Why Grass-Fed Beef is a Much Better Choice

My first degree was in Agriculture and I majored in Animal Science.  I got a first-hand view of animal production practices in modern agriculture.  For someone who views animals as sentient beings worthy of respect, the scenario was a little disheartening.  I went through school, much to everybody’s chagrin, as a vegetarian.  I wasn’t a healthy vegetarian, however, and realized that I do much, much better with some meat in my diet.  So now I will eat red meat: beef, bison, lamb but I insist these products be grass-fed (100%) and not grain-finished and this article will explain why.

A Little Bit About Beef:

Cows are ruminants and ruminants have very specialized stomachs – 4 stomachs to be exact.  The purpose and job of their stomachs is to provide fermentation vats for the break-down of grasses which are rich in cellulose.  Contrary to modern practices, cows do not do well on grain, not even for the two weeks used to just fatten them up.  I have visited packing plants and witnessed first hand the consequence to the animal of grain-feeding.  For one, the cows develop stomach ulcers, the secondary sequelae to this is that bacteria get into their system and often they develop liver abscesses;  Huge liver abscesses full of bacteria and pus.  This is not uncommon. A person need  look no further into why beef might cause infections in people.  This sounds outragoeus, I know, but everyone in the industry knows about it, so it is not too difficult to confirm what is being written here.  Perhaps you still trust the system of meat inspection and feel reasonably confident that the meat you receive actually is clean and safe.  Well, there are a host of other reasons to choose 100% grass-fed over feedlot red meat.
Nutrition:

Beef and bison pastured on grass and fed forage they would naturally find if in the wild have a different fat and fat-soluble vitamin composition as compared to grain and concentrate fed meat.  Forage-fed meat has higher amounts of omega 3 fatty acids, higher amounts of conjugated linoleic acid, vitamin E and beta-carotene.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids
It is a well-known fact that the North American diet is highly deficient in omega-3 fatty acids compared to omega-6 fatty acid and this scenario promotes heart disease, depression, mental/learning difficulties, obesity, immune disorders and cancer.  Grass-fed bovines have significantly higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, and more importantly, the ratio of omega-3: omega-6 borders on ideal.  Just two weeks in the feedlot will change the fatty acid composition of the fat and meat of the whole animal significantly, so beware of beef proclaiming to be grass-fed because often they are still fattened in the feedlot.  This is why it is important to ask questions and find out about the farm from which the meat comes.  This is often impossible to do at large chain grocers.  FYI – this is one of the reasons why wild salmon is hugely superior to farmed salmon which are fed grain and soy-based diets as opposed to plankton which is part of their natural diet.
Congujated Linoleic Acid (CLA):
This fatty acid is  isolated and sold as a supplement to assist with weight loss and blood sugar regulation.  This fat is found in the meat and milk of grass-fed animals in significantly higher amounts as compared to conventionally-produced meat and milk.  In fact, there is hardly any CLA found in conventional meats and dairy.

Vitamins E and Beta Carotene:
Natural antioxidants, cancer-fighters and oxidation/free-radical absorbers (think anti-aging).  These two vitamins are found in higher concentrations in forage fed animals.  Vitamin E in forage fed animals is more than double that found in grain-fed animals, while beta carotene is more than 10 fold greater in grass-fed animals.

So the old adage, “You are what you eat” holds true for humans as well as the animals we sometimes eat.  If we are eating unhealthy and devitalized meat, how can we expect to be healthy and vital?  The next time you are faced with the choice, think twice about buying the conventional meat; your health and happiness (and the health and happiness of the other beings we share our planet with) is worth a few extra dollars.

Below is a list of farms in Alberta that pasture-feed only:

Hamilton Farms, Cochrane        www.hamiltonfarms.ca
TK Ranch                                            www.natural-beef.net
CL Ranch, Copithorne’s               www.clranches.com
Westlane Farms                 www.westlanefarms.com
Willowbank Ranch                        www.willowbankranch.com