Benefits of Grass Fed Beef
What’s So Special About
Grass Fed Beef?
By now, you have all heard about grass fed
beef. Some of you may know about its many benefits, and others may be
shaking your heads thinking, “Don’t all cows eat grass?” Here’s some
basic information.
Omega 3 and
Omega 6 EFAs
Our bodies need something called Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs)
and we get these from the foods we eat. There are two types of EFAs:
Omega 6 and Omega 3. To remain in optimal health, these should be
consumed in a ratio of roughly 2:1, Omega 6: Omega 3. Unfortunately,
the average American ranges somewhere between 15:1 and 50:1! This high
level of Omega 6 intake and low level of Omega 3 intake can have
terrible effects on our health.
Omega 3 EFAs exist at a high level in plants
and seeds. However, the human body is not able to convert the Omega 3
in plants into a form that is usable. Most other animals are able to
make that conversion because of differences in digestion. Omega 6 EFAs
that exist in plants (like grains and nuts) are in a form that is
usable by humans without any conversion.
So, humans obtain Omega 3 EFAs primarily by
eating the meat of other animals (such as beef.) In today’s meat
industry, however, profits and production are maximized by an assembly
line type system (feedlot) in which animals are purely objects. Pounds
equals dollars in this business, and therefore animals are fed a diet
that is unnatural to them in order for them to gain as much weight as
quickly as possible. This diet usually consists of grains, proteins,
antibiotics and hormones. Because of the grain fed to these animals the
ratio of Omega 6:Omega 3 in the meat is around 6:3. We then eat this
unhealthy meat and perpetuate the cycle of high Omega 6 and low Omega 3
in our diets.
If cows (or chickens or hogs, but we will
stick with cows) are allowed to eat a natural diet of almost exclusively
grass, this information drastically changes. Meat from a cow finished
on grass has an Omega 6:Omega 3 ratio of close to 1:3. This is similar
to the ratio found in fish, and the reason that fish is highly
recommended.
Both Omega 6 EFAs and Omega 3 EFAs are needed
by the body. Omega 6 EFAs are involved in the body’s immune response.
Omega 3’s are involved in the proper functioning of heart and brain.
High levels of Omega 6’s are associated with an overactive immune system
which can aggravate autoimmune responses and inflammatory conditions
such as arthritis. High Omega 6’s are also associated with heart
disease. A deficient amount of Omega 3’s has been linked to many mental
problems such as inability to concentrate, Attention Deficit Disorder
and Hyperactivity, and memory problems.
Conjugated
Linoleic Acid (CLA)
A man named Michael Pariza was doing anticancer research at
the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and discovered conjugated linoleic
acid or CLA. CLA is a naturally occurring substance in beef. It has
been associated with combating cancer, combating clogged arteries,
reducing body fat, and preventing or delaying the onset of Diabetes.
The general public thinks they should stay away from fat, but there are
good fats and bad fats. Good fats contain the essential nutrients for a
healthy body, and milk and beef fat are the best sources for CLA.
Cattle that are finished on grass have CLA levels that are 30 - 40%
higher than those fed grain in a feed lot.
A Leaner, More
Flavorful Steak
Grass finished beef is leaner than the standard grain fed beef you buy
in the grocery store. This is because of the natural lifestyle of these
cattle, eating grass and living outdoors. There is less fat overall
than with a grain fed cow, and as we have seen, the fat that is there is
much more healthy. Many people find that a grass fed steak is much more
flavorful as well.
No Hormones, Antibiotics, or Mad Cow
Disease
There is much in the news today about the use of growth hormones and
feed grade antibiotics fed to standard, feed lot cattle. Are there
residual hormones and antibiotics in the beef we eat from these cattle?
There are many studies going on now that say there are. This could
result in many problems both known and unknown. With grass fed beef,
you don’t have to worry. There are no growth hormones are used.
Antibiotics are only given if the animal is ill and in need, and in that
case the cow would be given the time to recover and get back to a
healthy, drug free state before being processed.
There is also a lot in the news these days
about BSE (or Mad Cow Disease), E Coli, and many other scary health
risks associated with beef. But by choosing grass fed beef, you
eliminate all possibility of mad cow disease. Go to
http://www.eatwild.com/foodsafety.html to
read more about this subject.
Environmental
Benefits
The health benefits alone are enough to sell grass fed beef, but there
are many environmental benefits as well. Most producers of grass fed
beef use a rotational grazing system. This means that the cattle herd
is moved from one pasture to the next on a schedule so that the cows get
plenty of good grass to eat, and the pastures are never over or under
grazed. Rangeland can actually be drastically improved through this
method. Better grass, less erosion, and fewer weeds can result.
Pesticides and herbicides are used rarely if
ever on most grass fed beef farms. The pastures are kept healthy
through good management and grazing rather than with chemicals.
Here at Braeburn Farm we have a watering
system that enables us to water the cows with clean, fresh water in all
their pastures and keep them out of the streams and ponds. This results
in healthier riparian areas -- better water quality, less erosion on
banks, etc. It also results in healthier cows because they are not
having to drink contaminated water.
We pride ourselves on being ecologically
sound, but that doesn't mean we don't embrace some of the latest
technology. Through the use of ultrasound, we can determine which cows
will have tender meat and which will be tough. Only the most tender,
choice meat is offered for sale.
I hope this has given you a good overview of
some of the benefits of grass fed beef. To learn more check out these
websites:
www.grassfedbeef.com -- A good overview of some health benefits
www.eatwild.com --
A wonderful website with tons of information on the health benefits of
eating meat raised in a natural way
www.ranchmanagement.com -- Ranch Management is a fabulous organization
that teaches ranchers to be better businessmen, cattlemen, and stewards
to the land.
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