Why grass raised beef?
You’ve probably heard that beef consumption is linked to heart disease. That may be true, but it is not the whole story. The heart disease link is with grain-fed animals, but grass-fed animals have enormous health benefits.
First, we must recognize that the body needs certain nutrients to “go about business” on a daily basis. Taking care of the business includes ensuring the correct growth, regulation and functioning of cells. An essential element that we must have (the body cannot produce it) are fatty acids. We need a regular supply of essential fatty acids Omega 3 and Omega 6. The ideal ratio is 2 Omega 3 for every Omega 6. Most people get a ratio of between 15: 1 and 50: 1. problem and the link with the disease comes into play.
What is the benefit of grass-fed beef?
Omega-3s are found abundantly in shellfish and some nuts and seeds like flax and walnuts, as well as grass-fed beef, lamb, bison, and wild meats. Omega-3s from meat are much more readily available to our bodies than omega-3s from plants, so meat is our primary and most trusted source. We get too much Omega 6 in our diets, which is found in abundance in grains and vegetable oils (olive oil or coconut oil are the best to use).
Omega 3 is found in the chloroplasts of green leaves and algae. Cattle eat the Omega 3s from the grass and put them in their fat. Cattle that switched from omega-3-rich pasture to omega-6-rich grains lose the benefits of omega-3 fats in their own fat in no time. The same goes for the eggs of chickens deprived of vegetables which have a similar effect.
Grass-fed meat has 2 to 3 times the amount of Omega 3s as grain-fed animals.
So what happens when we get a lot of omega 3s? Here are some important changes that occur in our body. Lower blood pressure, less irregular heartbeat, and 50% less chance of having a heart attack. Plus, you notice lower levels of bad “LDL” cholesterol. (1)
The brain also needs abundant amounts of omega-3s, and getting it can result in less depression, ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder), or Alzheimer’s disease. (2)
And we don’t have to stop there. Omega-3s have been shown to slow cancer growth and prevent cancers from spreading. In addition to accelerating recovery from surgery and protecting the body from the weight loss that accompanies advanced cancer. (3)
Grass-fed meats are lower in fat and total calories.
As if all that was not enough. Grass-fed meats can be 1/3 the fat of grain-fed meats. It is roughly the same as moose, wild deer, skinless chicken breast, and other lean meats. If you eat a typical amount of beef (66 pounds a year) and switch to grass-fed beef, you could save about 18,000 calories a year. Without any other changes, I would lose about six pounds a year.
Therefore, for your health, consider supplying grass-fed meat to your family. And, for the record, it tastes great too.
1. Siscovick, DS, TE Raghunathan, et al. (nineteen ninety five). “Dietary intake and cell membrane levels of long-chain n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and the risk of primary cardiac arrest”. JAMA 274 (17): 1363-1367. 2. Simopolous, AP and Jo Robinson (1999). The Omega diet. New York, HarperCollins. My previous book, a collaboration with Dr. Artemis P. Simopoulos, devotes an entire chapter to the vital role omega-3s play in brain function. 3. Rose, DP, JM Connolly et al. (nineteen ninety five). “Influence of diets containing eicosapentaenoic or docasahexaenoic acid on the growth and metastasis of breast cancer cells in nude mice”. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 87 (8): 587-92.
