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WHY
GRASSFED BEEF?
Everyone has heard the mantra “you need to cut back on red meat.”
The underlying assumption is that all red meat is the same.
In truth, grassfed beef is healthier for you than grain-fed
beef, and surprise, surprise, it’s even better for you than
chicken, especially commercially-raised chicken. A few of the
compelling reasons why grassfed beef is the premium source of
high-quality protein:
Less Fat
The main reason animals are fed large amounts of grain
is that they grow fatter, faster. In the commercial paradigm,
time is money. The net result of a high grain diet is fattier
meat. Products from feed lot animals have from one-third to
three times more fat than animals raised on pasture. Most grassfed
meat is so lean that it has about the same amount of fat as
wild game or skinless chicken breast.
Fewer Calories
Due to the fact that grassfed products are leaner than grain-fed
products, they also have fewer calories. The average American
that eats 67 pounds of beef a year would save 16,642 calories
a year. All things being equal, you will lose 5 pounds a year
by switching to grassfed beef and changing nothing else in your
diet or activity level.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Grassfed beef contains up to ten times as many omega-3’s than
grain-fed beef purchased in the grocery store. Equally important,
grassfed beef has the ideal ratio of omega-3’s to omega-6’s
that your body needs. Research shows that people who are low
in omega-3’s have a higher risk of cancer, depression, obesity,
diabetes, arthritis, allergies, asthma, dementia, high blood
pressure and an irregular heartbeat. Studies show women with
diets low in omega-3’s are twice as likely to die from a heart
attack or stroke. One reason these ailments are so prevalent
in the United States is that twenty percent of Americans have
omega-3 levels so low they defy detection. Taking our animals
off pasture has contributed to the deficiency. Our bodies can’t
make omega-3’s, they only originate in green plants. Whether
this healthy fat is in a trout or a hamburger from a grassfed
steer, it was created by plants or algae and migrated up the
food chain.
Conjugated Linoleic Acid(CLA)
The term conjugated linoleic acid and its acronym CLA is a group
of polyunsaturated fatty acids found in beef, lamb, and dairy
products. Over the past two decades numerous health benefits
have been attributed to CLA including actions to reduce cancer,
heart disease, diabetes, and body fat. Studies show CLA levels
as low as 0.05 percent of the diet can have a beneficial effect
in mice. A level of 0.5 percent reduced the total number of
mammary tumors by 32 percent. These results also demonstrated
that CLA administered through a dietary route was effective
in providing protection against cancer. Other studies show a
lower level of LDL (“bad”) cholesterol in both rabbits and hamsters
treated with oral CLA, resulting in significantly less plaque
formation in the aortic artery of treated animals. In mice,
rats, pigs, and now humans, dietary CLA has been shown to reduce
adipose (fat) tissue. Grassfed beef contains three times more
CLA than grain fed beef.
Vitamin A
Beta-Carotene. Beta-carotene belongs to a family of natural
chemicals known as carotenes or carotenoids. Carotenes produce
the yellow and orange color found in fruits and vegetables and
is converted to vitamin A (retinol) by the body. While excessive
amounts of vitamin A in supplement form can be toxic, the body
will only convert as much vitamin A from beta-carotene as it
needs, thus beta-carotene is a safe dietary source for vitamin
A supplementation. Vitamin A is a critical fat-soluble vitamin
that is important for normal vision, bone growth, reproduction,
cell division, and cell differentiation. The overall integrity
of skin and mucous membranes is maintained by vitamin A, creating
a barrier to bacterial and viral infection. In addition, vitamin
A is involved in the regulation of immune function by supporting
the production and function of white blood. Grassfed beef has
twice the amount of Vitamin A as grain fed beef.
Vitamin E
Alpha-tocopherol. Vitamin E is also a fat-soluble vitamin that
exists in eight different forms with powerful antioxidant activity,
the most active being alpha-tocopherol. Antioxidants protect
cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radicals are
potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism that
may contribute to the development of chronic diseases such as
cancer and cardiovascular disease. In addition to the cancer
fighting affects, there are some observational studies that
found lens clarity (a diagnostic tool for cataracts) was better
in patients who regularly use vitamin E.
Grassfed beef contains three times more Vitamin E than
grain-fed beef.
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