Why is grass-finished beef healthier?
As you may know, cows have ruminant stomachs. This means that when they are grass-fed, they can effectively break down grasses into nutrition for their best health. Conversely, cows that are grain-fed suffer, as the grain doesn’t digest well, provides inadequate nutrients, and can increase the risk of illness and infection. These reduced nutrients and inflammatory problems are then passed on to you when you eat it. After all, you are what you eat, but also are what you eat has previously eaten.
Health benefits of grass-fed beef vs grain-fed beef
Is grass-fed beef healthier than conventional beef? All told, the answer is a resounding yes. This is because grass-finished beef contains more nutrients, antioxidants, and healthy fatty acids, may decrease inflammation, and is much better for the environment and ecosystem than conventionally raised cows. Additionally, 100% grass-fed beef contains compounds that help maintain and build muscles more so than any other kind of food. If that wasn’t enough, little or no antibiotics are necessary when raising grass-fed beef, so the risk of antibiotic resistance for people is much lower than with conventional beef as well. Most grass-fed beef is raised without the use of pesticides.
Let’s dig into some specific benefits:
Grass-fed beef contains more nutrients
Grass-finished beef is richer in vitamins and minerals and contains less unhealthy fats than its conventional counterpart. Grass-fed beef is high in antioxidants, specifically carotenes and vitamin E, and contains 1.5 times more polyphenols than conventionally grown meat. These antioxidants also help increase blood levels of antioxidants in people who eat grass-fed meat.
Healthy fats in grass-finished beef
Grass-fed beef contains around 200 mg of omega-3 fatty acids per serving, which are necessary for healthy brain and cell function. The other perk of grass-fed meat is that it has fewer unhealthy fats like omega-6 fats, which are linked to more inflammation and cancer. Importantly, the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio in grass-fed beef is strikingly better than conventional meat, with a typical ratio of around 3:1 to 5:1. Grass-fed beef tends to be healthier for people with elevated cholesterol levels, as the edible parts of grass-fed beef contain about one-third less saturated fat than conventional meat.
Benefits of grass-fed beef: excellent source of iron
Grass-finished beef contains 4 grams of iron per 8 oz serving. This is important because many people suffer from iron deficiency, especially women of childbearing age and a high percentage of children. Heme iron in red meat like grass-fed beef absorbs better than plant sources of iron too.
Grass-fed beef tastes better
The flavor differences between grass-finished beef and corn-fed beef or other conventional beef are often dramatic. Complex flavors and richer tastes are evident when you eat grass-fed versus conventional meat. You often can taste and smell the corn when eating conventional beef once your taste buds have tried the higher-quality grass-fed variety.
Grass-fed beef is better for heart health
Research studies do not typically differentiate between types of red meat when they are conducted. This means that no research exists to show that grass-finished beef raises heart disease risk specifically either. The latest research available shows that red meat, in general, does not raise heart disease risk, but processed meats do. Grass-fed meat contains plenty of heart-healthy fats, antioxidants, more vitamins, minerals, and CLA, which is considered to be beneficial for the heart.
Eating grass-fed beef is safer than conventional beef
When meat is sustainably grown on grass, there is much less risk for bacteria contamination. Even more important, there are fewer antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria when eating grass-fed beef. Over 400 samples of conventionally raised beef contain fecal contamination.
Better for the environment: one of the important benefits of grass-fed beef
One of the major benefits of grass-fed beef is that it is clearly better for the environment. New research shows that not only are grass-fed cows better for the environment than conventional beef, but they may also be part of the solution to reducing carbon emissions.
How to buy the best grass-fed beef?
The absolute best way to buy grass-fed beef is to buy it locally from a rancher you know and trust. As the next best option, look for labels with the American Grass-fed Association labeling or meat that has 100% Organic Grass-Fed labeling.
One Response
Thank you for the article! Very useful knowledge to have for sure!
– Lina