What Are Beef Organs? A Beginner's Guide to Nature's Original Multivitamin

Before modern supplements existed, before synthetic vitamins were invented, humans thrived on a diet that included the whole animal — muscle meat, yes, but also the organs. Liver. Heart. Kidney. Pancreas. Spleen.

We founded Field & Form on the belief that we left something important behind when we removed these foods from our plates. Beef organs may be the most nutrient-dense foods on earth — and we've built everything we make around that single conviction.

What Are Beef Organs?

Beef organs — sometimes called offal or organ meats — are the internal organs of the cow that are not skeletal muscle. The five we work with are:

• Liver — the nutrient powerhouse. Exceptionally rich in vitamin A (retinol), B12, folate, iron, copper, and CoQ10. When we talk about "nature's multivitamin," this is what we mean.
• Heart — the most concentrated whole-food source of CoQ10 available. Also rich in B12, iron, zinc, and selenium. Structurally similar to muscle meat, with a mild flavour that makes it the most approachable organ to cook.
• Kidney — a rich source of B12, riboflavin, selenium, and iron. Contains specific proteins involved in detoxification and is one of the few foods that provides meaningful amounts of diamine oxidase (DAO) — an enzyme that breaks down histamine.
• Pancreas — less well known but nutritionally significant. Contains digestive enzymes in their natural form, along with high concentrations of B vitamins and zinc. Traditionally valued for digestive support.
• Spleen — the most iron-dense organ we source. Particularly valuable for anyone looking to support healthy iron levels, because the iron is in heme form — absorbed at 15–35% compared to 2–20% for plant-based and most supplemental iron.

Why Organs Are Nutritionally Superior to Synthetic Supplements

We hear this question often: "Can't I just take a multivitamin?" The short answer is no — not for the same effect. Here's why.

Nutrients in whole foods exist within a matrix of co-factors, enzymes, and binding proteins that help the body recognise, transport, and utilise them. Synthetic vitamins — particularly fat-soluble vitamins like A and D — are isolated from this context. They can be effective, but they're not the same thing.

Three specific examples that matter:

• Heme iron from spleen and liver absorbs at 15–35%, versus 2–20% for non-heme iron from plants or supplements. It also enhances absorption of non-heme iron consumed alongside it.
• Retinol (preformed vitamin A) from liver is immediately usable. Beta-carotene from vegetables requires enzymatic conversion that is unreliable in a significant portion of the population.
• B12 from grass-fed organs comes in methylcobalamin and adenosylcobalamin forms — what the body actually uses. Most supplements use cyanocobalamin, which requires conversion first.

Why New Zealand Grass-Fed Matters

Not all organ meats are created equal. The animal's diet, living conditions, and stress levels all affect the nutrient density of their organs — sometimes dramatically.

We source exclusively from certified New Zealand grass-fed farms because New Zealand's year-round pasture system is genuinely different. Our animals graze on clean pasture from birth to harvest, with no feedlots, no grain finishing, and no confinement. Grass-fed organs consistently show higher fat-soluble vitamin concentrations, better omega-3 profiles, and richer mineral content than grain-fed equivalents. When the whole point is nutrient density, source quality is everything.

Do You Have to Eat Them to Get the Benefits?

No — and that's exactly why we built our supplement range. Freeze-drying removes water from the organs at low temperatures, preserving the vitamins, enzymes, and co-factors in concentrated form. The result is a capsule that delivers the nutritional benefits of whole organ meat without the cooking, the taste, or the sourcing challenge.

Our Beef Liver capsules contain 100% freeze-dried New Zealand grass-fed liver — nothing else. Our Beef Organ Complex combines all five organs in one capsule, mirroring the way traditional diets delivered these nutrients: together, in synergy, from the whole animal.

Where to Start

If you're new to organ supplements, we suggest starting with liver — it's the highest in overall nutrient density and the most well-researched. Our Beef Liver capsules are a good entry point. If you want comprehensive coverage from day one, the Beef Organ Complex gives you the full organ suite in a single daily dose.