Heart & Soil vs. Ancestral Supplements: My Honest Comparison After Trying Both
There’s no argument— the easiest way to include organ meats into your diet is through high-quality supplements. But with so many big names in the field, it can be hard to know which is the best.
This post compares 2 of the top brands and comes out with my ultimate recommendation of which one is best for overall value.
Every few years, there are new health trends and fads that seem to gain a lot of traction. Lately, that has seemed to ring true for carnivore, ancestral eating, prometabolic diets, and even paleo-style eating. Within these trending dietary recommendations, there is both a lot of sound advice and also a lot that resembles diet culture.
I’ve talked about supplementing organ meats for years on this blog—and I am always getting asked: Which is the best? There are so many out there that it can feel overwhelming!
Two brands that often get a lot of media attention are Ancestral Supplements and Heart & Soil, known for their commitment to transparency, clean ingredients, and affordability. These brands focus on delivering the vital nutrients found in beef organ supplements—foods that were a staple of our early ancestors and remain some of the most nutrient-rich foods available.
If you've narrowed your search down to Heart & Soil and Ancestral Supplements, you're already looking at two of the biggest names in freeze-dried organ supplements. I've personally used products from both companies, compared their sourcing, formulations, pricing, and ingredient quality, and here's what I found... plus which one I’d actually recommend 👀
TLDR: Kaelyn’s Quick Review
My overall pick: Heart & Soil ✨
Table of Contents
Ancestral Supplements and Heart & Soil At A Glance
Both Ancestral Supplements and Heart & Soilare pioneers in the animal-based diet space, bringing pure nose-to-tail nourishment to consumers who might not have the time—or the stomach—for actual organ meats.
Both companies offer multi-organ supplements or single-organ formulas featuring beef liver, heart, kidney, spleen, and bone marrow, all freeze-dried in a super bioavailable form. (Bioavailability is just a fancy term for how well your body can use the nutrients you take in)
But while their philosophies overlap, their product quality, third-party testing, and transparency vary in a few key ways. Over the years, I have done the occasional deep dive on supplements, wellness trends, or dietary recommendations. Not only do these deep dives satisfy my own wellness questions, but it helps me feel confident giving recommendations to my wellness clients. This is one of 'em!
My Experience With Both Brands
I’ve been including organ meats into mine and my family’s diets since 2019. But the reality is, sourcing grass-fed liver, prepping, and cooking it is not always the easiest option when you’re busy.
But I do see the nutritional value in including organs in our diets.
So, for me, finding a high-quality option that prioritizes sustainability and purity is well worth it.
That said, I have taken both brands (Heart & Soil and Ancestral Supplements) for months. The first one I took was Ancestral Supplements, and then after finishing a couple of bottles, I bought Heart & Soil to try out. I genuinely thought Ancestral Supplements was a good option, and was just purchasing another brand to have as a comparison.
But there were a couple of things that really set Heart & Soil apart and made it my ultimate recommendation!
Health Benefits of Animal Products for Nutrition
I’m a big believer that our overall health begins with food. While I encourage eating as many whole foods as possible, the reality is that our modern world has left much of our food supply depleted. Factors like industrial farming, soil degradation, and monocropping have reduced the amount of essential nutrients found in even the healthiest diets.
That means that even those eating clean, animal foods, and vegetables may still miss key components for immune health, reproductive health, hormone production, and cardiovascular health. This is where nutrient-dense organs—and by extension, organ meat supplements—can fill an important gap.
Organs like beef liver, heart, and bone marrow were once considered sacred by early ancestral healers and traditional peoples, prized for their ability to support immune response, thyroid function, sexual health, and blood flow. These organs contain compounds like glutathione peroxidase, thioredoxin reductase, and iodothyronine deiodinases—all of which play critical roles in antioxidant defense, detoxification, and formation of sex hormones.
In simpler words, they are really amazing sources of nutrients that our bodies can readily use!
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Heart & Soil Review
I've personally used several Heart & Soil supplements over the past few years, and it's become one of the brands I recommend most often when people ask about organ supplements. While they're certainly an investment, I've consistently been impressed with the quality of the ingredients, thoughtful formulations, and overall transparency.
Heart & Soil was founded by physician Paul Saladino, MD, with the goal of making nutrient-dense organ meats easier to incorporate into everyday life. Rather than isolating individual vitamins or minerals, the company focuses on freeze-dried whole organs to preserve the naturally occurring nutrients, peptides, enzymes, and cofactors found in the original food.
One thing I appreciate is that Heart & Soil has expanded beyond organ supplements. Their lineup now includes targeted blends for areas like digestion, hormones, joints, metabolism, colostrum, protein powders, and athletic performance, making it easy to choose a product based on your specific health goals rather than simply taking a generic organ supplement.
Heart & Soil Pros
Organ supplements are made from freeze-dried whole organs rather than isolated nutrients.
Cattle are sourced from regenerative, grass-fed and grass-finished operations.
Products are free from artificial ingredients, hormones, pesticides, and fillers.
Offers targeted formulas for specific wellness goals, not just single-organ supplements.
Educational resources are excellent if you're new to organ supplements.
Subscription discounts and free U.S. shipping over qualifying orders are available.
Heart & Soil Cons
One of the more expensive brands on the market.
Some specialty blends require taking multiple capsules per day.
If you're simply looking for basic beef liver capsules, some targeted formulas may be more comprehensive (and more expensive) than you actually need.
Best For
In my opinion, Heart & Soil is best for someone who wants a little more guidance when choosing supplements. Their formulas are organized around health goals like digestion, hormones, joints, and energy, making them especially approachable for beginners or anyone looking for more targeted support instead of building their own supplement routine.
Ancestral Supplements Review
Ancestral Supplements is another highly respected company in the organ supplement space, and it's often the brand most directly compared with Heart & Soil. Like Heart & Soil, their products use freeze-dried, grass-fed organs and focus on providing nutrients in a whole-food form rather than as synthetic vitamins.
One thing that immediately stands out about Ancestral Supplements is the sheer number of products they offer. In addition to popular options like Beef Liver and Beef Organs, they carry supplements featuring thyroid, adrenal, bone marrow, fish eggs, kidney, brain, pancreas, thymus, colostrum, minerals, and many other specialty organs. If you're looking for a very specific organ, there's a good chance they already make it.
The company states that its products are made from pasture-raised, grass-fed animals, are freeze-dried and non-defatted, manufactured in GMP-certified facilities, and lab-tested for quality.
Ancestral Supplements Pros
One of the largest selections of organ supplements available.
Offers both single-organ products and multi-organ blends.
Products are made from grass-fed, pasture-raised animals.
Freeze-dried and non-defatted to retain naturally occurring nutrients.
Lab-tested and manufactured in GMP-certified facilities.
Great option if you're searching for a very specific organ supplement.
Ancestral Supplements Cons
Premium pricing similar to Heart & Soil.
The extensive product catalog can feel overwhelming if you're new to organ supplements.
Some specialized products may be more niche than the average person needs.
Best For
If you already know exactly which organ you'd like to supplement—or you enjoy having a wide variety of options—Ancestral Supplements is hard to beat. Their catalog is much broader than most competitors, making them a great choice for people looking beyond a standard beef liver supplement.
Ingredient Quality & Sourcing
Ancestral Supplements
Ancestral Supplements sources its organs from grass-fed animals in New Zealand and Australia—regions celebrated for their clean environment and sustainable grazing practices. Each dietary supplement is made with non-defatted organs that preserve natural fats, vitamin B, and amino acids that contribute to energy levels and overall immune function.
Their gelatin capsules contain only freeze-dried organs—no fillers or flow agents.
Heart & Soil
Heart & Soil, founded by Dr. Paul Saladino (author of The Carnivore Code), sources from grass-fed, grass-finished, regeneratively raised cattle. Their mission revolves around ancestral nutrition and “like-supports-like nutrition”—the idea that consuming organ meats from a healthy animal supports the corresponding organ system in the human body (for example, liver supporting detox, or heart supporting circulation).
Heart & Soil’s soil supplements are also freeze-dried and encapsulated in gelatin capsules, ensuring nutrient preservation and maximum absorption 👏
Verdict: All three brands use high-quality, grass-fed sourcing, but Heart & Soil earns points for regenerative farming practices.
Testing, Transparency, and Certification
Ancestral Supplements
Ancestral Supplements conducts third-party testing for safety and purity, claiming compliance with Drug Administration and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) standards in the United States. Their formulas are made in FDA-registered facilities that uphold the gold standard of supplement manufacturing.
However, they don’t consistently share full Certificates of Analysis (COAs) publicly. In 2025, the FDA sent a notice to the company about claims on their thyroid product. To clarify, it wasn’t about contamination or safety—it was a regulatory labeling issue related to product claims.
Heart & Soil
Heart & Soil stands out with transparency. Every batch undergoes composite tests through independent labs and the globally recognized substance testing certification program, Informed Sport, which ensures the quality assurance of sports nutrition products. This certification verifies purity and absence of banned substances, making these organ supplements safe for athletes and professionals alike.
They also share batch-level COAs right on their product pages, detailing heavy metals, microbes, and other purity information.
Verdict:
Heart & Soil leads for athlete-safe transparency!
Health Benefits and Nutritional Value
Each brand delivers essential nutrients that support the immune system, thyroid function, bone health, energy levels, menstrual function, and hormonal balance.
Ancestral Supplements offers a variety for specific organ systems—like thyroid, adrenal, and heart.
Heart & Soil tailors formulas that include beef liver, but they currently do not offer a single-ingredient blend that’s only beef liver
Both companies deliver pure nose-to-tail nourishment in a super bioavailable form, giving the health benefits of nutrient-dense organs without needing to cook them yourself.
The Heart & Soil Ancestral Stack— with a beef organ blend, a blend for women’s health support, and grass-fed colostrum capsules \\ Shop Heart & Soil Stacks Here
Manufacturing Standards & Consumer Confidence
All brands follow cGMP compliance under the Drug Administration’s regulations. Still, Heart & Soil shines in its quality assurance through independent verification and Informed Sport credentials, which require adherence to the highest quality standards of manufacturing.
That said, Ancestral Supplements remains an organ supplement veteran in the industry, respected for its simplicity, reliability, and long-standing reputation in the United States and abroad.
Pricing, Discounts & Value
While both brands offer a premium product, how do their prices compare?? In order to have a fair comparison, I wanted to ensure that I was comparing similar products.
I chose to do a price comparison of both companies’ beef organ blends and colostrum.
Heart & Soil Colostrum: $89.25 for 60 servings (6.34 ounces of product total) = $14.08/ounce
Ancestral Supplements Colostrum: $57.80 for 120 servings (4.23 ounces of product total) = $13.66/ounce
Heart & Soil Beef Organ Blend:$39.00 for 30 servings (each serving is 6 capsules and includes 600 mg of each: liver, spleen, heart, kidney, and pancreas)
Ancestral Supplements Beef Organ Blend:$40.80 for 30 servings (each serving is 6 capsules and includes 600 mg of each: liver, spleen, heart, kidney, and pancreas)
**** Both of these prices are current prices for their monthly subscription. There are additional discounts if you have a larger/ more frequent subscription, but I wanted to just have a baseline price comparison of the two as close as possible.
Verdict: Heart & Soil and Ancestral Supplements have comparable pricing for the quality.
Which Brand Is Better?
So, with all of that said, which is actually better for your unique health goals? Here are a couple of circumstances I would consider to determine which brand will actually meet what you are looking for!
Choose Heart & Soil if...
you want practitioner-developed blends
you like targeted formulas
you want beginner-friendly products
you want supplements that are not packaged in plastic (they use glass, metal, and paper-based containers 👏)
Choose Ancestral Supplements if...
you want the widest selection
you're looking for unique organs
you want more specialty products
FAQ’s
Are there any other brands worth considering?
Another company I've had good experiences with is Perfect Supplements. While I think Heart & Soil and Ancestral Supplements are the closest competitors, Perfect Supplements offers several excellent single-organ supplements and collagen products at a competitive price. If you're considering that brand, I've written a dedicated review here.
Is Heart & Soil better than Ancestral Supplements?
While both are really great options, Heart & Soil does feel like a more premium product to me. It really depends on what you are looking for, though. If you want
Are Heart & Soil supplements worth the money?
I think both are high-quality premium supplement options. That said, I always recommend having a solid foundation of health basics and foundations before including supplements. You cannot out-supplement wellness if you are neglecting the foundational elements of health and nutrition.
Do both brands use grass-fed organs?
Yes. Both brands use grass-fed, pasture-raised, and freeze-dried organs.
Which brand has more supplement options?
Ancestral Supplements has many more options available. They also have single-organ supplements, whereas Heart & Soil only offers them as a blend.
Which brand tastes better?
Unless you love the taste of liver, I don’t think either tastes super great personally.
Have you tried either brand? What are your thoughts? I would love to hear your experience with either brand!
Kaelyn
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