Food & Receipts

Listening to the ancient adage “Love your child by feeding them essential nutrients, sacrifice the child to feed your ambition,” I have come to a reverse realization through the guidance of a doctor.

According to ancient beliefs, the liver was considered a harmful food, while science of nutrition has proven otherwise.

28 December, 2023

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Ancients believed that blood is the most beneficial and valuable part, so pig and chicken blood became nutritious foods. Meanwhile, liver is a filtering organ, so it is considered to be a harmful and toxic food. Therefore, even though both liver and blood are delicious dishes, many people avoid eating liver, especially for children. In ancient Vietnamese family meals, pig blood and chicken blood are usually reserved for young children.

How does nutrition science evaluate liver?

Liver is considered to be the safest food among internal organs. Liver is rich in nutrition, especially iron, vitamin A, B, and digestive enzymes. Liver is also a detoxifying organ, so it does not retain toxins. On the other hand, intestines can retain digestive toxins. Therefore, it is completely possible to feed children liver to supplement vitamin A and iron. Liver is also a protein and amino acid-rich food, so it is considered to be nutritious. The outstanding components in 100g of pig liver are: 21.3g protein, 25mg iron, 8,700mcg vitamin A, vitamin B, D, folic acid, nicotinic acid, etc.

How does nutrition science evaluate blood?

Blood is also a good food for health. Blood has more protein than meat and eggs. In 100g of blood, there is 16g of protein, higher than beef and pork, and easily absorbed. Blood is also rich in iron and lecithin, which helps with blood circulation. Additionally, blood contains vitamin K, which effectively promotes blood coagulation in necessary cases. However, blood has a high cholesterol content, so it is not good for obese adults and people with heart disease.

How should liver and blood be used for children?

Liver and blood can both be used as supplementary foods for young children to enhance nutrition. However, no food should be eaten too much at once or too frequently.

You should feed children liver or blood 1-2 times a week, with each meal weighing about 50g or less. It is not advisable to eat a lot.

When buying blood and liver, special attention should be paid to ensuring safety because these two foods can easily spoil or cause danger if bought from sick pigs.

Liver and blood must be cooked thoroughly before feeding.

When buying, observe whether the liver is pink and smooth, without black spots or lumps. Blood should be dark red without black discoloration.

Do not feed pig liver together with vitamin C-rich foods like bean sprouts because the copper element in the liver can neutralize the effects of vitamin C.

Pregnant women should limit eating liver because high vitamin A levels are associated with fetal malformation.

Adults should also eat liver or blood in moderation to avoid overuse, as it can harm the cardiovascular system.