Beef Organ Supplement for Women: Is It Worth Taking?

It’s surprisingly trendy these days to eat a meat-forward diet, and maybe that’s one reason why social media is full of influencers and biohackers praising beef organ supplements for women. 

These capsules—made up of dried beef organs like liver and kidneys—supposedly help boost energy levels, support your hormones, and even act as a solution for some menopause-related symptoms. Proponents say you get the benefits of nutrient-rich beef organs without actually having to eat beef organs. 

These promises might make you ask: Do beef organ supplements work? The truth is straightforward: There’s no evidence to back up these beef organ supplement benefits, especially the claims that they can balance your hormones (a myth in and of itself). Plus, any evidence about the benefits of beef organs largely comes from studies done on actual organs, not dried versions of them. 

Beef organ supplements could be helpful if you have certain vitamin or mineral deficiencies, but before you take them, it’s important to know what your body is lacking. Read on to find out what beef organ supplements can do for you, what claims may be just marketing, and how a healthcare professional (like a Midi clinician) can help you figure out what’s best for you in midlife. 

What Is a Beef Organ Supplement?

A beef organ supplement is a capsule that contains freeze-dried and powdered beef organs, such as the liver, heart, and kidney, and sometimes the spleen, pancreas, or bone marrow as well. 

Formulas designed for women will often add bovine uterus, ovary, or fallopian tube tissue (glandulars), which are meant to support female reproductive health, hormonal balance, and menstrual cycles. This is based on the concept of “like supports like”—the idea that consuming a specific animal organ may support your body’s corresponding organ. There is no evidence to support this theory. 

Ingesting beef organs isn’t new. But doing so in supplement form has gained traction recently due to the “carnivore diet” trend, an approach that has people focusing on mainly meats, fish, eggs, and dairy. For some, taking a supplement feels more approachable than sourcing and preparing organ meats like liver. 

Beef organ supplements are different from other supplements on the market, like multivitamins, because they contain dried animal tissue rather than isolated nutrients. A multivitamin, for example, typically contains nutrients sourced and isolated from plants or animals. Beef organ supplements can still pack in an impressive amount of nutrients, but multivitamins often include more. 

As with any new treatment, it’s a good idea to discuss beef organ supplements with a clinician before you work them into your routine. 

What Nutrients Do Beef Organ Supplements Contain?

Organ meats themselves are a very nutrient-dense food. Depending on the actual organ, they may contain:

• iron
• selenium
• vitamin A
• vitamin B12
• zinc 
• copper
• choline 
• coenzyme Q10 (aka CoQ10) 

For women in midlife, nutrients like iron and vitamin B12 especially stand out. More than one-third of women under age 50 are deficient in iron, and 18% of postmenopausal women are deficient in vitamin B12. Heme iron, which is found only in animal flesh and beef organs, is the type that’s most easily absorbed by the body. Vitamin B12 from animal products is also more easily absorbed—and beef organs themselves have a lot of it. 

A typical multivitamin contains all or most of the above nutrients that beef organ supplements are reported to contain. Beef organ supplements claim to contain more bioavailable forms of the nutrients that can be easier for the body to absorb, in higher quantities. 

But it’s worth noting: 

• The nutrient doses in beef organ supplements are smaller than what you get from actually eating beef organs. 
• Vitamin B12 is heat sensitive, so processing may degrade it.
• Nutrient amounts vary widely by supplement brand, and many labels don’t tell you the exact quantity of nutrients you’re getting. 
• Most beef organ supplements don’t contain vitamins C, D, or E; magnesium; calcium; iodine; or potassium. Most multivitamins do. 

Also, you can’t necessarily rely on label accuracy with beef organ supplements, according to a study in the Journal of Dietary Supplements. Researchers looked at 49 bovine liver supplements and found that 85% of the labels didn’t meet standards of accuracy in terms of the nutrients they claimed to contain.

Why Are Beef Organ Supplements Marketed to Women?

Beef organ supplements claim to boost energy and support your menstrual cycle and hormone health, which is why they’re often marketed toward women. They may appeal to premenstrual and perimenopausal women, who have shifting nutritional needs during these life stages. (It’s an intriguing sell—who wouldn’t want more energy during perimenopause?).

Some beef organ supplements are specifically touted as more “female-friendly.” These usually include added ingredients like uterus and ovary tissue, and they may claim to support mood fluctuations, skin and hair issues, and other perimenopause or menopause symptoms that midlife women may be experiencing. But there aren’t any large-scale studies about these benefits.

On top of that, female influencers often push beef organ supplements, with marketing that shows you real women who are supposedly taking the supplements and reaping the benefits. And this can make them seem even more tempting. 

Midlife women do often need hormone support, true enough—but there isn’t clear scientific evidence that they’ll get that support through beef organ supplements. 

Do Beef Organ Supplements Work? What the Research Shows

Beef organs really are packed with nutrients—but when it comes to beef organ supplements, it’s hard to say. There are no large-scale clinical trials that have actually evaluated or tested beef organ supplements nutritionally. Any evidence of beef organ supplement benefits actually comes from studies on fresh beef organs, not the desiccated version. 

On top of that, most of the evidence for the benefits of organ meat comes from knowing what nutrients are in the organ meat, not from studies testing what it actually does in the body. Researchers haven’t looked at exactly how beef organs affect people, so most of the time, the benefits people talk about are anecdotal. 
You should also be wary about the health claims about supplements with ovary or uterus tissue or other glandulars. There’s no research backing up those claims, and there’s no science behind the “like supports like” claim. 

That said, beef organ supplements may still be helpful if you have nutritional deficiencies and your healthcare professional recommends them. They may still contain, say, highly absorbable forms of iron and vitamin B12 that midlife women may need. If you suspect you have low iron or vitamin B12 levels, talk with your clinician about getting blood work done to find out, and ask them whether beef organ supplements may be worth trying. 

Potential Benefits for Women in Midlife

Beef organ supplements may not be the powerhouse they sometimes claim to be, but they may still come with some potential benefits. Again, it’s important to note that research has been done on the organ meat itself, not the supplements, so we need much more evidence to say for sure.

Iron support

Beef organs contain heme iron, which is more easily absorbed by the body. Research has found that women who have heavy menstrual bleeding, which can happen during perimenopause, are more at risk of iron deficiency. A beef organ supplement can boost iron levels if you’re deficient—just be sure to check in with a clinician first. 

Extra energy 

Beef organs, especially liver and kidneys, are known to be a rich source of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 can help boost energy and also prevent anemia, a condition that can cause fatigue and weakness, provided that you’re actually deficient in B12.

Vitamin and nutrient boost 

Certain beef organs are rich in vitamin A, choline, selenium, and CoQ10, which each have their own benefits, as follows:

• Vitamin A: Research has shown that vitamin A is essential for healthy skin. This could be helpful for midlife women who are deficient in the vitamin. Menopause can contribute to a loss of collagen (which vitamin A promotes), which can lead to wrinkles and dry skin. 
• Choline: Choline can help regulate memory, mood, and muscle control. During menopause, a decline in estrogen can make women more susceptible to choline deficiency, and research found that choline supplementation for perimenopausal women may give a bit of a memory boost. 
• Selenium: A mineral that can support your immune system, cognitive health, and energy levels, selenium may be helpful during menopause because of its antioxidant properties. 
• CoQ10: CoQ10 also has antioxidant properties, and research shows it may be heart-protective (however, note that the research was done on people with existing heart issues or diabetes). 

This all may sound promising, but (while we may sound like a broken record) there are a few reminders to keep in mind:

• The nutritional research was done on actual organ meats, not on beef organ supplements themselves.
• We don’t know how much of each nutrient is in a particular beef organ supplement, so it’s hard to say how much you’re actually getting. 
• Taking a nutrient in supplement form is generally only beneficial if you’re deficient in that nutrient. And if you’re not deficient, taking a supplement may, in some cases, mean you’re getting too much of it. 

That’s another good reason to talk with a healthcare professional, such as a Midi clinician, before adding a new supplement to your regimen.

Risks and Side Effects of Beef Organ Supplements

Taking beef organ supplements has some possible risks, including: 

• Vitamin A toxicity: Vitamin A builds up in the body (it’s not a vitamin in which excess is flushed out in your urine), and in the United States, it’s rare to be deficient in it. Getting too much vitamin A can result in severe headaches, blurred vision, nausea and dizziness, muscle aches, coordination problems, reduced bone mineral density, and birth defects. The risk can be real for patients who consume a significant amount of beef liver.
• Iron overload: If you don’t have an iron deficiency, it’s possible to get more than you need. This can cause fatigue, joint pain, skin problems, and heart flutters, and it can even damage your organs over time. 
• Possible interactions with medications: Because beef organ supplements have high amounts of minerals and vitamins, they may interact with certain medications, like blood thinners, thyroid medications, and some antibiotics. 
• Possible kidney impacts: Those who consume a high amount of offal (edible internal organ meats) may be at an increased risk of heavy metal accumulation, such as cadmium, that can affect the kidneys.
• Mild side effects: You might experience some mild digestive discomfort, like nausea, bloating, cramps, or loose stools. 
• Potential risk of certain diseases: Those who consume more red meat are at increased risk of colorectal cancers and heart disease. While there’s no evidence that this translates to beef organ supplements, the theoretical risk is worth knowing.

How to Choose a Beef Organ Supplement (if You Decide to Try One)

If you’re looking for the best beef organ supplements for women, keep the below in mind:

• Do your brand research: Look for third-party testing and full label transparency on nutrient amounts. 
• Think twice about certain claims: Be wary about formulas that claim to be better for women because they contain uterus, ovary, or other glandular organs. There’s no evidence to support these claims. 
• Consider your other supplements: Check out the vitamin A and iron content in the beef organ supplements and any other supplements you might take to make sure you’re not ingesting too much of either. (Another reason to pick brands that clearly state nutrient amounts.)
• Note other meds you’re taking: Keep in mind that beef organ supplements can interact with blood thinners, thyroid medications, and some antibiotics. 
• Speak with a clinician first: A healthcare professional, such as a Midi clinician, can help you go over your medical history, current medications, and other health concerns and discuss whether a beef organ supplement is a good option. It’s especially important to do this if you’re pregnant, postmenopausal, or managing a chronic condition. 

Evidence-Backed Alternatives for Energy and Hormone Symptoms

For midlife women who are dealing with low energy and looking for a way to improve hormone-related symptoms, some evidence-backed alternatives may end up being more helpful and effective than beef organ supplements. Try taking these steps below:

• Get lab work done: If you’re feeling low on energy or fatigued, testing can help you and your clinician figure out the root cause. This can include checking thyroid and iron levels.
• Take supplements you actually need: A multivitamin or supplement with many nutrients may not be the best approach for you. For example, if you’re deficient in iron only, talk with your clinician about whether it’s best to take a dedicated iron supplement instead. The same goes for vitamin B12. 
• Focus on a more balanced diet: You can get many of these vitamins and minerals from a balanced diet, one that takes your whole health into account. This includes a plate filled with whole grains, lean protein, fruits and vegetables, calcium, and dairy. 
• Consider hormone therapy: There is no proof that glandular supplements can help balance your hormones, but we do know something that can: hormone replacement therapy (HRT, now commonly referred to as menopause hormone therapy, or MHT). Your clinician can help you determine whether HRT is a good option for you.

A menopause-informed clinician, like one at Midi, can help in so many ways. They’ll work with you to build a personalized plan that can address your concerns about energy levels, your cycle, hormonal symptoms, and more. Book a visit to learn more.

Key Takeaways

• Beef organ supplements are capsules that contain powdered beef organs. Beef organs themselves can provide nutrients and vitamins like iron, vitamin A, vitamin B12, choline, and more.
• Supposed benefits of beef organ supplements include an energy boost, hormonal support, and immune support, but there’s no scientific evidence to back up these claims. 
• For midlife women, beef organ supplements may help with iron and vitamin B12 deficiencies, plus boost some other vitamins and nutrients. However, there’s research showing a lack of accuracy on labels of many beef organ supplements.
• Beef organ supplements also come with risks and side effects, like vitamin A and iron overload, and they can interact with certain medications. 
• Before choosing a beef organ supplement to take, always consult with a clinician who can help you figure out whether these supplements are a good fit for you. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Who should not take beef organ supplements?

Beef organ supplements can interact with medications like blood thinners, thyroid medications, and even some antibiotics. They also may not be a good fit if you’re not deficient in iron or vitamin A. People who are pregnant should always consult with their clinician before taking any supplement. 

Does a beef organ supplement help you lose weight?

While beef organ supplements may provide you with certain nutrients, they don’t contribute to weight loss. 

What does beef liver do for females?

Beef liver is rich in minerals and nutrients like heme iron, vitamin A, and vitamin B12, which may fight fatigue, boost collagen production for healthier skin and hair, improve memory, and support immune function. 

When is the best time to take beef organ supplements?

The best time to take beef organ supplements is in the morning with breakfast. This gives your body the best chance to absorb the vitamins and nutrients. 

Are beef organ supplements worth it?

If you’re deficient in iron and certain nutrients, like vitamins A and B12, then beef organ supplements may be worth it, so long as your clinician gives you the OK. However, you should be wary of this supplement’s claims, especially if they seem too good to be true, because there’s a lack of scientific evidence behind them.