damage associated with aging and disease while also supporting thyroid gland function. Tripe also offers beneficial zinc, a mineral important for blood clot formation and immune function. Like selenium, zinc promotes thyroid function.

A 3-ounce serving of cooked tripe contains 1.45 milligrams of zinc -- 13 percent and 18 percent of the daily zinc intakes set for men and women, respectively -- and 10 micrograms of selenium, or 18 percent of the recommended daily intake. Beneficial B-12 Tripe serves as a significant source of vitamin B-12, or cobalamin. Vitamin B-12, together with other B vitamins, helps your body process homocysteine, a potentially toxic amino acid. An accumulation of homocysteine in your bloodstream serves as a risk factor for heart disease, so vitamin B-12's ability to lower homocysteine levels might offer cardiovascular benefits. A diet rich in vitamin B-12 also fights pernicious anemia -- a condition that causes weight loss, fatigue, memory loss and mood swings. A 3-ounce serving of cooked tripe offers 0.61 microgram of vitamin B-12, or 25 percent of your recommended daily B-12 intake. Drawbacks: Cholesterol Limit your tripe intake to avoid consuming too much cholesterol.

A 3-ounce serving of cooked tripe provides 133 milligrams of cholesterol -- just shy of half the daily limit of 300 milligrams set for the general public, or 67 percent of the daily limit for those suffering from heart disease or high cholesterol. While small amounts of cholesterol support your health -- it helps you make vitamin D, as well as sex hormones -- your body can make cholesterol on its own and doesn't need cholesterol from your diet. A diet rich in cholesterol has the potential to cause elevated blood cholesterol levels, which increase cardiovascular disease risk. Related Searches Lose Weight.

Feel Great Change your life with MyPlate by LIVESTRONG.COM GOAL Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week GENDER How to Cook Beef Tripe: 11 Steps (with Pictures) - wikiHow /2/25/Cook Beef Tripe Step 1.360p.mp4 Green tripe is the stomach lining basically unchanged from the way it came out of the cow. As its name implies, it has a greenish or grayish color. It needs to be thoroughly emptied and cleaned before cooking (see below). Cleaned tripe is tripe that has been rinsed and cleaned to remove the stomach contents. It's lighter in color and requires less preparation on your part in terms of cleaning and rinsing. Bleached (or "Blanched") tripe is tripe that has been cleaned, then soaked in chlorine to kill germs, giving it a very pale color.

It's the cleanest type of tripe you can buy, but, unfortunately, it must be rinsed several times to remove the strong chlorine odor and taste. 2 Clean if necessary. Depending on the condition of your tripe (see above), the precise cleaning process of your tripe will vary. Tripe from most butcher's shops should already be cleaned, but if yours isn’t or you've opted for organic, untouched tripe, you can clean the tripe in your kitchen with a few household ingredients: /e/e0/Cook Beef Tripe Step 2.360p.mp4 Rub the tripe with rock salt, loosening any small undigested bits (or "grit"). Rinse thoroughly with cold water. If necessary, use a clean toothbrush for hard-to-reach places. By doing this, you empty the stomach lining of any remnant pieces of partially-digested food. Repeat until you see no more grit. Soak the tripe for one hour in a dilute solution made by mixing a tablespoon or two of hydrogen peroxide with enough water to cover the tripe (turning and squeezing the tripe occasionally). Hydrogen peroxide is a disinfectant and a bleaching agent.

[2] Discard the hydrogen peroxide solution and rinse the tripe thoroughly several times with water (squeezing as you do so). Trim edges that still appear unclean. The resulting tripe should be free from any obnoxious odor. After soaking, scrape the interior of the tripe with a knife to remove the inner membrane. Stomach lining is a complex tissue - parts of it are good to eat, but other parts aren't. The interior membrane should be removed if it hasn't. 3 Cut the tripe into a uniform thickness. Raw tripe can vary significantly in thickness across its length. Unfortunately, varying thickness in a piece of tripe can cause it to cook unevenly. Lay your piece of tripe flat and carefully look it over - if you see any sections that are particularly thick, use a sharp knife to make a "butterfly" cut, halving the thickness. /6/66/Cook Beef Tripe Step 3.360p.mp4 4 Cut tripe into strips and parboil. Parboiling is process where a food is first boiled by itself to prepare it for cooking in another dish. Use a sharp knife to divide the tripe into thin strips or squares.

Gather the strips and toss them into a pot of boiling salted water (2 Tbsp / 34g of salt per litre of water). Boil for 15-30 minutes. When you’re done, discard the water and rinse the tripe. After boiling, tripe should be noticeably softer - it's now ready to cook in a variety of dishes. Read on for standard instructions on flavoring. /5/5b/Cook Beef Tripe Step 5.360p.mp4 Here's your chance - let your creativity shine! The final flavor of your tripe depends on the contents of the broth you cook it in. Spice things up however you see fit - a few added peppers, for instance, can give your tripe a real "kick," while some slices of ginger will give the dish an Asian influence. Note that as long as there are enough ingredients to impart a substantial flavor, the proportions of stock are very flexible; feel free to add, modify, and remove ingredients to suit your own taste. 2 Simmer one to three hours or until the tripe is tender. When the broth reaches a boil, reduce the heat to a slow simmer.

As the tripe cooks in its broth, it will gradually soften and absorb the broth's flavor. After about 90 minutes, start checking the consistency of your tripe every 10-15 minutes. Your tripe is "done" when it reaches your desired consistency. /c/c2/Cook Beef Tripe Step 6.360p.mp4 Individual tastes vary on tripe's ideal consistency - some recipes will, for instance, recommend cooking for over four hours to give the tripe a very mushy consistency. [3] 3 Save the stock. The flavorful, aromatic stock leftover from simmering the tripe is perfect for adding that distinctive tripe flavor to another recipe. Alternatively, it can be used as a companion soup for your tripe dish. The two dishes will have similar flavors, so the soup will complement the tripe nicely. Is Tripe Good for You? - Woman Is Tripe Good for You? by Sara Ipatenco If you can stomach the thought of eating the offal from an animal's stomach, usually a cow's, you'll be getting a variety of essential vitamins and minerals.

Tripe can be eaten plain, but it's often added to Mexican soups and stews to enhance the flavor. If you're willing to give tripe a try, you'll be eating a main dish that's also low in fat and calories. Calories, Fat and Protein A 3.5-ounce portion of tripe contains 94 calories and 4 grams of fat, of which 1.3 grams are saturated. If you follow the average 2,000-calorie diet, your upper intake of saturated fat should be 22 grams per day, which is about 10 percent of your total caloric intake, according to MayoClinic.com. A serving of tripe provides about 6 percent of that daily limit. It's wise to limit your intake of saturated fat because it can raise your cholesterol and contribute to heart disease. The same portion of tripe also supplies 11.7 grams of protein, which translates to one-quarter of the 46 grams women need each day. Minerals Tripe is an excellent source of zinc, a mineral that's responsible for helping you heal from injuries and keeping your immune system working properly.

A 3.5-ounce serving of tripe delivers 1.71 milligrams of zinc, which is 21 percent of the 8 milligrams women should consume each day. That same serving of tripe also supplies small amounts of iron, calcium and phosphorus. Vitamins Most impressively, among vitamins a 3.5-ounce serving of tripe provides 0.72 micrograms of vitamin B-12. That translates to 30 percent of the 2.4 micrograms of vitamin B-12 adults need each day. Vitamin B-12 supports a normal metabolism, aids your body in making red blood cells and promotes a healthy nervous system. A serving of tripe also delivers small doses of niacin and vitamin E. Tips and Considerations Because tripe is low in calories and total fat, it can be a healthy addition to your eating plan. In fact, you might replace a serving of red meat with tripe to cut your overall intake of saturated fat. If you're going to prepare tripe, keep in mind that it takes about 12 hours to fully cook the meat.

Look for honeycomb tripe, rather than smooth tripe, because it tends to be the most tender and mild-tasting. Add cooked tripe to tortilla soup or posole to enhance the flavor and the nutrition. For a different flavor, give pickled tripe a try. This version is available in many supermarkets in the aisle with ethnic or Mexican foods. What Is Menudo Food? | Healthy Eating | SF Gate What Is Menudo Food? What Is Menudo Food? Start your meal off with a filling soup to help you consume fewer calories. When eating at a Mexican restaurant or friend's house, you may be offered menudo. However, if you're squeamish about your food, you might want to pass. This soup, which some people find quite delicious, is made with tripe, or the stomach lining of cows or sheep. Typical Ingredients While the ingredients for menudo vary based on the recipe used, this soup generally contains onions, garlic, dried chilies and hominy, which is corn kernels that have had their hulls and germs removed, as well as tripe.

Recipes may also include oregano, cilantro and coriander, as well as lemon or lime juice and other inexpensive parts of the cow, such as the feet. Macronutrient Content Menudo can be a low-calorie way to start off your meal, helping to fill you up so you eat less of a higher-calorie main dish. Each cup of menudo contains about 104 calories, as well as 6 grams of protein, 9 grams of carbohydrate and 4.6 grams of fat, including 2.1 grams of saturated fat, or 10 percent of the daily value for this unhealthy fat that can raise your cholesterol. Micronutrient Content This soup isn't very high in nutrients, although it does contain 4 to 5 percent of the daily value for iron, vitamin A, potassium and phosphorus in each serving. You need iron for forming red blood cells, vitamin A for healthy vision, potassium for counteracting the blood-pressure raising effect of sodium and phosphorus for forming strong bones. The only vitamin or mineral typically found in large amounts in menudo is sodium, which you want to limit in your diet.

Each 1-cup serving of menudo contains 971 milligrams, or 40 percent of the DV for sodium. Fun Fact Menudo is often served for breakfast on New Year's Day, as some people say that it can help cure the aftereffects of overindulging on alcohol. Dehydration is one of the common side effects of drinking too much alcohol and is responsible for some of the symptoms of a hangover. This means that even if a bowl of menudo in the morning doesn't happen to cure your hangover, it may help relieve some of the symptoms since it will help rehydrate you. The Stink On Tripe- For Your Dog - Dogs Naturally Magazine The Stink On Tripe- For Your Dog By Dogs Naturally Magazine Tripe: the magical mystery meat that dogs crave and humans fear! Tripe seems to be the line in the sand drawn between beginning raw feeders and the ‘been there, done that’ old pros. If you are among the uninitiated, then you will find feeding tripe to be a real treat (as will your dog).

Not only will tripe provide immense health benefits for your dog, it will catapult you to the rank of seasoned raw feeder, just one rung below raw feeders who scoop road kill off the road and tote it home in their trunk to proudly offer as a gift for their furry charges! What is tripe? Tripe is the stomach of a ruminating (grazing) animal including cows, buffalo and sheep. The unique stomachs of ruminants have four chambers which systematically break down grasses with a slew of digestive enzymes, gastric juices and amino acids. You may have seen tripe on the grocery store shelves in a white and bleached form. This is not what you want to feed your dog: it is devoid of any real value. What you want to feed is ‘green tripe’, the stuff that comes right out of the animal, dripping with all of those wonderful juices. Why does it have to be green? The same digestive enzymes and beneficial bacteria that help the ruminant animal digest foodstuff will do the same for your dog. Think how much money you can spend on digestive enzymes and probiotics in a bottle and those same wonderful, natural substances are in abundance in green tripe.

Digestive enzymes aid in digestion, meaning the body does not have to expend as much energy when digesting a meal. This means your dog gets the most nutritional benefit from his meals. Digestive enzymes also do much more than aid in digestion: they purify and cleanse the blood and remove toxins, parasites and fungus. They also improve metabolism, hormonal function and boost the immune system. Cooking destroys digestive enzymes, so it is important that your dog’s tripe is not only green, but raw. If your dog eats a cooked or commercial diet, then he may be suffering from enzyme deficiency. The signs of this can include anxiety, lack of energy, chronic diarrhea and digestive problems, gingivitis, viral and bacterial infections and yeast overgrowth. If your dog suffers from any of these disorders, consider the value of adding green tripe to his diet or increasing the amount you currently feed. DNM Academy Member Extra Access ‘Raw Feeding Basics’ in the Dogs Naturally Academy. If you’ve ever considered feeding your dog a fresh, whole food diet, start here! In this 5 video series, we’ll introduce you to the main concepts of the raw diet and give you the tools you need to get started! Not an Academy member?

Click here to learn more about DNM Academy The gut is populated by hundreds of different kinds of bacteria or microflora which are divided into the ‘good guys’ and the ‘bad guys’. The ‘bad’ bacteria are those responsible for health complaints and some of their members include e- coli, salmonella, campylobacter and listeria. These are the bacteria contained in foods and the environment that could potentially make your dog sick: if it weren’t for the protection of the ‘good’ bacteria. The good bacteria improve immune function simply by out- numbering the bad bacteria and maintaining a healthy microflora in the gut. Green tripe is loaded with Lactobacillus Acidophilus, one of the bacterial ‘good guys’. Your dog’s gut can only feed so many micro-organisms, so the more ‘good’ bacteria he consumes, the less ‘bad’ bacteria will find anything to eat in his gut and they will get crowded out. Many health issues are caused by imbalance in the microflora. Older dogs are especially prone to this as they tend to have lower levels of beneficial bacteria in their guts.

Supplementing your dog’s diet with lots of raw, green tripe will help him maintain a healthy balance of microflora, manufacture more B vitamins, and prevent many health disorders. If your dog already suffers from health issues, consider adding raw, green tripe to his diet. Acidophilus can be used to treat a myriad of health complaints. More good news Not only is tripe loaded with digestive enzymes and probiotics, it has the perfect ratio of calcium to phosphorus – 1:1. Green tripe also contains the essential fatty acids, Linoleic and Linolenic, in their recommended proportions. It can also be served in nice, large rubbery chunks which will provide your dog with good exercise and better dental health. The bad news The rumors you heard are true: tripe stinks! If you are really serious about your dog’s health, you will get past the smell. Instead of thinking about the horrific smell, think about all of the great stuff tripe will do for your dog. Don’t worry, those dry-heaves will go away with time! Tripe can be a bit difficult to find. Obviously, you will not find it in the grocery store.

You will also not find it in most large, federally licensed slaughterhouses. You will have to look for the smaller butchers who do custom killing. Be prepared however: they will want if off their premises as soon as possible and you may be required to supply your own buckets to take it home in. It is also important to note that tripe does contain its share of bacteria. Use care when handling it as we humans do not have the natural resistance to harmful bacteria as our dogs do. Just wash your hands thoroughly after handling. Finding sources of tripe can be a daunting task and when you finally find it, you will discover that the hard part is just beginning! Cutting tripe can be a nightmare for you and for your knife! You will need a very sharp knife to cut through your tripe and you might need more than one as it will dull quickly. Tripe is much easier to cut if it is partially frozen first. Forget trying to use a cutting board, the cutting will go much smoother if you hang the tripe with one hand and cut it with the other, sawing it into nice big chunks.

With time, you will see that the icky parts of tripe are far outweighed by the good parts: gloriously good health and vitality for your dog! And that rise in rank to seasoned raw feeder won’t hurt you any either! Benefits of Lactobacillus Acidophilus Is Tripe Fattening? | LIVESTRONG.COM Is Tripe Fattening? Last Updated: Oct 09, 2015 Natalie Stein Natalie Stein specializes in weight loss and sports nutrition. She is based in Los Angeles and is an assistant professor with the Program for Public Health at Michigan State University. Stein holds a master of science degree in nutrition and a master of public health degree from Michigan State University. A bowl of tripe in chili sauce. Photo Credit nanoqfu/iStock/Getty Images Tripe refers to the edible part of a cow's stomach. It is available in select grocery stores and restaurants. If you are watching your weight, you may be wondering whether tripe is a good food for your diet. In most cases, you can fit tripe into your meal plan, especially when you keep in mind that no single food determines whether you gain or lose weight.

Background You will gain weight if you have a positive energy balance, which means that you take in more calories than you expend. Fattening foods are those that may promote weight gain because they are high in calories and not very filling, so it is easy to eat too much of them. Tripe is a relatively low-calorie food source, with only 96 calories per 4-ounce serving, and it is less fattening than fatty meats, such as beef short ribs, with 283 calories per 4-ounce serving. Protein Tripe can help you stick to a reduced-calorie diet, since each 4-ounce serving contains nearly 14 grams of protein. Protein is a filling nutrient because it slows down the emptying of food from your stomach after you eat, so that you may feel less hungry for the next meal. This may help explain why some high-protein diets appear to more effective for weight loss than low-protein diets, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Consult your doctor for help designing a balanced diet for controlling your weight.

Nutrient-Dense Foods Nutrient-dense foods can help you meet your nutrient needs while staying within your calorie limits to control your weight, according to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, published by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Nutrient-dense foods are low in added sugars, unhealthy fats or sodium, and they include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fat-free dairy products, and foods with lean protein, such as tripe. Each serving of tripe contains less than 2 grams of saturated fat. Suggestions Tripe can be fattening if you cook it in fat or eat it with high-fat foods. Instead of frying your tripe, try lower-calorie cooking methods, which include roasting, boiling and poaching. Pickling is a common method of preparing tripe -- the vinegar adds only minimal calories. Menudo, or tripe soup, can be a filling, low-calorie meal, especially if the base is a clear broth and you add more bulk to your meal with vegetables. Related Searches Lose Weight.

Feel Great Change your life with MyPlate by LIVESTRONG.COM GOAL Gain 2 pounds per week Gain 1.5 pounds per week Gain 1 pound per week Gain 0.5 pound per week Maintain my current weight Lose 0.5 pound per week Lose 1 pound per week Lose 1.5 pounds per week Lose 2 pounds per week GENDER The Many Health Benefits of Eating Organ Meats The Many Health Benefits of Eating Organ Meats (originally written by Dr. Jockers) Organ meats were a staple part of our ancestors diets and provided a tremendous nutritional benefit to groups of people who had limited access to other nutrient dense foods. Our current society has no emphasis on organ meats and they are mostly avoided. Consuming organ meats on a regular basis can provide one with incredible health and performance benefits. Our ancestors experienced times of feast and famine and had to make the most out of each calorie source they had access too. When they killed an animal they would consume every part of the animal. The native Americans and other tribal groups and the original healers believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would improve the health of the organs of the individual. Here are some organ meats that you may benefit from including in your diet.

These should all be from organic, grass-fed or pasture-raised animals and not ever from industrial farm raised animals. I like to get mine from my local farmer and also from US Wellness Meats which ships all over the country. 1. Tongue This is actually more of a muscle than an organ but it does contain a high percentage of calories from fat. Most tongue is about 70% fatty acids, making it one of the most tender cuts of beef. Most people really enjoy the flavor of tongue more than ground beef and steaks. It is also easy to prepare and can be used in a variety of different recipes. 2. Heart The heart doesn’t look very edible but most are quite surprised when they find out how good it tastes! Many have compared its taste and texture to that of steak or brisket. This is a great source of iron, zinc, selenium, B vitamins such as B2, B6, Folate and B12. The heart is especially rich in CoQ10 which is vital for mitochondrial health and energy production. Most people with chronic health conditions are deficient in CoQ10 and have mitochondrial damage. Heart is the best overall food source of CoQ10.

Bison, buffalo, venison and beef heart are the richest sources of this powerful nutrient. This organ does not have a lot of fat and is quite lean and muscular. Many enjoy it ground down and added to a ground beef mix. 3. Liver Liver is by far the most nutrient dense organ meat to consume. It is perhaps the most nutrient dense food on the planet and contains specific bioavailable forms of nutrient complexes that are very challenging to get elsewhere. Liver is a powerful source of pre-formed vitamin A, also called retinol. Three ounces of beef liver is estimated to contain about 26,973 IU of vitamin A, chicken liver contain roughly 15,306 IU. Cod liver oil is another powerful source of retinol but eating liver on a biweekly basis can provide the amount you need for optimal health. This organ is very rich in bioavailable folate, choline and B12 which are nutrients necessary for a number of major functions in the body. Many individuals who are following a healthy lifestyle opt for a diet rich in sustainably raised, organic muscle meat. While this meat has its benefits it is also quite high in methionine. Elevated methionine increases homocysteine production.

A few of the key nutrients needed to reduce homocysteine levels include folate, choline and B12. Liver is the richest source of B12 with roughly three times as much as kidney, seven times more than heart and 17 times as much as tongue or ground beef. Liver is also rich in nutrients such as selenium, iron and zinc that are critical for healthy function. Most people don’t have much of a taste for liver and some downright hate it. I recommend cooking it in a stew or mixing it into ground beef at an 80/20 (80% ground beef and 20% ground liver) and most never even notice. This is the best way to get it into your children’s diet as they will not even tell the difference if you use this ratio and make naked beef burgers. 4. Kidney This is also highly nutrient dense and very concentrated form of protein with the full array of amino acids. The most available kidneys are from beef and lamb. If you purchase a whole chicken or turkey, you will obviously have the kidneys inside as well. You ideally want to get them with the long strip of fat still in the center.

If this is from grass-fed beef or lamb that fat has a good amount of both saturated and omega 3 fatty acids. This is extremely healthy and anti-inflammatory. Most say that beef kidney is the most mild in flavor and is one of the best to start with. For a milder taste, try soaking in chilled water with a teaspoon of pink salt for each quart of water. Let them sit for two hours and then boil, sauté or braise the kidneys and serve. 5. SweetBreads & Spleen (Glands) This refers to the thymus and the pancreas. These glands are pinkish-white in color and they taste sweeter than the savory taste that most meat has. The “bread” terminology comes from the old English word that means “flesh.” These are considered delicacies in many South American and European countries. The pancreas is the most sought after and the best tasting of the three. These glands are rich in trace minerals such as zinc and selenium which are key for hormonal function and immunity. They are rich in protein and omega 3 fatty acids that help reduce inflammation in the body.

It is not a stretch to say that eating thymus & spleen will improve immunity and pancreas will improve digestive processes and blood sugar signaling. 6. Brain The brain is by far the richest source of omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA. One four ounce portion of brain contains about a gram of EPA and a gram of DHA. This is equivalent to about a $5 serving of fish or krill oil. Brain also contains some powerful neurological enhancing nutrients such as phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylserine. Brain is also rich in anti-oxidants such as carnosine, carotenoids and tocopherols which protect neurological tissue from oxidative stress. It is also extremely rich in cholesterol which is another protective anti-oxidant for neurological tissue and helps to optimize hormonal function. You can order beef brains or eat fish heads to get these valuable nutrients. Eyes are also extremely rich in retinol, the bioavailable form of vitamin A and other powerful anti-oxidants. Eating fish heads is revered for improving life vision and wisdom in many cultures and the nutritional benefits do improve the ability to think sharper and deeper. 7.

Tripe & Intestines Tripe is the common term used to refer to the stomach lining of sheep, goats, beef and deer. This dish was so revered in European culture that it spurred a tiff between William the Conqueror and Phillip I, the King of France. This is a great source of micronutrients, gelatin and probiotics. Many have reported that eating tripe has greatly improved their digestive system. Intestines are a profound source of gelatin and glutamine which are key for stabilizing and improving leaky gut function. The key for eating intestine and tripe is to cook it down real good as it is very rubbery. So putting into a bone broth stew is a great approach and as you are cooking down the bones the gelatin molecules are becoming less compact. This makes the raw nutrients more edible. 8. Stock Bones & Tendons Not enough can be said about the nutritional benefits of consuming the nutrients in stock bones, ligaments, tendons and discs. The best way to consume these is by boiling the nutrients out in a crock pot over a 24 – 48 hour period depending upon the temperature and the strength of the collagenous structures. Most should scrape off into the pot within a day.

Bone broth can be made from any animal with bones and the most popular soup bones include those of fish, chicken, turkey, beef, lamb and venison. The bones house a variety of powerful nutrients that become released when they are slowly simmered in water for a few hours. These nutrients include bone marrow which helps provide the raw materials for healthy blood cells and immune development. Bone broth provides the nutritional synergy to calm an overactive immune system while supplying the body with raw materials to rebuild stronger and healthier cells. This is why it is such a great healing food to have when the body is encountering stress from bacterial or viral infections as well as digestive disorders and leaky gut syndrome. What Does Dr Jockers Do? Although I am not a huge fan of the taste of many organ meats, I personally try to consume at least one of the things on this list each week. I tend to do more bone broth than anything and consume more of these in the winter time than any other time as I typically consume more animal products in the cold of winter. Dr. David Jockers is a Maximized Living doctor, corrective care chiropractor, nutritionist, exercise physiologist, and certified strength & conditioning specialist.

He currently owns and operates Exodus Health Center in Kennesaw, Georgia.

Question: If you are eating tripe, what are you eating?
Answer: Stomach