Keep ON the Grass
Part of the rise in obesity can be attributed to the changes in the way we raise beef and other animals. According to Jo Robinson, the author of an excellent book, Pasture Perfect, “grass-fed beef is healthier than grain-fed beef, and may even be healthier than chicken.”
Grass-fed beef is up to three times leaner than grain-fed beef and can have up to 15 fewer calories per ounce (30 g) than grain-fed beef. Grass-fed meat also provides more balanced omega-3s and omega-6 fatty acids, which help guard against a variety of ailments.
Like wild salmon, grass-fed beef is an excellent source of high-quality omega-3 EFA, as well as conjugated linoleic acid (CLA; see pages 51–52). Researchers have also compared key antioxidants in meat from pasture-fed and grain-fed cattle. The grass-fed meat was higher in vitamin C, vitamin E,
and folic acid. It was also 10 times higher in beta-carotene. These health benefits decline significantly after just 3 months of grain feeding, even if the grain is organic.
“What’s not in grass-fed beef that is in grain-fed beef is important, too,” Robinson wrote in an article published in the magazine Mother Earth News.
For instance, mad cow disease has never been found in grass-fed beef, which is also far less likely to contain dangerous Escherichia coli (E. coli) bacteria. Grass-fed beef has “no extra hormones and no traces of antibiotics and is both cleaner and more wholesome than ordinary beef by far. Feedlot cattle
may eat . . . all kinds of products in addition to grain, including chicken manure, chicken feathers, newsprint, cardboard and municipal garbage waste.”
Expansion of the grass-fed beef market in the United States still faces hurdles, owing to the fact that most livestock expertise has centered on grain-fed animals for many years, and the feeding, slaughter, and handling of grass-fed animals is very different. Robinson says, “Everything has to be right for it to be an excellent product, and there isn’t a school or an extension agent to teach you the ropes.” She hopes that the U.S. Department of Agriculture will start supporting the research and extension offices needed to bring better-quality beef to more American consumers. For more information on grass-fed beef, visit www.deliciousorganics.com.
Posted in Tips and Advices
