• Traditional cultures and early ancestral healers believed that eating the organs from a healthy animal would strengthen and support the health of the corresponding organ of the individual. The immune-boosting effects of beef spleen may be partly attributable to this principle called ‘like-supports-like’. In other words, many of beef spleen's potential health benefits may stem from its ability to nourish the spleen of the person or animal consuming it. 

• Spleen tissue extracts may be of benefit in enhancing general immune function because of the many potent immune system-enhancing compounds secreted by the spleen, such as the peptides tuftsin and splenopentin.(1) 

• Tuftsin stimulates macrophages that have taken up residence in specific tissues like the liver, spleen and lymph nodes. Tuftsin also helps mobilise other white blood cells to fight against infection and cancer. A deficiency of tuftsin has been associated with signs and symptoms of frequent infections.(1) 

• Splenopentin, like tuftsin, has also demonstrated significant immune-enhancing effects. Its effects are primarily directed toward enhancing the immune system’s response to regulating compounds that stimulate the production of white blood cells.(1)  

• Splenopentin has also been shown to enhance the activity of natural killer cells. Natural killer cells destroy cells that have become cancerous or infected with viruses and are the body’s first line of defence against cancer.(1)

• Beef spleen is an exceptionally rich source of highly bioavailable iron, containing five times as much total iron and nearly 30 times as much heme iron, as compared to beef liver.(2)  Iron is vital for a number of key bodily functions, such as helping to provide oxygen to organs and muscles, and for certain enzymes in the body to function normally. When a dog is deficient in iron it can lead to anemia. Dogs can become lethargic, weak, and more prone to disease and illnesses.

• Beef spleen is a rich source of selenium. Selenium is a potent antioxidant which is essential for the correct function of metabolism. In a dog’s body, it is important for its role in thyroid metabolism, synthesis of DNA and reproduction.(3) Its antioxidant properties can help to prevent oxidative damage that can cause premature aging, cancer and inflammatory diseases.

• According to Traditional Chinese Medicine theory, the Spleen plays an important role in various physiological functions, including digestion and absorption of nutrients, regulation of water retention and excretion, facilitation of blood perfusion to skeletal muscle and on the optimal functioning of the immune system.(4) 

References

1. Pizzorno, J.E. and Murray, M.T. (2021) The Textbook of Natural Medicine. 5th edition. Elsevier, St Louis, Missouri.
2. Valenzuela C. et al. (2009). Total Iron and Heme Iron Content and their Distribution in Beef Meat and Viscera. Biological Trace Element Research, 132: 103–111.
3. Zentrichová, V. et al. (2021). Selenium and Dogs: A Systematic Review. Animals, 11(2):418.
4. Chung, Y. et al. (2016). Spleen Function and Anxiety in Chinese Medicine: A Western Medicine Perspective. Chinese Medicine, 7, 110-123