GRASS FED BEEF IS HEALTHY

Grass Fed Beef has more beta carotene, vitamin E and omega 3 fatty acids than beef produced using conventional cattle feeding strategies (www.csuchico.edu/agr/grassfedbeef/).

The vast majority of US beef cattle eat grain or other high calorie feed for several months at a feedlot before being processed. Grass fed cattle spend their lives on the range or pasture eating grass or hay. Grass fed meat is leaner and contains higher nutrient levels than corn finished cattle.

Beta carotene is converted to vitamin A in the human body. Vitamin A is a critical fat soluble vitamin that is important for normal vision, bone growth, reproduction and cell division. A three ounce serving of grass fed beef supplies 10% of the recommended dietary allowance of beta carotene for women, compared to less than 5% from corn fed beef.

The amount of natural vitamin E in grass fed beef is almost three times as much as that found in corn fed beef. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin with powerful antioxidant activity. Antioxidants protect cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging by-products of the body’s metabolism that may contribute to chronic health problems such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Cattle fed primarily grass produce more omega 3 fatty acids and a more favorable omega 6 to omega 3 ratio. Omega 3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent heart disease and arthritis. The essential fatty acids are also highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be particularly important for cognitive and behavioral function.

Raising cattle on grass boosts the beefs level of a conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a lesser known but important 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 in animals including a reduction in cancer, hearing disease, on set of diabetes and accumulation of body fat.

Details about the health benefits of grass fed beef, citations for all research used in this study and additional resources for consumers are on the website (www.csuchico.edu/agr/grassfedbeef/).