By: Ashley Dance
So, you’ve been reading up on the heart-healthy benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. You know they are an essential part of the diet because our bodies can’t produce them. We know the best source for these fatty acids are cold-water fish such as salmon, albacore tuna, and mackerel.
What most people don’t know, though, is that there’s an easy way to get the benefits of Omega-3s, other than eating fish. It is actually completely natural and organic as well. It is as simple as eating grass-fed beef rather than commercially raised grain-fed beef. If you already eat beef as part of your diet, just switching to organic beef will increase your intake of Omega-3s.
According to websites like Eatwild.com, grass-fed beef has lower total fat than commercial beef, but the fat it does have is Omega-3 fatty acids, instead of more saturated fat. It is therefore lower in total calories as well, something diet conscious consumers may want to consider. A lean piece of grass-fed beef can have as little fat as a skinless chicken breast.
The most important reason for eating Omega-3s are that they lower blood triglycerides, which lowers your risk for heart disease. It can also help lessen inflammation in diseases like arthritis.
Dr. Patricia Terry, a registered dietician and professor at Samford University in Birmingham, Ala., said, “The most important aspect of eating grass-fed beef is the increased Omega-3s, like in fish, and the conjugated linoleic acid.”
In addition to the heart-healthy Omega-3s, conjugated linoleic acid, or CLA, in early research, is known as a cancer fighter. It can block stages of cancer and slow the growth of some tumors, according to Eatwild.com. CLA is another one of those essential fatty acids that we must get from the food we eat.
The reason the meat from grass-fed animals contains more Omega-3s is simple. Omega-3s are formed in the chloroplasts of green leaves and algae. When animals are removed from the pasture, they don’t eat the Omega-3s from the chloroplasts in the grass. They eat feed grains instead, which are lower in fiber and have little to no chloroplasts.
Grass-fed beef does not contain hormones, either. The FDA allows six hormones to be injected into commercially raised cattle to help them grow faster. Three are natural hormones that every animal and human produces for growth. Three more however are synthetic and not found in nature. An FDA regulation exists for the amount of hormone residue in the beef that is still edible for human consumption. The European Union, however, will not trade or accept beef from the U.S. because the European Commission prohibited the use of all hormones in meat in the late 1989. Pasture-raised cattle eat grass, as nature intended. They grow at a natural rate without added hormones.
Still need convincing? Grass-fed beef has more antioxidants and vitamins than commercially raised beef. It has higher levels of Vitamin C, E, beta-carotene and the B vitamins thiamin and riboflavin. More vitamins must be a plus. Not only does the meat from grass-fed animals have all these benefits, the milk does, too. “The milk from (grass-fed cows) is better for children and their growth,” says Terry.
What an easy way to sneak in more vitamins and nutrients in your children’s diets.
While most traditional grocery stores still don’t offer organic or grass-fed beef, Whole Foods, a chain of organic grocery stores, does. Another way to buy organic grass-fed beef is to search for local farmers in your area that will sell sides of beef to individual consumers. Again, try Eatwild.com for their directory of pasture-based farms, that can help you find organic beef near your hometown.
Generally, to ensure you are buying grass-fed beef, make sure it is certified organic. The stipulations surrounding organic qualifications are very strict, and look after the health of the animal while it is alive in addition to the product. The USDA’s National Organic Program controls the standards for farms to be certified. Organic food in stores will be labeled “100% organic” or some simply “organic.” The USDA seal must be present on labels that have been certified. Want to find restaurants that serve organic beef? Try eatwellguide.org to search for them.
With the natural and organic movement on the rise in this country, consuming grass-fed beef is one more push in the right direction. This is just another example that naturally produced food is healthier than commercially altered substances. Now health-conscious Americans can eat beef without feeling guilty about the amount of fat they are consuming. Terry says, “We are regaining another source to fight against heart disease.”
