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) 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.
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, please visit our resources page. You can also read our "Why Choose Grass-Fed" brochure! (pdf)
