Cold Hands, Brain Fog, and Poor Night Vision? The Iron and Retinol in Liver Fixed All Three (But Timing Matters)

Fatigue that doesn’t lift even after a full night’s sleep might not be a sleep problem at all.

The culprit could be hiding at the cellular level—inside tiny structures called mitochondria, where energy is actually made.

Nutrition influencer Thomas DeLauer recently shared his experience using liver just once a week to support mitochondrial function and boost energy, and the science behind his approach is surprisingly robust.

DeLauer also breaks down when to choose chicken liver versus beef liver, and when consuming too much could backfire.

Why Mitochondria Matter for Energy

Mitochondria are often called the “powerhouses” of your cells, and for good reason. Inside these organelles, food is converted into usable energy through a process called the electron transport chain.

Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) plays a starring role in that process, acting as an electron carrier within the inner membrane of mitochondria. When CoQ10 levels decline—which happens naturally with age—energy production slows down.

You don’t necessarily feel sick. You just feel… less.

DeLauer describes it as feeling like your cells are running at 60%. You might notice sluggish recovery from workouts, persistent brain fog, or low motivation despite adequate rest.

The fatigue can be really, really subtle, or it could be one of those things where it’s like you feel it as soon as you have to kick into gear. You kick into gear, and you’re like, I can’t get into gear.

Research backs up the importance of CoQ10. The Q-Symbio trial followed 420 heart failure patients who took CoQ10 supplements for two years. Major cardiovascular events dropped from 26% to 15%—a significant improvement that underscores CoQ10’s role in cellular energy and heart health.

Chicken Liver vs. Beef Liver: The CoQ10 Showdown

Not all liver is created equal when it comes to CoQ10 content.

Chicken liver contains approximately 11.6 mg of CoQ10 per 100 grams, while beef liver provides about 3.9 mg—roughly three times less.

If mitochondrial energy is your main goal, chicken liver wins on CoQ10 concentration. But beef liver has its own advantages, which we’ll get to shortly.

DeLauer points out that most people get only three to six milligrams of CoQ10 from their entire daily diet. A single serving of chicken liver significantly boosts that number.

And if you really want to maximize CoQ10 intake? Heart meat is king. Heart tissue contains the highest concentration of CoQ10 of any organ meat, and it’s available pre-mixed into ground beef in some markets.

A Word About Statins

If you’re taking statin medications to manage cholesterol, this becomes even more relevant.

Statins work by blocking the same biochemical pathway that produces cholesterol—and CoQ10. That means the medication protecting your heart may simultaneously drain mitochondrial function.

DeLauer suggests pairing liver with a CoQ10 supplement in these cases to cover both bases: cofactors from food and a therapeutic dose of CoQ10.

Iron from Liver: Better Than Supplements

Iron is another mitochondrial cofactor that plays a key role in energy production. When iron is low at the cellular level, energy output drops—often before red blood cell counts do.

That means your labs can look normal while your mitochondria are already struggling.

Liver contains heme iron, the form found in animal tissue that absorbs far more efficiently than non-heme iron from plants or supplements. Heme iron absorption rates range from 15% to 35%, compared to just 2% to 20% for non-heme sources.

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that meat was responsible for about 80% of total iron absorbed in a meal, despite being only a third of the food consumed.

Heme iron also has its own dedicated carrier in the gut, so it doesn’t compete with calcium, zinc, or phytates—compounds in plants that inhibit iron absorption.

Signs You May Need More Iron

• Cold hands and feet, even in warm environments
• Brain fog that doesn’t respond to sleep or caffeine
• Getting winded quickly during light activity, like climbing stairs

These symptoms can point to mitochondrial iron deficiency long before anemia shows up on bloodwork.

Retinol and Vision: Where Beef Liver Shines

Beef liver pulls ahead of chicken liver when it comes to retinol, the preformed version of vitamin A.

Beef liver contains 5,000 to 8,000 micrograms of retinol per 100 grams—about double what chicken liver provides.

Retinol is essential for vision, skin health, and immune function. Unlike beta-carotene from carrots, which must be converted into active vitamin A at a rate of only 3% to 6%, retinol is immediately usable by the body.

One of the quickest ways to know that you need retinol A is if your night vision has gotten worse.

Other signs include drier skin than usual or getting sick more frequently.

But Don’t Overdo It

Here’s where the once-a-week guideline becomes critical.

Research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that excessive retinol intake can interfere with bone health. High levels of retinol compete with vitamin D for shared receptors, which can reduce calcium absorption and negatively impact bone density.

Eating liver every day could push you into this territory. Once or twice a week keeps you comfortably within safe, effective ranges.

DeLauer also recommends taking vitamin D supplements on non-liver days to ensure both nutrients get adequate receptor access.

Folate and the Methylation Problem

Methylation is a biochemical process that influences gene expression, neurotransmitter production, detoxification, and more. Folate and vitamin B12 are central players in methylation cycles.

Liver provides both: approximately 60 to 70 micrograms of B12 and 290 micrograms of folate per 100 grams.

But here’s the twist: synthetic folic acid—the form commonly found in supplements and fortified foods—requires two conversion steps to become active. The second step depends on an enzyme called MTHFR.

Between 40% and 60% of people carry a genetic variant that slows this enzyme down by up to 70%. In these individuals, folic acid doesn’t convert efficiently, and unmetabolized folic acid can accumulate.

That unmetabolized form can actually block cellular folate uptake and mask B12 deficiencies—meaning the supplement intended to help may be doing the opposite.

Liver’s folate is already in the active 5-MTHF form, bypassing conversion entirely. It also arrives packaged with B12, which the methylation cycle needs to function.

Signs of Sluggish Methylation

• Elevated homocysteine (above 10 on lab work)
• Persistent mood issues or irritability
• Fatigue that doesn’t improve with sleep
• Brain fog that lingers throughout the day

Supplements often struggle to correct these issues. Liver, with its bioavailable folate and B12, may offer a more reliable solution.

How to Prepare Liver Without Losing Nutrients

Cooking method matters. B vitamins and CoQ10 are water-soluble and heat-sensitive, so overcooking liver can destroy much of its nutritional value.

DeLauer recommends cooking liver lightly—just enough to be safe, but not so long that nutrients leach out.

If taste is a barrier, try these strategies:

• Liver pâté: Blended with butter, herbs, and garlic for a spreadable option
• Diced and mixed into ground beef: You won’t even notice it once cooked
• Frozen liver “pills”: Dice raw liver into small pieces, freeze, and swallow like supplements

Mixing liver into ground beef is arguably the easiest method. The flavor blends in, and you get all the benefits without the offal aftertaste.

Pairing Liver with Other Nutrient-Dense Foods

DeLauer suggests combining liver with a few other powerhouse foods to round out micronutrient intake:

• Pumpkin seeds: Add zinc and magnesium
• Oysters: Provide taurine, additional B12, and zinc
• Bone broth: Supplies glycine and collagen for connective tissue support

It’s like bone broth, chicken liver, beef liver, oysters, little bit of pumpkin seeds. It’s like you could almost survive on that, literally.

This combination delivers a full spectrum of mitochondrial cofactors, B vitamins, minerals, and amino acids with minimal volume and no need for dozens of supplement bottles.

The Once-a-Week Strategy

DeLauer’s approach is simple: chicken liver one day, beef liver another day, once a week each.

Chicken liver prioritizes CoQ10 for mitochondrial energy. Beef liver prioritizes retinol for vision and skin, plus a broader B-vitamin profile.

This rotation keeps retinol intake safe, avoids nutrient competition with vitamin D, and provides steady support for energy, methylation, and cellular function.

For those dealing with chronic fatigue, brain fog, or poor recovery despite clean eating and adequate sleep, this strategy offers a food-first solution that supplements struggle to replicate.

The key is consistency without overdoing it. Once a week is enough to make a measurable difference—without tipping into excess.