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The Endless Benefits of Pasture-Raised Beef Happy Cows = Happy, Healthy People Compared to feed-lot cows who are fed an all-grain and corn diet, our pasture-raised beef has: Less Fat: Grass-fed beef has about the same amount of fat as wild game or a skinless chicken breast. Grain makes animals gain weight faster than grass because it provides starch and calories in a more concentrated form of energy than grass. “Products from feedlot animals have from one-third to three times more fat than animals raised on pasture.” (Pasture Perfect pg 29) Fewer Calories: Leaner meat means fewer calories. “A six-ounce beef loin from a grass-fed cow may have 92 fewer calories than a six-ounce loin from a grain-fed cow.” (Pasture Perfect pg 29) More Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 is a good fat. Beef from grass-fed animals have 2 to 10 times more omega-3 fatty acids than grain-fed animals. Research shows that diets lacking in omega-3s increase the risk of cancer, depression, high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes, allergies, asthma, and dementia. Only grass-fed beef can be included with other great sources of omega-3s: fish, walnuts, flaxseeds, and dark leafy vegetables Lower in Omega-6 Fatty Acids: We need both Omega-3s and Omega-6s in our diets. Omega-6s promote blood clotting, while omega-3s slow it down, both of which are important functions within our bodies. If a person’s diet contains more omega-6s than omega-3s, there is a risk of excess clogging. This can be kept in balance by eating the correct ratio of these fatty acids. An ideal ratio would be no more than 4 to 1 of omega-6s to omega-3s. Grass-fed cattle have a ratio of between 3 to 1 and 1 to 1. Grain-fed cattle have an unhealthy ratio of between 5 to 1 and 14 to 1. More CLAs (Conjugated Linoleic Acid): CLAs are a relatively new discovery in the world of food science. Considered another “good” fat, they are shown to help fight both cancer and cardiovascular disease in lab animals. Ruminant animals raised exclusively on grass have 2 to 5 times more CLAs than animals raised on grain. Early studies are finding that the CLAs in whole milk may lower the risk of breast cancer in women who consume more whole milk than others. Another study found that CLA reduced the amount of fatty deposits in the arteries of lab animals by 30%. Vitamin E: Grass-fed beef contains 3 to 6 times more vitamin E than traditional beef. With grass and clover having 20% more vitamin E than corn or soy, its no wonder more is found in grass-fed beef. Carotenoids: Carotenoids are antioxidants that help prevent cancer. The color of the fat in beef is a great indicator of the level of beta-carotene in your meat. The more golden it is, the more beta-carotene you’re eating. This is versus the white fat that is present in feedlot beef, the color we’re all used to. Lutein and zeaxanthin are also found in greater proportion and presence in grass-fed beef. All beef is a great source of high-quality protein, iron, zinc, selenium, phosphorous, and the B-complex vitamins. If you need more information, visit www.eatwild.com, a great website created by a clinical nutritionist who has dedicated her life to promoting the benefits of grass-fed meat. Happy Cows = A Happy Planet Because our cattle are allowed to roam large expanses of land, this helps reduce multiple environmental problems including erosion, overgrazing, and soil compaction. Their manure helps fertilize the grasses of the prairie, never needs to be moved, and thus does not contribute to the contamination of ground water, lakes, and streams. By using grain to supplement their diets only during the worst days of winter, we are able to reduce our dependence on the fossil fuels that are used to grow crops such as corn and soybeans. It is estimated that it takes a ½ gallon of fuel to produce one pound of beef on a factory farm.(Pasture Perfect pg 11) An average American eats about 67 pounds of beef per year. By switching to grass-fed beef, you would save over 16,000 calories in just one year. |
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Earth Harvest Farm Lake Geneva, WI |
