Liver, an organ meat most often obtained from beef or chickens, has long been known as a food high in iron. Although liver can be a good source of protein, vitamins and minerals, eating too much liver also carries risk for certain groups of people, including pregnant women. Chicken liver has a more delicate flavor -- and smell- - than beef liver, but also has less iron. Both types of liver are healthy if you eat them in moderation.
Nutrition
Liver is a good source of protein without being high in calories; a 3-oz. serving of fried or oven-roasted beef liver has just 184 calories and 23 g of protein. One whole chicken liver, because of its small size, supplies just 31 calories. An average serving of beef liver supplies 7 g of fat, with 2.3 g from saturated fat and 2.9 g from unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats have less of an impact on your cholesterol levels than saturated fats. A serving of beef liver also contains 410 mg of cholesterol, somewhat over the American Heart Association's daily recommended amount of 300 mg per day of cholesterol, while a single chicken liver contains 126 mg.
Iron
Iron is necessary for the production of red blood cells. Red blood cells carry oxygen to the cells in the body. Iron-deficiency anemia can cause shortness of breath on exertion, paleness, fatigue and difficulty concentrating. Beef liver contains 5.3 mg of iron; the daily suggested iron intake for men and post-menopausal women is 8 mg, while premenopausal women need 18 mg per day. Pre-menopausal women need more iron than men because they lose red blood cells every month during menstruation.
Vitamin A Risks
A serving of beef liver contains a very high amount of vitamin A -- 27,185 mg, or 545 times the daily recommended intake. Chicken liver cuts the amount of vitamin A by over 50 percent, to 12,325 IU, or a mere 245 times the recommended intake. While a serving a week of liver won't raise your vitamin A levels to dangerous levels, eating liver every day might. The daily tolerable upper limit (UL), the amount at which harmful effects are unlikely to occur for vitamin A intake is 10,000 IU. Exceeding that limit could cause central nervous system disorders, osteoporosis and liver abnormalities, the Office of Dietary Supplements warns.
Considerations
Liver can be a healthy food choice to build up depleted iron stores, but you should not consume it daily. People who already have excessively high iron stores, a condition known as hematochromatosis, should not eat liver at all. Pregnant women should also avoid frequent liver intake due to the high amounts of vitamin A, which can cause birth defects, the March of Dimes suggests.
