Is It Bad to Eat Organ Foods Like Liver?

Hey, J.J. here. Can you believe how fast the holidays are knocking at the door this year? One minute it's pumpkin spice season, the next you're getting your guest room ready and wondering where their wrapping paper went. And that's when I turned to Wayfair. From bedding and towels to holiday decor and last minute stocking stuffers, Wayfair has everything you need to get your home and holidays together fast. And for way less. With Wayfair, I know I can refresh my guest room in no time. Maybe I'll add a soft new comforter or a few holiday throw pillows. With Wayfair, it's so easy and everything arrives super fast. Plus, there's free shipping for any order over $35 easy and total peace of mind. So whether you're hosting, gifting, or just adding those final festive touches, Wayfair has your back. And when the holidays wind down, Wayfair has everything you need to tuck it all neatly away. Smart storage solutions for every room from the kitchen to the closet. Get organized, refreshed and ready for the holidays. For way less head to Wayfair.com right now to shop all things home. Wayfair Every style, every home. That's W-A-Y-F-A-I R.com hey, it's JJ here. You know, I've been talking about environmental toxins forever, and laundry detergent is a sneaky one. A lot of them contain harsh chemicals like dyes, preservatives, and even UV brighteners. Those brighteners don't actually clean anything. They just coat fabric so your eyes think things look whiter or brighter. That's more chemicals I don't want on my family's sheets or skin. And if you've got sensitive skin or allergies around the house, this can be a big problem. That's what got my attention about Earth Breeze. It looks like a dryer sheet, but it's actually laundry detergent. You toss one in the washer and that's it. No pouring, no mess, and no heavy plastic jug. Their packaging is lightweight cardboard, which helps reduce plastic waste. And if you choose the fragrance free option, it's gentle, hypoallergenic, non irritating and non sensitizing. I really like how simple it is and how fresh and clean everything comes out without those unnecessary chemicals. Right now you can try Earth Breeze for up to 40% off with free gifts@earthbreeze.com virgin that's earthbreeze.com virgin for up to 40% off plus free gifts on.

Your first order this episode is brought to you by Corona. When you're on a beach with an ice cold Corona in hand, how can you not feel centered? But did you know you can get that vibe anywhere? That's because weather after work, at barbecues or at a bar with just a squeeze of lime, Corona brings you La Playa mentality. Because while we all want the beach life, paradise doesn't always have palm trees. Corona La Playa awaits. Get yours@ordercorona.com Relax responsibly. Corona Extra beer imported by Crown Import, Chicago, Illinois.

Is it bad to Eat Organ Foods like Liver? This is JJ Virgin, four time New York Times bestselling author, celebrity nutrition expert, and Fitness hall of Famer. I've been on a lifelong quest for answers to the toughest health questions, and now I'm sharing what I found with you. Welcome to Ask the health expert. Margie1234 from Instagram asks, is it bad to eat organ foods like liver?

I like organ foods like liver, and.

Recently someone told me that it's very bad because of the stored toxins in it. I thought that was a Myth. Hey, it's JJ and I've got Dr. Sarah Ballantine. She's known as the Paleo mom with me to answer this question. She just happens to be the world's leading expert on the autoimmune protocol diet, and she also manages her own three autoimmune diseases through diet and lifestyle. Plus, she has an amazing gift for translating complex scientific research into understandable, actionable strategies. And on the side, she's a professional improv comedy performer. She'll be right back.

Stay with me. Hey, J.J. virgin here. Okay, real talk. So often the holidays sneak up on me, travel, gifts, hosting, you know, all the things, and suddenly it's like, wait, who spent what and where? And I know I'm not the only one who's looked at a bill in January and thought, wow, that escalated quickly. If you want to keep your finances under control this holiday season, you need to be using Monarch. It's rated the Wall Street Journal's best budgeting app of 2025. Monarch is the all in one personal finance tool that brings your entire financial life together in one clean interface. On your laptop or on your phone. Monarch lets you link everything and gives you real time visibility so you're not shocked later. Right now, I've been checking the holiday spending category so I don't accidentally start the new year with that dreaded debt hangover. And honestly, just seeing everything laid out is already helping me stay more aware. This season, Monarch does the heavy lifting. It links your accounts in minutes, gives you smart categorization and super clear visuals. Yes, that end of year reset could be a real goal. This time, don't let financial opportunities slip through the cracks. Use the code virgin@monarch.com in your browser for half off your first year. That's 50% off your first year@monarch.com with the code Virgin.

This episode is brought to you by McAfee.

I got a message that our flight was canceled, but they can put us on another flight and we just need.

To confirm our credit card info.

Wait, I got a security alert from McAfee.

It flagged that message as a scam.

McAfee's scam detector automatically spots and alerts.

You to suspicious texts, emails and deep fake videos. Learn more@mcafee.com online protection.

Liver is probably the most nutrient dense food that we could possibly eat. It is rich in just about every essential nutrient, including some that it's it's really easy to not get enough of if we're not embracing nutrient dense superfoods like liver. So liver contains really high amounts of all of the B vitamins, including being a really important source of vitamin B12. It's loaded with minerals including phosphorus, iron, copper, magnesium, iodine, calcium, potassium, sodium, selenium, zinc, molybdenum. It has all of the fat soluble vitamins A, D, E and K. It is very rich in the amino acids glycine and proline. It contains Coenzyme Q10. It contains some really important essential fatty acids. Organ meat in general is really important to incorporate into our lives. But liver gets this sort of bad rap for being full of toxins because the liver's job in our body is to detoxify, right? So one of the things the liver does is it helps our bodies get rid of metabolic byproducts. So that is the waste of our cells after our cells consume energy and do whatever function they have, as well as toxins that we may have been exposed to. So the liver is thought of as a filter, right? It filters all of these things, but it has this reputation for then storing these toxins and it doesn't. So the liver detoxifies in basically a two step chemical reaction. And what it does is it either creates a fat soluble inert byproduct that if it's fat soluble it goes to the gallbladder to be secreted into the intestines with bile the next time we consume food. And then ideally it would bind with fiber and be eliminated. Or the liver can produce a water soluble inert product as it's detoxifying that gets sent to the kidneys in order to be packaged up with urine. So what the liver does is it renders toxins into inert compounds and then sends them to the appropriate organ for elimination. What the liver stores is actually all of the various nutritional resources that are required for those chemical reactions. So rather than storing the toxins themselves, those toxins are actually circulating through our body. The liver is taking in only the amount that it can process at any given time. It processes it through these chemical reactions and then sends, it sends it for, for elimination once it's turned into an inert substance. So actually, when we think about supporting our liver's detoxification processes, one of the best foods we can eat is liver because it's rich in all of those nutrients that our bodies need for all of those chemical reactions to detoxify. And actually, studies that have looked at, for example, heavy metal accumulation in tissues show that organ meat in general accumulates less heavy metals than, say, bone or muscle meat. And that actually makes organ meat some of the safest meats that we could possibly consume. So sorry, you're not off the hook. Actually, no matter how you look at it, eating organ meat is really essential for optimal health. We just can't reach nutrient sufficiency, meaning that we get all of the nutrients that our bodies need for optimal health from the diet without embracing the sort of snout to tail approach to health where we're respecting the animals that we're eating by making sure nothing goes to waste and making sure that we're eating all of the organs from that animal that we can, including the liver.

This is JJ with Asking Health Expert. I do this five times a week, so make sure you never miss a show by going to subscribetojay.com.

Hello listeners, this is Anne Bogle, author, blogger, and creator of the podcast what Should I Read next? Since 2016, I've been helping readers bring more joy and delight into their reading lives. Every week, I take all things books and reading with a guest and guide them in discovering their next read. They share three books they love, one book they don't, and what they've been reading lately. And I recommend three titles they may enjoy reading next. Guests have said our conversations are like therapy, troubleshooting issues that have plagued their reading lives for years and possibly the rest of their lives as well. And of course, recommending books that meet the moment, whether they are looking for deep introspection to spur or encourage a life change or a frothy page turner to help them escape the stresses of work, school, everything. You'll learn something about yourself as a reader, and you'll definitely walk away confident to choose your next read, with a whole list of new books and authors to try. So join us each Tuesday for what Should I Read Next? Subscribe now wherever you're listening to this podcast and Visit our website, whatshouldireadnextpodcast.com to find out more.