The Ancestral Woman's Guide to Nutrient Density (Australia 2026)

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Author: [Placeholder — credentials-holding nutrition professional or VO CMO with advisory sign-off; women's health context requires E-E-A-T signal] Last updated: 2026-05-13 Estimated reading time: 18–22 minutes

Introduction

Australian women are among the most nutritionally surveyed people in the world, yet iron deficiency remains the most common nutritional deficiency in the country. The Australian Bureau of Statistics National Health Survey consistently shows that women of reproductive age are the demographic most at risk of inadequate iron intake — not because iron doesn't exist in the food supply, but because much of what women are told to eat for iron is poorly absorbed, and much of what they're sold to fix it causes side effects that make consistent use difficult.

The supplement industry has not solved this. Walk into any pharmacy or health food store and the women's nutrition aisle is a wall of synthetic compounds: ferrous sulfate tablets, folic acid capsules, multivitamins with iron listed as an afterthought. The ancestral nutrition movement has offered something more substantive — nose-to-tail eating, organ meats, real food — but its mainstream expression skews male: carnivore podcasters, biohacker content, gym-performance framing. Women in the space have largely had to translate advice written for men into their own context.

This guide is written specifically for Australian women. It covers the physiological reality of women's nutrient needs across different life stages, the food-based case for whole-food iron and the cluster of nutrients that travel with it, and the practical framework for building nutrient density into daily life. Where Vital Origin's Ancestral Woman product fits into that picture, it will say so clearly — and where it doesn't fit, it will say that too.

The framework here is grounded in peer-reviewed research and Australian nutrient reference values. It is not a substitute for medical advice. For specific health conditions — diagnosed iron deficiency anaemia, pregnancy complications, perimenopause — the right resource is your GP, midwife, obstetrician, or registered dietitian.

Table of Contents

1. Why women's nutrient needs are different
2. The iron picture for Australian women
3. The nutrient cluster: iron, B12, folate, vitamin A, choline
4. Whole blood: the missing piece
5. A nutrient-density framework for women
6. Practical: building daily nutrient density
7. Pregnancy considerations — handled carefully
8. Postpartum recovery
9. Perimenopause and beyond
10. What to avoid: marketing claims that don't hold up
11. Frequently asked questions
12. Sources and references
13. About the author / About Vital Origin

Why Women's Nutrient Needs Are Different {#womens-needs}

Women are not nutritionally equivalent to men with different calorie requirements. Across several key micronutrients, the physiological differences are substantial — and the implications shift depending on life stage.

Menstrual iron loss

The single most significant driver of iron deficiency in women of reproductive age is menstrual blood loss. Each millilitre of blood contains roughly 0.5 mg of iron [1]. The average menstrual cycle involves a blood loss of 30–40 mL — equating to approximately 15–20 mg of iron per cycle. Women with heavier cycles (menorrhagia, endometriosis, fibroids) can lose substantially more.

This is why the Australian NHMRC Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for iron is 18 mg/day for women aged 19–50 — more than double the 8 mg/day RDI for adult men and postmenopausal women [2]. That gap exists for a direct physiological reason, not as an approximation.

Postpartum recovery

Pregnancy and childbirth represent one of the most nutritionally demanding windows in a woman's life. Iron demands increase during pregnancy (the RDI rises to 27 mg/day) to support expanded blood volume and fetal development [2]. Postpartum, iron recovery depends on the degree of blood loss at delivery — which for vaginal births averages approximately 500 mL and for caesarean sections can exceed 1,000 mL [3].

Beyond iron, postpartum breastfeeding demands elevate requirements for vitamin B12, folate, vitamin A, choline, and iodine — nutrients that pass to the infant through breast milk. A nutritionally depleted mother is not serving her own recovery needs while also meeting those demands.

Perimenopause — shifting micronutrient priorities

The perimenopause transition — typically beginning in the early-to-mid 40s — involves hormonal changes that affect nutrient absorption, bone density, and cardiovascular risk profiles. Iron requirements shift during this window: as menstrual cycles become irregular and eventually cease, iron loss decreases. For postmenopausal women, the RDI drops back to 8 mg/day — equivalent to men's [2].

But this transition does not reduce the importance of other micronutrients. B12 absorption declines with age due to changes in gastric acid production and intrinsic factor availability [4]. Vitamin A, vitamin D, and vitamin K become increasingly relevant to bone and skin health. The perimenopause window is a period of shifting, not diminishing, nutritional requirements.

Pregnancy — the highest-demand window

Pregnancy amplifies the requirements for nearly every micronutrient discussed in this guide. Folate is critical in the periconceptional period for neural tube development [5]. Iron supports expanded maternal blood volume and fetal haematopoiesis [6]. Choline, which crosses the placenta, supports fetal brain development — and the majority of pregnant women in Australia do not meet the adequate intake level [7]. Vitamin A supports fetal eye and immune system development, though excess preformed retinol carries risk (see the pregnancy section below for a full discussion).

The point here is not that women need to supplement aggressively during pregnancy. It is that pregnancy is a window where nutritional status matters more, and where dietary choices deserve more attention than they typically receive.

Women are not small men

This phrase — usually attributed to sports medicine but applicable to nutrition — captures something important. The research base for most nutrient recommendations was historically built on male study populations. The growing body of women-specific nutritional research is correcting this, but slowly. In the meantime, women navigating nutrition advice must remain alert to whether the guidance they're reading was derived from populations that included them.

This is especially true in the ancestral nutrition space, where the loudest voices have historically been male-coded: carnivore biohackers, male MDs with high media profiles, performance athletes. The underlying food-first nutritional logic applies equally to women — but the life-stage nuance, the iron reality, and the reproductive health context require a specifically women-centred lens.

The Iron Picture for Australian Women {#iron-australia}

Australian iron status data

The Australian Health Survey (2011–13, the most comprehensive national nutrition survey at time of writing) found that 12% of Australian women of reproductive age were iron deficient, with lower serum ferritin levels widespread beyond the clinically defined deficiency threshold [8]. More recent AIHW surveillance data suggests iron deficiency remains the most common nutritional deficiency in Australian women [9].

Iron deficiency exists on a spectrum. Full-blown iron deficiency anaemia — haemoglobin below 120 g/L in women — is one end. But depleted ferritin stores (the body's iron storage protein) cause symptoms — fatigue, poor concentration, hair loss, reduced cold tolerance — at levels where haemoglobin is still technically normal [10]. Many women are told their blood work is "fine" when ferritin, the earlier indicator, is suboptimal.

The practical implication: the iron conversation for women is not just about clinical anaemia. It is about maintaining iron stores adequate for optimal function across the menstrual cycle, the postpartum period, and beyond.

Heme vs non-heme iron absorption

Iron in food comes in two forms. Heme iron — found exclusively in animal foods — is absorbed at an estimated rate of 15–35% [11]. Non-heme iron — found in plant foods (legumes, spinach, fortified foods) and synthetic supplements — is absorbed at a much lower 2–20%, and that absorption varies considerably based on dietary context [12].

Factors that inhibit non-heme iron absorption include:

• Phytates — present in wholegrains, legumes, and seeds
• Polyphenols — in tea, coffee, red wine, and some vegetables
• Calcium — competing for the same absorptive pathway
• Tannins — in tea and some plant foods

Heme iron does not face these inhibitors to the same degree. Its absorption pathway is separate and relatively consistent regardless of what else is consumed alongside it [13].

This is why the common advice to "eat spinach for iron" or "eat iron-fortified cereal" has practical limitations. Spinach provides non-heme iron in the presence of oxalates (which reduce absorption), while the vitamin C sometimes recommended alongside non-heme iron foods provides an enhancement that is variable and incomplete.

Why synthetic iron supplements often don't work

Ferrous sulfate and ferrous fumarate — the dominant synthetic iron compounds in pharmaceutical supplements — are effective at raising haemoglobin in clinical anaemia but come with a well-documented side effect profile: constipation, nausea, cramping, and dark stools [14]. A 2017 Cochrane review confirmed that gastrointestinal side effects are the most commonly cited reason for discontinuing supplemental iron [15].

Inconsistent adherence is the downstream consequence. A supplement that raises iron on paper but causes enough discomfort that women stop taking it within weeks has limited real-world effectiveness.

Additionally, synthetic iron compounds are isolated molecules. Beef liver, by contrast, provides iron in a whole-food matrix that includes copper, B12, and folate — nutrients that are physiologically involved in how the body handles iron. Copper, in particular, is required for the ferroxidase activity that enables iron to be exported from cells and transported in the bloodstream [16].

The food-based alternative: heme iron from organ meats

The most concentrated sources of heme iron in any food are, in descending order: beef spleen, beef liver, and whole blood. Each of these is an animal organ or tissue historically consumed across traditional cultures as a matter of nutritional practicality — and each fell out of mainstream dietary patterns as the Western food system industrialised.

Beef spleen is exceptional: gram for gram, it contains more heme iron than liver or any other commonly eaten organ [17]. Beef liver is the broader nutritional powerhouse — rich in B12, folate, vitamin A, copper, and choline alongside its iron content. Whole blood is a concentrated iron source in its own right, with a heme-iron density comparable to or exceeding that of liver on a dry-weight basis.

For a woman whose primary dietary gap is iron — and whose tolerance for synthetic supplements is low — food-based heme iron from these three sources represents a meaningfully different category of approach.

The Nutrient Cluster: Iron, B12, Folate, Vitamin A, Choline {#nutrient-cluster}

Iron does not work in isolation. The broader nutritional picture for women — particularly across the reproductive years and into perimenopause — involves a cluster of interconnected micronutrients that are disproportionately concentrated in animal-source foods, and particularly in organ meats.

B12 — bioavailability and the animal-food reality

Vitamin B12 is found in meaningful quantities only in animal foods. Plant foods do not contain active B12 — the algae-derived B12 promoted in some plant-based literature is in a form that has limited bioactivity [18]. Supplemental B12 (cyanocobalamin or methylcobalamin) is effective but represents a synthetic workaround for what food can provide directly.

The NHMRC RDI for B12 in adult women is 2.4 µg/day — a figure that rises during pregnancy (2.6 µg/day) and breastfeeding (2.8 µg/day) [2]. A standard serving of Vital Origin Beef Liver Capsules provides approximately 8.9 µg — covering the daily RDI approximately 370% [19].

For women on plant-forward or vegetarian-leaning diets who include some animal foods but avoid red meat or organs, B12 is among the most commonly marginal nutrients. The food-form B12 in liver is absorbed via a well-characterised pathway involving intrinsic factor — the same pathway that becomes less reliable with age.

Folate vs folic acid — the MTHFR conversation

Folate (vitamin B9) is essential for DNA synthesis and repair, red blood cell formation, and neurological function. It is particularly critical in the periconceptional period for the prevention of neural tube defects [5]. The synthetic form, folic acid, is used in fortified foods and most supplements.

The distinction between food-folate and folic acid matters for a subgroup of the population carrying variants of the MTHFR gene (methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase). MTHFR variants — particularly C677T and A1298C, which are common, with heterozygous prevalence estimated at 30–40% of the population — affect the conversion of folic acid to the active form (5-methyltetrahydrofolate or 5-MTHF) that the body actually uses [20].

Food-folate from beef liver does not require the same conversion through the MTHFR pathway in the same way folic acid does. A 6-capsule serving of Vital Origin Beef Liver Capsules provides approximately 44 µg of food-folate [19]. This is not a claim that liver treats MTHFR-related folate insufficiency — it is a factual statement about the form of folate present.

For women who are pregnant or planning pregnancy and who are aware they carry an MTHFR variant, the conversation about folate form and dose belongs with a healthcare practitioner or reproductive nutritionist who understands their specific profile.

Vitamin A (preformed retinol) — the postpartum and reproductive health context

Vitamin A exists in two dietary forms: preformed retinol (from animal foods) and provitamin A carotenoids (from plant foods, primarily beta-carotene). These are not equivalent in the body. Beta-carotene must be converted to retinol — a conversion that is inefficient and variable, particularly in women with certain genetic polymorphisms affecting the BCO1 gene [21].

Preformed retinol from animal foods is directly usable. It supports vision, immune function, and skin integrity, and plays a role in reproductive health — including fetal eye and immune system development during pregnancy [22].

Beef liver is the richest natural food source of preformed retinol. A standard 6-capsule serving of Vital Origin Beef Liver Capsules provides approximately 745 µg RAE — roughly equivalent to the NHMRC RDI for adult women (700 µg/day) and approximately 25% of the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) of 3,000 µg/day [2, 19].

The postpartum context is particularly relevant: women who breastfeed have elevated vitamin A requirements (1,100 µg RAE/day per NHMRC) [2], and postpartum vitamin A status affects both maternal recovery and breast milk retinol content for the infant [23]. This is an area where food-source retinol — in appropriate quantities — is an asset rather than a risk.

The pregnancy-specific vitamin A discussion is detailed in the pregnancy section below.

Choline — the under-consumed nutrient

Choline is essential for cell membrane integrity, neurotransmitter synthesis (as a precursor to acetylcholine), and lipid metabolism. During pregnancy, it crosses the placenta and supports fetal brain and spinal cord development [24].

Despite its importance, choline is systematically under-consumed in the Australian diet. The NHMRC Adequate Intake (AI) for adult women is 425 mg/day — rising to 450 mg/day during pregnancy and 550 mg/day during breastfeeding [2]. Most Australian women consume well below the AI [25].

Beef liver is the richest dietary source of choline available: approximately 330–430 mg per 100g of raw liver [26]. A 6-capsule serving of Vital Origin Beef Liver Capsules (equivalent to approximately 15g of raw liver) contributes roughly 50 mg of choline — not the full daily requirement but a meaningful whole-food contribution alongside a choline-containing diet (eggs, meat, fish).

For women planning pregnancy, the periconceptional period is when choline's relevance is highest. It works synergistically with folate in one-carbon metabolism — the biochemical pathway involved in DNA methylation, cell division, and fetal development [27].

Whole Blood: The Missing Piece {#whole-blood}

Why whole blood is absent from most organ supplements

The organ supplement market has a structural blind spot. The standard product architecture across almost every brand — regardless of country of origin — is built from the organs that large-scale food manufacturers supply as standard ingredients: liver, heart, kidney, and sometimes spleen. These are the organs that exist in volume on the commodity ingredient market.

Whole blood is not on that list. Sourcing blood as a supplement-grade ingredient requires processing at the point of slaughter — it cannot be collected, transported, and processed at a remote industrial facility in the same way that hard organs can. By the time blood reaches an off-site manufacturer, the logistical and quality control challenges make it impractical as a supplement ingredient. This is why virtually every organ supplement brand, globally, omits it.

Provenir's on-farm processing — the supply chain that makes it possible

Vital Origin sources through Provenir — Australia's only certified on-farm, high-welfare processor. Processing at the farm rather than at a centralised industrial facility means:

• Less animal transport and associated stress
• Higher traceability from paddock to capsule
• Shorter handling chain
• The practical ability to collect and process whole blood as a supplement-grade ingredient

This is not a marketing story — it is a functional supply chain consequence. The on-farm processing model is what allows Vital Origin to specify exactly what is extracted and how, including ingredients that commodity manufacturers simply do not offer.

The result: Vital Origin's Ancestral Woman is, to the best of our knowledge, the only organ supplement on the Australian market that includes whole blood as a named ingredient. This is not because competitors have chosen not to include it. It is because they cannot source it.

Heme iron density of whole blood

Whole blood is, gram for gram, one of the most concentrated sources of heme iron in any food. This is intuitive given that haemoglobin — the iron-containing protein responsible for oxygen transport — is the primary constituent of red blood cells, which make up approximately 40–45% of blood volume. The iron in haemoglobin is in heme form, with the same high bioavailability characteristics as the heme iron in liver and spleen [28].

Combining spleen, liver, and whole blood in a single formulation means that Ancestral Woman delivers heme iron from three distinct whole-food sources. No single-organ liver capsule matches it on iron density. No competitor blend includes all three sources, because the whole blood requirement eliminates every mass-manufacturer-dependent brand from consideration.

Ancestral Woman as the practical solution

Vital Origin Ancestral Woman (/products/ancestral-woman-beef-organ-blend-capsules) combines:

• 40% Reproductive organ tissue (ovary, uterus, fallopian tubes)
• 20% Beef liver
• 15% Beef spleen
• 15% Beef kidney
• 10% Whole blood

All ingredients are from 100% grass-fed, grass-finished Australian cattle, freeze-dried raw with no fillers, flow agents, or additives. The capsule shell is bovine gelatin.

A 4–6 capsule daily serving provides approximately 6–10 mg of heme iron (calculated from 322 mg iron per 100g of dried capsule contents), alongside B12, food-folate, zinc, copper, selenium, and the naturally occurring peptides and nutrients in reproductive organ tissue.

This positions Ancestral Woman not as a pharmaceutical iron intervention but as the most iron-dense whole-food organ supplement available in Australia — a food-category product designed for the nutritional context of women whose dietary and physiological circumstances make food-form heme iron a sensible daily choice.

For a detailed breakdown of the formulation, including sourcing and dosage guidance, see the Ancestral Woman FAQ.

A Nutrient-Density Framework for Women {#framework}

Daily food foundations

The supplement conversation is downstream of the food conversation. Before any capsule, the framework that serves women's nutritional needs best is one built on whole foods that provide nutrients in the form the body has adapted to use.

Whole-food protein — pasture-raised meat (red meat, poultry), eggs, and fish provide complete amino acid profiles and are the primary dietary source of heme iron, B12, choline, and preformed vitamin A. For women who eat red meat, 2–3 servings per week provides a meaningful nutrient foundation. Organ meats — whether eaten whole or in capsule form — are a concentrated addition to this base.

Traditional fats — tallow, butter, ghee, and fatty animal foods provide fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K in forms the body absorbs efficiently. Fat-soluble vitamins require dietary fat for absorption — a fact worth noting for women taking organ supplements alongside a low-fat diet. Vital Origin Grass-Fed Beef Tallow (/products/grass-fed-beef-tallow-natural) provides a clean cooking fat that supports the absorption of fat-soluble nutrients from organ supplements and a broader diverse diet.

Vegetables, fruit, and fermented foods — provide plant-based micronutrients, antioxidants, fibre for gut health, and vitamin C (which, while it doesn't significantly enhance heme iron absorption, enhances non-heme iron uptake from plant foods consumed at the same meal [29]).

What to limit: ultra-processed foods, refined sugar, and industrial seed oils (canola, soybean, sunflower, cottonseed) displace nutrient-dense foods without contributing meaningful micronutrient value. This is a nutritional displacement argument, not a fear-based one — the issue is what they crowd out, not some inherent toxicity.

Strategic supplementation

Supplements are a layer, not a replacement for food. That said, for specific nutritional gaps that are difficult to close through diet alone — particularly for women whose iron requirements are elevated and whose synthetic supplement tolerance is low — food-based supplementation can play a practical role.

For broad iron and reproductive nutrition: Ancestral Woman (/products/ancestral-woman-beef-organ-blend-capsules) — heme iron from spleen, liver, and whole blood, alongside B12, food-folate, and reproductive organ tissue. The highest-iron-density whole-food supplement in the AU market.

For concentrated liver-specific nutrients: Vital Origin Beef Liver Capsules (/products/grass-fed-beef-liver-capsules) — particularly for vitamin A, B12, copper, and choline in higher relative concentrations than the Ancestral Woman blend. Can be taken alongside Ancestral Woman for women who want more of the liver-specific nutrient profile. See the Beef Liver FAQ for full nutritional breakdown.

For a broader organ spectrum: Nature's Multi (/products/natures-multi-beef-organ-supplements) — liver, heart, kidney, spleen, and pancreas. The 20% spleen inclusion gives it the second-highest iron density in the VO range behind Ancestral Woman. Note: Nature's Multi is currently subject to stock availability — check the product page.

For dietary fat and fat-soluble vitamin foundation: Grass-Fed Beef Tallow (/products/grass-fed-beef-tallow-natural) — for cooking in a way that supports fat-soluble nutrient absorption across the whole diet.

Always consult your healthcare practitioner if you are managing a diagnosed deficiency, taking prescribed supplements or medications, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or have a health condition that may affect how you absorb or tolerate these nutrients.

Life stage adjustments

Nutritional priorities shift across the reproductive lifespan. The framework below is indicative — not prescriptive — and is intended to provide context for discussions with qualified healthcare professionals.

Reproductive years (menstruating women, 19–50) Iron is the headline nutrient. At 18 mg/day RDI, it is substantially elevated compared to men. Women eating a varied diet that includes red meat, eggs, and some organ meat are better positioned than those on plant-forward diets. Food-form heme iron from Ancestral Woman or Beef Liver Capsules is a practical addition for women who have low meat intake or who have tried synthetic iron and found it intolerable.

Pregnancy (all trimesters, but especially T1–T2) Folate is critical periconceptionally and in T1 (neural tube closure occurs by week 6). Iron needs rise substantially through T2 and T3 (27 mg/day RDI). Choline, iodine, vitamin D, and DHA are also elevated. The food-first priority here is a varied diet including animal-source foods; supplementation guidance should come from your GP, midwife, or obstetrician. See the pregnancy section below for Ancestral Woman–specific guidance.

Postpartum and breastfeeding Iron recovery after blood loss at delivery. B12 and choline pass through breast milk — maternal intake directly affects infant exposure. Vitamin A requirements remain elevated (1,100 µg RAE/day). The postpartum window is often overlooked nutritionally; it deserves the same attention as pregnancy. See the postpartum section below.

Perimenopause (typically early-to-mid 40s) Iron requirements begin to decline as cycles become irregular. B12 absorption decreases with age and with reduced gastric acid production — food-form B12 from liver is more reliably absorbed than some synthetic forms for women who experience this. Vitamin A and vitamin D become increasingly relevant to bone and skin health. See the perimenopause section below.

Post-menopause Iron RDI drops to 8 mg/day. B12, vitamin D, and calcium priorities shift to the foreground. Organ supplements remain a useful broad-spectrum food nutrient source, but the iron-dense Ancestral Woman formulation is less specifically indicated unless other micronutrient needs are the primary driver.

Practical: Building Daily Nutrient Density {#practical}

A sample 3-day food snapshot

The following is illustrative — not a meal plan or therapeutic dietary prescription. It shows how a whole-food nutrient-density framework translates into real meals for an Australian woman.

Day 1

• Breakfast: 3 eggs scrambled in grass-fed tallow, with wilted spinach and cherry tomatoes
• Lunch: Grass-fed beef mince with roasted sweet potato and steamed broccoli
• Dinner: Slow-cooked lamb shoulder, green salad with olive oil and lemon
• Supplement: 4–6 Ancestral Woman capsules with dinner

Day 2

• Breakfast: Full-fat Greek yoghurt with blueberries and pumpkin seeds
• Lunch: Grilled salmon, rocket salad, avocado
• Dinner: Chicken thighs roasted in tallow with root vegetables, sauteed kale
• Supplement: 4–6 Ancestral Woman capsules with dinner

Day 3

• Breakfast: Smoked salmon, poached eggs, sourdough
• Lunch: Leftover slow-cooked lamb, roasted pumpkin and beet salad
• Dinner: Grass-fed beef steak, baked potato, butter, green beans
• Supplement: 4–6 Ancestral Woman capsules with dinner

This snapshot provides substantial heme iron across all three days through red meat and salmon, alongside B12, fat-soluble vitamins from tallow and fatty fish, and choline from eggs. The Ancestral Woman capsules add a concentrated whole-food iron layer that is specifically useful during the menstrual phase or postpartum recovery window.

How Ancestral Woman fits into a real daily routine

The simplest approach: take 4–6 capsules with your largest meal of the day. The fat in the meal supports absorption of fat-soluble nutrients. Most people find dinner the easiest anchor point.

For women who find organ supplements easier on an empty stomach, morning with water works. For women who are sensitive to new supplements, starting at 2–3 capsules and building up over the first week is a sensible approach.

The capsule format means no preparation, no taste, no smell. The freeze-drying process preserves the nutrient profile of the raw organs without the palatability challenges of cooking and eating whole organ meats.

Consistency matters more than timing. A daily dose over 3 months will reveal more about how food-form organ nutrients work in your context than any two-week trial.

Pairing with tallow for fat-soluble nutrient absorption

Vitamins A, D, E, and K are fat-soluble — they require dietary fat for absorption. Taking Ancestral Woman alongside a meal that contains quality fat (tallow, butter, olive oil, fatty meat) supports the absorption of the vitamin A and other fat-soluble compounds in the capsules. This is particularly relevant for women on lower-fat dietary patterns who may otherwise absorb fat-soluble nutrients less efficiently.

Pregnancy Considerations — Handled Carefully {#pregnancy}

Read this section with care — and then talk to your healthcare practitioner.

This section does not replace personalised medical advice. Pregnancy is the context where individual variation, overall dietary intake, medical history, and existing supplement protocols all interact in ways that a general guide cannot account for. Your GP, midwife, or obstetrician is the right person to assess whether Ancestral Woman, beef liver capsules, or any other supplement is appropriate for your specific situation.

With that caveat stated clearly, there are two questions about organ supplements in pregnancy that deserve honest, evidence-grounded answers rather than a flat "don't take this while pregnant" disclaimer.

Vitamin A in pregnancy: the complete picture

The concern about vitamin A in pregnancy relates specifically to very high preformed retinol intake, which has been associated with teratogenic effects at doses substantially above nutritional ranges [30, 31]. The NHMRC sets the Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for vitamin A during pregnancy at 3,000 µg RAE/day — consistent with the general adult UL [2]. The WHO guidance similarly indicates that preformed vitamin A at doses above 3,000 µg/day should be avoided during pregnancy [32].

What this guidance does not say is that preformed vitamin A is harmful at normal dietary intakes. Vitamin A deficiency is also a recognised pregnancy risk, associated with impaired fetal development, increased maternal infection susceptibility, and poorer postpartum outcomes for both mother and infant [33].

The question is not "is preformed vitamin A safe in pregnancy" as a binary. It is about total intake across all sources.

The Ancestral Woman vitamin A figure — full formulation breakdown. Vitamin A in Ancestral Woman is contributed across the formulation, not by liver alone. Per the full ingredient list and best-available reference data:

*Spleen retinol is below USDA detection limit; treated as 0 for this calculation.

At 4 capsules (the lower end of the recommended serving range), the per-serve total is approximately 107 µg RAE.

Summary: Ancestral Woman provides approximately 107-160 µg RAE per 4-6-capsule serving — roughly 3.6-5.3% of the 3,000 µg/day NHMRC pregnancy UL. It is not a high-vitamin-A supplement.

The two estimated values (reproductive organs and whole blood) are conservative best estimates anchored to the available bovine literature. Reproductive organ retinol concentrations vary by tissue and reproductive stage, with ovarian tissue typically in the low tens of µg/100g range. Whole blood retinol in cattle, measured by HPLC, ranges from approximately 33 to 532 µg/L (≈3-50 µg/100g). Even at the upper bound of either estimate, Ancestral Woman's per-serve vitamin A remains well within safe ranges.

Liver dominates the vitamin A contribution (~93% of the per-serve total). Spleen contributes nothing detectable per USDA reference. Kidney contributes a small but measurable amount. Reproductive tissue and whole blood contribute negligibly.

Vital Origin Beef Liver Capsules at 6 capsules (equivalent to ~15g of raw liver) provide approximately 745 µg RAE — approximately 25% of the pregnancy UL. Women who take standalone liver capsules during pregnancy should account for this alongside their total dietary vitamin A, including vitamin A from meat, dairy, eggs, and any prenatal supplements.

The practical guidance:

• Ancestral Woman alone: the vitamin A contribution is modest and well within the UL range when total diet is considered
• Beef Liver Capsules alone: the vitamin A contribution is more substantial and should be discussed with your healthcare practitioner in the context of your total dietary and supplement intake
• Both together: total vitamin A intake should be assessed with your practitioner
• Do not combine with separate high-dose vitamin A supplements, cod liver oil, or high-dose prenatal multivitamins without confirming total intake is within range

Reproductive organ tissue in pregnancy

Ancestral Woman contains 40% reproductive organ tissue (ovary, uterus, fallopian tubes) from grass-fed Australian cattle. These tissues naturally contain trace amounts of proteins, peptides, and potentially hormone-like bioregulators associated with reproductive tissues.

The scientific evidence on whether these compounds survive digestion intact and exert any physiological effect in humans is incomplete [34]. The levels present are very low. We are not making a claim — positive or negative — about what this tissue does in the context of pregnancy, because the evidence base does not support a definitive statement either way.

Given this uncertainty, we specifically advise that any woman who is pregnant, breastfeeding, taking hormonal medications, or living with a hormone-sensitive condition discuss Ancestral Woman with their healthcare practitioner before use. This is not a standard "consult your doctor" disclaimer added to avoid liability. It is a genuine reflection of the gaps in the evidence.

The balanced pregnancy guidance

Heme iron, B12, food-folate, and choline are nutrients that are widely recognised as important during pregnancy. Food-based sources of these nutrients — including organ meats, which have a very long history of consumption in pregnancy across traditional cultures — are nutritionally valuable. The issue is not whether whole-food organ nutrition is appropriate during pregnancy; it is whether the specific formulation of Ancestral Woman is appropriate for your individual situation.

Your GP, midwife, or obstetrician is the right person to make that call.

Postpartum Recovery {#postpartum}

The immediate postpartum period is one of the most nutritionally demanding and most nutritionally neglected windows in a woman's life. The cultural and medical focus on pregnancy nutrition leaves a gap that postpartum women often navigate without adequate guidance.

Iron recovery after delivery

The degree of iron depletion after childbirth depends on blood loss at delivery, pre-delivery iron stores, and — if applicable — the duration and intensity of prior menstrual iron loss during pregnancy. Women who enter delivery iron-depleted are at highest risk of significant postpartum depletion.

The average blood loss at vaginal delivery is approximately 500 mL; at caesarean section it typically exceeds this [3]. Each 500 mL of blood loss corresponds to approximately 250 mg of iron. Postpartum haemorrhage (blood loss exceeding 500 mL at vaginal birth or 1,000 mL at caesarean) affects approximately 6% of births in Australia [35] and creates a more severe iron-recovery challenge.

Food-form heme iron is well-suited to the postpartum context for the same reasons it is useful more broadly: consistent absorption, whole-food co-factor matrix, and absence of the GI side effects that make synthetic iron supplementation difficult to maintain when a new mother is already managing postpartum recovery.

Ancestral Woman provides heme iron from three sources (spleen, liver, whole blood) at 6–10 mg per serving — approximately 33–55% of the postpartum iron RDI of 10 mg/day (which drops after delivery, reflecting reduced blood loss) [2]. As part of a broad postpartum diet that includes red meat, the capsule contribution is meaningful without being the sole source.

B12, folate, and choline during breastfeeding

These three nutrients pass through breast milk. Maternal intake directly affects infant exposure — particularly relevant for B12, where the infant has limited independent stores at birth and depends heavily on breast milk content in the early months [36].

The NHMRC breastfeeding RDIs are elevated relative to non-pregnant women:

• B12: 2.8 µg/day (vs 2.4 µg/day non-pregnant)
• Folate: 500 µg/day (vs 400 µg/day non-pregnant)
• Choline: 550 mg/day (vs 425 mg/day) [2]

Organ meats, and particularly beef liver, are among the densest dietary sources of all three. The food-first approach to meeting elevated breastfeeding nutrient requirements is the most sustainable — supplements can fill gaps but should not be the primary strategy.

The role of nutrient-dense food in postpartum recovery

Traditional postnatal care in many cultures involves specific foods given to recovering mothers — organ meats, bone broths, nourishing fats — precisely because of their nutrient density. This is not romanticised nostalgia. It reflects an empirical understanding, developed across generations, of what nutritionally-depleted postpartum women needed.

The modern equivalent is not necessarily eating offal three times a day. It is building a dietary pattern that prioritises iron, B12, folate, choline, and fat-soluble vitamins — through food first, supplemented where gaps exist. Ancestral Woman (/products/ancestral-woman-beef-organ-blend-capsules) is one component of that, not the entirety of it.

Perimenopause and Beyond {#perimenopause}

Shifting iron needs

The perimenopausal transition changes the iron picture significantly. As cycles become less regular and eventually cease, iron loss from menstruation declines. The practical implication: women in late perimenopause and post-menopause do not need to maintain the elevated iron intake appropriate for their menstruating years. Overloading on iron post-menopause carries its own risks, including haemochromatosis concerns in women with genetic susceptibility [37].

This shift does not mean organ supplements become irrelevant — it means the rationale for the highest-iron-density formulation (Ancestral Woman) changes. For postmenopausal women, the interest in organ nutrition may reasonably centre on B12, vitamin A, and the broader nutrient profile rather than primarily on iron.

B12 absorption changes with age

Vitamin B12 absorption declines with age due to two mechanisms. First, reduced gastric acid production (increasingly common from the 50s onward) impairs the separation of food-bound B12 from its protein carriers, which is a prerequisite for B12 absorption [38]. Second, intrinsic factor — the glycoprotein produced by gastric parietal cells that facilitates B12 absorption — decreases with atrophic gastritis, which becomes more prevalent with age [39].

Food-bound B12 — the form present in organ meats — relies on the same gastric acid-dependent pathway but may be more bioavailable than crystalline synthetic B12 for some individuals in the earlier stages of age-related gastric change [40]. For women in their 50s and beyond experiencing any symptoms that may relate to B12 status (neurological symptoms, fatigue, cognitive change), a conversation with a healthcare practitioner about B12 testing and supplementation approach is warranted.

Vitamin A, bone health, and skin nutrition

Vitamin A supports skin integrity and immune function across the lifespan. In the postmenopausal context, there is an additional consideration: vitamin A interacts with vitamin D in bone metabolism — both are fat-soluble vitamins that operate through nuclear receptor pathways affecting bone cell activity [41]. The relationship is dose-dependent and not fully resolved in the literature, but it reinforces the value of obtaining fat-soluble vitamins through food rather than in high-dose isolated supplement form.

For postmenopausal women, the fat-soluble vitamin profile of organ meats alongside tallow — providing vitamins A, D, E, and K in their natural food matrix — is a nutritionally coherent approach that avoids the single-nutrient megadose issues that can complicate isolated supplement protocols.

Post-50 nutrient priorities are different

The postmenopausal nutrient priority list — B12, vitamin D, calcium, vitamin K2, iodine — overlaps significantly but not entirely with the reproductive-years list. Women in this demographic who are using organ supplements for their broad nutrient profile (B12, vitamin A, copper, zinc, selenium) are using them appropriately. The iron-density rationale is less central.

Nature's Multi — with its five-organ blend of liver, heart, kidney, spleen, and pancreas — may be a more appropriate daily supplement for postmenopausal women than the more iron-concentrated Ancestral Woman, depending on individual nutritional priorities and healthcare practitioner guidance.

What to Avoid: Marketing Claims That Don't Hold Up {#marketing-claims}

The women's supplement market in Australia is a landscape of well-intentioned exaggeration. Understanding what claims are legitimate and what are not helps you evaluate any supplement — including Vital Origin's.

"10x your iron" claims on synthetic supplements

Iron absorption is not linear, and dose-doubling does not produce absorption-doubling. At high doses, the non-heme iron transport mechanisms become saturated and a larger proportion of the dose remains unabsorbed — partly explaining the GI side effects that high-dose synthetic iron causes [42]. Marketing language that implies linear dose-effect relationships for synthetic iron is misleading.

"Boosts energy" claims on multivitamins and supplements

The TGA classifies "boosts energy" as a therapeutic claim when applied to a food or unregistered supplement. It implies a physiological effect that the product would need to be assessed as a therapeutic good to claim. Vital Origin does not make this claim. We describe nutrient content and the established physiological roles of those nutrients — not what our product does to your energy levels.

"For women" branding without women-specific formulation

A product labelled "for women" that contains the same ingredients as a unisex product — in the same doses — with a pink label is not a women's supplement. It is a marketing exercise. Ancestral Woman is formulated specifically for the nutrient profile relevant to women: spleen, liver, and whole blood for triple-source heme iron, kidney for selenium and zinc, and reproductive organ tissue for the nose-to-tail nutritional philosophy applied to female physiology. The formulation drives the women's positioning, not the label.

What Vital Origin does and does not claim

We do not claim that Ancestral Woman treats iron deficiency, prevents anaemia, balances hormones, supports fertility, or is safe and appropriate for everyone in every context. These would be therapeutic claims.

What we do claim: Ancestral Woman is a source of heme iron from three whole-food sources, B12, food-folate, zinc, copper, and selenium. It provides naturally occurring peptides and nutrients from reproductive organ tissue in the tradition of nose-to-tail nutrition. It is formulated for the nutritional context of women. You should read what is in it, understand what the nutrients in it do (with reference to established nutritional science), and make an informed decision — ideally in conversation with your healthcare practitioner if you have specific nutritional goals or health conditions.

That is the honest version of what we sell. We think it holds up.

Frequently Asked Questions {#faq}

What's the difference between heme iron and the iron in a regular supplement?

Iron comes in two dietary forms. Heme iron, found in animal foods like liver, spleen, and whole blood, is absorbed at an estimated 15–35%. Non-heme iron — the form in most synthetic supplements (ferrous sulfate, ferrous fumarate) and in plant foods — is absorbed at 2–20%, and that absorption is affected by dietary factors including phytates, polyphenols, and calcium. Synthetic iron supplements are also associated with significant gastrointestinal side effects (constipation, nausea, cramping) that make consistent use difficult. Heme iron from whole-food sources arrives in a food matrix alongside copper, B12, and other cofactors involved in how the body handles iron. It is a different category of product, not just a different brand of the same thing.

Is Ancestral Woman safe in pregnancy?

Please consult your GP, midwife, or obstetrician before taking Ancestral Woman during pregnancy. Two things are worth understanding clearly. First, the vitamin A in Ancestral Woman at a standard serving (~100–150 µg RAE) is approximately 3–5% of the Australian NHMRC pregnancy UL of 3,000 µg/day — a modest contribution that becomes more relevant if you are also taking prenatal multivitamins with vitamin A or cod liver oil. Second, Ancestral Woman contains bovine reproductive organ tissue (ovary, uterus, fallopian tubes), which naturally contains trace amounts of proteins and potentially hormone-like compounds. The evidence on whether these survive digestion intact is incomplete. For these reasons, we specifically ask pregnant women to discuss this product with their healthcare practitioner before use. This is not a standard disclaimer — it reflects genuine uncertainty about the reproductive organ tissue component in the specific context of pregnancy.

Can I take Ancestral Woman if I'm vegetarian?

Ancestral Woman is an animal-food product. It is not suitable for vegetarians or vegans. All ingredients are derived from 100% grass-fed, grass-finished Australian cattle. The capsule shell is bovine gelatin.

How long until I notice a difference?

There is no reliable single answer. Nutritional replenishment is cumulative, not acute. Women who are significantly iron-depleted may notice changes in energy or well-being over weeks of consistent daily use, but this depends on the degree of depletion, overall dietary context, and individual variation. For context, ferritin stores — the body's iron reserve — turn over slowly; meaningful increases in ferritin from food-based sources typically take 2–4 months of consistent intake alongside an adequate dietary iron background. We recommend at least 3 months of consistent daily use before drawing conclusions. If you are working with a healthcare practitioner to monitor iron or ferritin levels, they can provide objective markers.

Can I take Ancestral Woman alongside prescribed iron?

In most cases, yes — but tell your healthcare practitioner. Food-based heme iron from Ancestral Woman operates through a different absorptive pathway from pharmaceutical iron compounds. They do not typically compete or interfere in a clinically significant way. However, if you are on a prescribed iron protocol with regular monitoring, your practitioner needs to know about all iron sources (food and supplement) to accurately interpret your results and adjust dosing if needed. Do not stop or reduce prescribed iron without your practitioner's guidance.

What is the deal with reproductive organ tissue in a supplement?

Ancestral Woman contains bovine ovary, uterus, and fallopian tube tissue — 40% of the formula. This is traditional nose-to-tail nutrition: the practice of consuming the whole animal, including organs and reproductive tissues, as a source of concentrated nutrients. These tissues contain naturally occurring peptides, amino acids, and potentially trace amounts of hormone-like compounds. We are not claiming these act therapeutically. We are providing whole food from grass-fed cattle, in capsule form, consistent with an ancestral nutritional philosophy applied specifically to female physiology. If you have a hormone-sensitive health condition or are taking hormonal medications, discuss this product with your healthcare practitioner before use.

Is the whole blood inclusion safe?

Yes. Whole blood from food-grade grass-fed Australian cattle is a traditional food ingredient with a long history of consumption across cultures (black pudding, blood sausage, blood-based dishes in many food traditions). Vital Origin sources whole blood through Provenir's on-farm processing at supplement quality. The blood is freeze-dried and encapsulated — the same processing method used for all other ingredients. There are no additional pathogens, prions, or safety concerns beyond those applicable to any grass-fed beef product in Australia, which is subject to Australian food safety regulation.

How is Ancestral Woman different from Nature's Multi?

The two products serve different primary purposes. Ancestral Woman is formulated specifically for women and is the most iron-dense whole-food supplement in the VO range — combining beef spleen, liver, and whole blood (three distinct heme-iron sources) alongside reproductive organ tissue. Nature's Multi (/products/natures-multi-beef-organ-supplements) is a five-organ blend (liver, heart, kidney, spleen, pancreas — 20% each) designed as a broad-spectrum whole-food multivitamin alternative. Nature's Multi includes pancreas for digestive enzymes and beef heart for CoQ10 and taurine, neither of which are in Ancestral Woman. If iron is your primary nutritional focus, Ancestral Woman. If broad-spectrum organ coverage is the goal, Nature's Multi — noting that its current stock position should be confirmed at the product page. Many women use both depending on their phase of life and nutritional priorities.

What if I have an MTHFR variant?

The MTHFR gene variant — particularly C677T and A1298C — affects the conversion of folic acid into the active 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-MTHF) form. Food-folate from beef liver (a key component of Ancestral Woman) does not rely on the same conversion pathway in the same way as synthetic folic acid. Ancestral Woman also contains B12 in its whole-food form, relevant to the methylation cycle. We are not making a claim that Ancestral Woman treats or addresses MTHFR-related concerns — that is a healthcare practitioner conversation. But if you or your practitioner are specifically seeking whole-food folate sources rather than synthetic folic acid, beef liver is one of the most concentrated natural sources available. See our existing post on beef liver and methylation at /blogs/articles/beef-liver-mthfr-methylation.

Can I take Ancestral Woman through perimenopause and after?

Yes. Ancestral Woman is appropriate across the adult reproductive lifespan. The nutrient profile — B12, food-folate, zinc, copper, selenium, and reproductive organ tissue — remains broadly relevant through perimenopause. The iron density (6–10 mg per serving from three heme-iron sources) is less specifically targeted in post-menopause, when the NHMRC iron RDI drops to 8 mg/day. Postmenopausal women should discuss total iron intake with their healthcare practitioner, particularly if they have any history of haemochromatosis or elevated iron markers. For women who want a broader organ profile with less concentrated iron focus, Nature's Multi may be a more appropriate choice post-menopause.

Sources and References {#sources}

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2. National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). Nutrient Reference Values for Australia and New Zealand. Commonwealth of Australia. Available at: https://www.nrv.gov.au/

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5. Blencowe H, et al. Folic acid to reduce neonatal mortality from neural tube disorders. International Journal of Epidemiology. 2010;39(Suppl 1):i110-i121. https://doi.org/10.1093/ije/dyq028

6. Bothwell TH. Iron requirements in pregnancy and strategies to meet them. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2000;72(1 Suppl):257S-264S. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/72.1.257S

7. Caudill MA. Pre- and postnatal health: evidence of increased choline needs. Journal of the American Dietetic Association. 2010;110(8):1198-1206. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2010.05.009

8. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Australian Health Survey: Biomedical Results for Nutrients, 2011-12. ABS Cat. No. 4364.0.55.006. Canberra: ABS; 2014.

9. Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). Nutrition across the life stages. AIHW Cat. No. PHE 227. Canberra: AIHW; 2018. https://www.aihw.gov.au/

10. Beard JL, et al. Relative effectiveness of iron chelating agents for preventing cognitive and neural tube defect-related effects of iron deficiency. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2002;61(4):385-394.

11. Hallberg L, Hulthén L. Prediction of dietary iron absorption: an algorithm for calculating absorption and bioavailability of dietary iron. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2000;71(5):1147-1160. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/71.5.1147

12. Hurrell RF, Egli I. Iron bioavailability and dietary reference values. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2010;91(5):1461S-1467S. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2010.28674D

13. Hallberg L, et al. Factors influencing absorption of iron from food. In: Iron Nutrition in Health and Disease. 1996.

14. Tolkien Z, et al. Ferrous sulfate supplementation causes significant gastrointestinal side-effects in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. PLOS ONE. 2015;10(2):e0117383. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0117383

15. Reveiz L, et al. Treatments for iron-deficiency anaemia in pregnancy. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2011;(10):CD003094. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003094.pub3

16. Wessling-Resnick M. Iron homeostasis and the inflammatory response. Annual Review of Nutrition. 2010;30:108-122. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nutr.012809.104804

17. USDA FoodData Central. Beef, variety meats and by-products, spleen, raw. FDC ID: 169465. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169465/nutrients

18. Watanabe F, et al. Biologically active vitamin B12 compounds in foods for preventing deficiency among vegetarians and elderly subjects. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2013;61(28):6769-6775. https://doi.org/10.1021/jf401545z

19. USDA FoodData Central. Beef, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw. FDC ID: 169451. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169451/nutrients

20. Wilcken B, et al. Geographical and ethnic variation of the 677C>T allele of 5,10 methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR): findings from over 7000 newborns from 16 areas worldwide. Journal of Medical Genetics. 2003;40(8):619-625. https://doi.org/10.1136/jmg.40.8.619

21. Leung WC, et al. Two common single nucleotide polymorphisms in the gene encoding beta-carotene 15,15'-monoxygenase alter beta-carotene metabolism in female volunteers. FASEB Journal. 2009;23(4):1041-1053. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.08-121962

22. Ross AC. Vitamin A and retinoic acid in T cell-related immunity. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2012;96(5):1166S-1172S. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.112.034637

23. Oliveira JM, Allert R, East CE. Vitamin A supplementation for postpartum women. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2016;(3):CD005944. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD005944.pub3

24. Zeisel SH. Choline: critical role during fetal development and dietary requirements in adults. Annual Review of Nutrition. 2006;26:229-250. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.nutr.26.061505.111156

25. Wallace TC, Fulgoni VL III. Assessment of total choline intakes in the United States. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 2016;35(2):108-112. https://doi.org/10.1080/07315724.2015.1080127

26. USDA FoodData Central. Choline content of beef liver, raw. FDC ID: 169451. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169451/nutrients

27. Caudill MA, et al. Maternal choline supplementation during the third trimester of pregnancy improves infant information processing speed: a randomized, double-blind, controlled feeding study. FASEB Journal. 2018;32(4):2172-2180. https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201700692RR

28. Carpenter CE, Mahoney AW. Contributions of heme and nonheme iron to human nutrition. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. 1992;31(4):333-367. https://doi.org/10.1080/10408399209527574

29. Hallberg L, et al. The role of vitamin C in iron absorption. International Journal for Vitamin and Nutrition Research. 1989;30(Suppl):103-108.

30. Rothman KJ, et al. Teratogenicity of high vitamin A intake. New England Journal of Medicine. 1995;333(21):1369-1373. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM199511233332101

31. Michaëlsson K, et al. Intake of vitamin A and risk of hip fracture in relation to life stage. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2003;289(14):1799-1808. [Context: high-dose vitamin A; not applicable at food-level intakes from liver supplements]

32. World Health Organization. Vitamin A in pregnancy and postpartum supplementation: technical information for advocacy and programme planning. WHO; 2011. https://www.who.int/

33. West KP Jr, et al. Double blind, cluster randomised trial of low dose supplementation with vitamin A or beta carotene on mortality related to pregnancy in Nepal. The NNIPS-2 Study Group. BMJ. 1999;318(7183):570-575. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.318.7183.570

34. Gardner ML. Intestinal assimilation of intact peptides and proteins from the diet — a neglected field? Biological Reviews. 1984;59(3):289-331. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-185X.1984.tb00409.x

35. Australian Commission on Safety and Quality in Health Care. Postpartum haemorrhage clinical care standard. Sydney: ACSQHC; 2017. https://www.safetyandquality.gov.au/

36. Obeid R, et al. Vitamin B12 intake from animal foods, biomarkers, and health aspects. Frontiers in Nutrition. 2019;6:93. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2019.00093

37. Adams PC, Barton JC. Haemochromatosis. Lancet. 2007;370(9602):1855-1860. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(07)61782-6

38. Carmel R. Current concepts in cobalamin deficiency. Annual Review of Medicine. 2000;51:357-375. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.med.51.1.357

39. Lam JR, et al. Proton pump inhibitor and histamine 2 receptor antagonist use and vitamin B12 deficiency. JAMA. 2013;310(22):2435-2442. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2013.280490

40. Watanabe F. Vitamin B12 sources and bioavailability. Experimental Biology and Medicine. 2007;232(10):1266-1274. https://doi.org/10.3181/0703-MR-67

41. Johansson S, Melhus H. Vitamin A antagonizes calcium response to vitamin D in man. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research. 2001;16(10):1899-1905. https://doi.org/10.1359/jbmr.2001.16.10.1899

42. Lynch SR, Cook JD. Interaction of vitamin C and iron. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences. 1980;355:32-44. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1749-6632.1980.tb21325.x

43. Schweigert FJ, Zucker H. Concentrations of vitamin A, β-carotene and vitamin E in individual bovine follicles of different quality. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility. 1988;82(2):575-579. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3361492/ — also: Brown JA et al. Expression of retinol-binding protein and cellular retinol-binding protein in the bovine ovary. Molecular Reproduction and Development. 2003;64(3):261-269. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12548658/

44. Cornelisse CAM et al. Validation of blood vitamin A concentrations in cattle: comparison of a new cow-side test (iCheck™ FLUORO) with high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). BMC Veterinary Research. 2017;13:104. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5424361/ — bovine plasma retinol HPLC range 33-532 µg/L (≈3-50 µg/100g whole-blood basis).

45. USDA FoodData Central. Beef variety meats and by-products data: Liver raw (FDC 169451), Spleen raw (FDC 169454), Kidneys raw (FDC 169449). https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/

About the Author / About Vital Origin {#about}

About Vital Origin

Vital Origin is an Australian small business making 100% grass-fed beef organ supplements and tallow, sourced from regenerative Australian farms and processed through Provenir — Australia's only certified on-farm, high-welfare processor. Every product contains a single ingredient or a clearly labelled whole-food blend, with no fillers, flow agents, or synthetic additives.

Vital Origin Ancestral Woman is a food product. Statements made in this article are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. If you have a health condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are taking prescribed medications, please consult your GP, midwife, obstetrician, or registered healthcare practitioner before adding any new supplement to your routine.