Desiccated Liver Capsules
If you have followed me for a while you will know I am such a lover of liver for babies and for yourself mama! Liver is INCREDIBLY nutrient dense – which means, that per gram it packs more nutrients than any other food! Liver contains a lot of the nutrients your baby requires and is also great to keep your own nutrient stores maintained whilst pregnant and breastfeeding!
The main benefits of liver are that it is high in iron, zinc, vitamin a, B vitamins, vitamin D and a great source of protein. Considering some of babies main nutrient requirements are iron and zinc it makes sense to offer this incredibly rich source. Read more about your babies iron needs here
However, I hear you, liver can definitely turn some peoples stomachs and it is a very foreign meat to many of us, who just don’t know how to prepare it (however for some recipes you could try my hidden liver meatballs or my spaghetti bolognaise with a twist!) And also, in this pandemic, it can be hard to source (as liver is important to purchase pasture raised/organic), I know my main source hasn’t had any.
Obviously fresh is best, but if you can’t bring yourself to make it, or if you can’t source it, the next best option is desiccated liver capsules from grass fed cows. This way, you don’t have to deal with the taste or texture or purchasing the liver, but enjoy most of the benefits it offers!
Cute photo by @amberfillerup
So, how do you give a capsule to a baby?
With a desiccated liver capsule they are able to be broken apart and have the contents ‘tipped out’. So for a baby, I recommend sprinkling babies food with approximately 1/4 of the adult dosage into their meals a few times a week. This can be into a puree for spoon fed babies, or onto finger foods such as some roasted root vegetables for a baby led weaner. You can do this every few days for that extra nutrient boost!
And the great thing is that you can take the rest mama! Because you are also in need of getting that beautiful iron/zinc/b vitamin boost – especially when pregnant or breastfeeding or menstruating!
Cell Squared is my favourite brand of liver capsules that I personally take because it is:
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100% natural
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Independently tested
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GMO free
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No Fillers or flow agents
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Organic & regeneratively farmed
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Freeze-dried & nutrient dense
Hi Luka,
Thank you for sharing this. I just had a look at both products. The first recommends 1-2 capsules 2 times a day and the second recommends 6 capsules per day. Would you still suggest a 1/4 for both brands?
Hi Luka,
Thank you for the info, waiting to source some liver so this is a great way to get started on it before. I purchased the Peter Evans heal ones, it is 2 capsules 1-2 times a day, just want to make sure you recommend the 1/4 of capsule every couple of days for this one?
Thank you in advance! Love your blog!! Xx
I would just 1/4 the adult dosage of whatever brand you purchase! Thanks for the question!
If I already give a D3 supplement, would these capsules provide an overdose of vitamin D?
I can’t deal with cooking and eating raw liver, but the benefits are clearly worth some effort (https://blog.hirschorganic.com/beef-liver-nutrition-benefits-data-facts/). I’ve been using Hirsch beef liver supplements the last few months and they seem to be clean, organic source.
Hi, why does fresh liver need to be organic but capsules are ok grass-fed? I can source grass fed liver but have no organic around and I don’t know what to do.
What dosage would you recommend for toddlers/kids?
Hi Elizabeth – this will be dependent on the brand that you have as well as the age/weight of the child, but usually you would be looking at about 1/8th to 1/4 of the adult dose.
Given that the liver isn’t cooked, is it safe for babies from a bacteria and pathogen perspective?
Hi Kate, I reached out to Cell Squared to get some more specific info on this. They said…
"We can confidently say that our liver (and organs) are the most extensively tested on the market, including for bacterias such as E.Coli, Salmonella etc and also for heavy metals to ensure their safety ☺️
In contrast to fresh liver, our liver powder has less chance of bacteria developing as it is freeze dried to achieve a long and stable shelf life (whilst preserving the nutritional content).
I’m addition to this, our liver powder is the only certified organic powder on the market which means that every part of production is vigorously scrutinised to ensure the highest of standards are upheld. "
I hope that helps!
Hello!
I was wondering if there were any other brands you would recommend. Cellsquared doesn’t ship to the US, so I ordered some from GelPro since you recommended this brand for their gelatin. Unfortunately they don’t provide nutrition facts For the liver powder.
Thank you in advance!
When you say 1/4 of the adult dosage for babies is that 1/4 of the 3g serve or 2g serve? And for breastfeeding mums would you also only take this a couple of times per week? I just noticed that it’s also very high in vitamin A. Thank you in advance.
If the adult dose is 4-6 capsules daily, does that mean 1-2 capsules for 10 month baby? it sounds like a lot 🙂
I would recommend starting with just 1 capsule and you can increase as needed 🙂
Hi, I’m just wondering if the liver powder would need to be cooked for babies? Thanks!
Hi! Loving your book and website thank you! I’m looking at the cell squared supp for bub as he has low iron and GP is recommending an oral. I’d prefer to try something gentler first and see the beef liver plus spleen on cell squared an option for low iron. I’m wondering if these are safe for bubs or just the liver? Many thanks 🙂
hi kristen, you could try it and it is safe, but if diagnosed with low iron it might not be enough on its own. the one with spleen is great as its really high in iron and lower in vitamin A.
I would recommend booking a consult in our clinic if you would like some individualised assistance and supplementation advice. there is a lot more that can be done that is gentle on the system than a traditional iron supplement – and also, not all iron supplements are created equal! xx