Research on Grass Fed Beef and Health Versus Conventional in Heart Disease

November 2015 Issue

Grass-Fed vs Conventional Beef
By David Yeager
Today'due south Dietitian
Vol. 17 No. 11 P. 26

Research suggests grass-fed beefiness may be healthier than its conventional cousin.

As the debate virtually whether Americans should eat less beef rages on, a subdebate virtually the relative benefits of conventional vs grass-fed beef is taking identify.

There'south no question that grass-fed beef is gaining in popularity and marketplace share, with demand growing at an annual charge per unit of 25% to 30% per year over the past decade.1 In 2013, retail sales of grass-fed beef surpassed $400 million, compared with less than $5 million in 1998.1 Although people who are used to eating conventional beef may not relish the "wild" taste of grass-fed beef or its chewier texture, others prefer it. Taste often is the top consideration, but one question on the minds of many consumers is whether grass-fed beefiness provides any wellness benefits above and across conventional beef.

Determining the relative health benefits of grass-fed beef can exist complicated, and many clients may wait to dietitians for answers. To begin comparing, it'south important to empathise the definition of grass-fed vs conventional. Conventional, or corn-fed, beef is the most widely produced blazon of beef in the United States. These animals unremarkably spend role of their lives on pasture or range, just they're moved to feedlots at 12 to 18 months of age, where they're typically separated into groups of 100 animals and alive in pens that permit between 125 and 250 feet of space per fauna.2 They spend approximately the terminal iv to half-dozen months of their lives on the feedlots and are fed a closely monitored, grain-based diet.2

To exist classified as grass-fed, the USDA Grass Fed Marketing Claim Standard stipulates that, after weaning, ruminants must be fed only grass; forage, which are herbs other than grass; and cereal grains in their vegetative, pregrain states, and have continuous access to pasture during the growing season.3 They tin't be fed grains, such equally wheat and corn or their byproducts.3 Routine vitamin and mineral supplementation in the feed is immune.3

No stipulations exist inside the USDA's Grass Fed labeling programme regarding the use of antibiotics, growth hormones, or GMOs in the fauna feed.4 To make claims that the beef is costless of antibiotics and growth hormones, or that no genetically modified feed was given to the animals, producers accept to apply for additional label designations such equally "USDA Organic."4 Some organizations, such equally the American Grassfed Association and the Food Alliance, accept developed grass-fed standards that are more comprehensive than those of the USDA.5,6

What's the Beef?
Mary Jo Forbord, RD, a farmer and co-owner of Prairie Horizons Farm in Starbuck, Minnesota, farms 150 head of grass-fed cattle on 480 acres with her husband. They've grown both grass-fed and conventional cattle, and Forbord says grass-fed beefiness is significantly less labor- and energy-intensive. Feed for conventional cattle is expensive and must be closely rationed to reach maximum growth and production. Also, conventional cattle often are given hormones to stimulate growth or regulate reproduction. The health of the animals is important, but simply as it relates to their ability to exist sold. Since switching to grass-fed beefiness, the Forbords' per capita vet bills for their herd are less than those for their dogs.

"We are enjoying farming a lot more now," Forbord says. "If we had to farm the way we did when we left article agronomics, we wouldn't exist farming anymore. The focus in commodity agriculture is on quantity more than quality or wellness attributes."

The Forbords' farm, like most farms in the Midwest, is situated on the tall grass prairie, which in one case fed threescore one thousand thousand bison. Although conventional farming had stripped away many of the native plants, Forbord says the seed bed of the prairie remained intact and, since she and her husband began raising grass-fed cattle, many native plants and grasses, of which there are hundreds of species, have returned. Forbord as well has noticed an increase in the diversity of animals, birds, and insects that alive on the land.

The Forbords' cattle graze yr-round and become their food from pastures and the prairie, while helping to keep the perennial woody shrubs that accept repopulated the country in check. The Forbords rotate their cattle to fresh pasture daily to stimulate found diversity and prevent overgrazing. The animals receive vaccines but aren't fed hormones or antibiotics. Their only supplemental food is hay from the Forbords' land, which they swallow during the wintertime months. The cattle drink fresh water from a portable tank attached to one of several pipes that run from the farm'southward well to its pastures. The tank is moved each time the cattle movement. Forbord estimates that information technology takes one to two acres to produce a ready-for-marketplace brute. Rather than following a strict timetable, the Forbords rely on visual inspections to decide when an animal is set to be sold.

Chewing the Fat
Another advantage of raising grass-fed cattle is the healthier fatty profile of their beef compared with conventional beef. There's piffling scientific literature comparison a man nutrition of grass-fed beef to a nutrition of conventional beefiness, but a growing body of research describes the differences in the animals' fatty profiles. These differences may have implications for human health.

"Grass-fed animals take a different muscle composition than grain-fed animals. The difference is mostly in the type and amount of fatty acids," says Artemis P. Simopoulos, MD, FACN, an endocrinologist; founder and president of the Heart for Genetics, Nutrition and Health; and writer of The Omega Diet . "For example, animals in the wild that consume grass have more meat, less fatty, less saturated fat, and more polyunsaturated fat acids. And they have, peculiarly, a higher amount of omega-iii fatty acids. So, during development, when aught was domesticated, human beings got their omega-6 and omega-3 polyunsaturated fat acids, peculiarly EPA and DHA, direct from their diet, and they were balanced almost in equal amounts."

What grazing animals ate didn't change significantly from the time humans started domesticating livestock until the past century, merely equally agricultural practices became more than industrialized, the ratio of omega-half dozen to omega-3 fatty acids (EPA, DHA, and alpha-linolenic acrid) in livestock began to shift. Charles Benbrook, PhD, a scientist who has studied the impact of fauna rations on meat quality, says animals fed grain—by and large corn—in feedlots may grow faster, but the growth comes at a price: The grain feed increases the levels of omega-6 fatty acids and reduces the level of omega-3 fatty acids in the animals.

"It moves the nutritional quality of the fat from highly desirable, with a grass-fed brute, to not terribly beneficial," Benbrook says. "The size of the shift is quite remarkable. A number of studies have documented omega-half dozen to omega-3 ratios in grass-fed beefiness on the order of 1:1 to 3:ane, whereas in animals that spend the terminal portion of their lives on feedlots, the ratios can be betwixt v:i and 7:ane. It really is a very substantial shift."

The shift from omega-3 fatty acids to omega-vi fatty acids is significant considering research has shown that omega-vi fatty acids promote a proinflammatory state in the man torso, says Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD, author of The Ultimate Omega-iii Diet . Inflammation has been implicated as a contributor to many chronic diseases.seven-9 Tribole says eating foods with higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids interferes with the wellness benefits of omega-iii fatty acids.

"Nearly Americans are deficient in [the omega-iii fatty acids EPA and DHA] to begin with, and because omega-3s and omega-6s compete with each other, if yous eat besides much omega-6, it creates a proinflammatory state of affairs in the body," Tribole says. "One time they're inside the body, the omega-iii compounds and the omega-half dozen compounds compete for the aforementioned kinds of enzymes. Whichever chemical compound is predominant is going to win the enzymes."

When viewed as part of a larger shift in the American nutrition between the 1930s and 1950s, Benbrook says many scientists believe at that place'southward cause for business organization. In the 1930s, the overall ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids in the American nutrition was between three:1 and iv:1. By the early 1950s, it had grown to effectually 10:1, largely due to the widespread introduction of margarine, trans fats, soybean oil, and big-scale livestock operations that relied on feedlots and grain feed.

"There'south adequately wide understanding that a diet with 10 parts of omega-6 fatty acids for every part of omega-3 fat acid is not healthful, and it volition exist a risk factor for overweight, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and whatsoever disease with its roots in inflammation, which would include dementia and the mental diseases of crumbling," Benbrook says. "Many scientists are convinced that this detail shift in the diet may be as of import as the general shift towards excessive caloric intake, and information technology certainly may exist more important than total fat intake. That'south 1 of the interesting debates that'south going on now in the medical community. Many doctors feel that we've put too much focus on overall fat content and not enough accent on the quality of the fatty."

Although many researchers believe that higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids in the diet contribute to inflammation and therefore chronic illness, others believe these findings are based on minimal evidence, and that in humans higher intakes of omega-6 fatty acids haven't been associated with elevated levels of inflammatory markers.ten

Home on the Range
Despite the conflicting testify, grass-fed beef attracts consumers. The Forbords accept received the USDA Certified Grass Fed label, but they haven't put information technology on their beef packaging because need for their products has been growing faster than their supply, and they oasis't needed an additional marketing tool. Forbord sells directly to consumers. She estimates that her farm feeds 200 families per year.

Along with the quality of the beefiness, Forbord says many people are interested in the quality of the animals' lives. Her customers often ask about how the animals are raised. Forbord says assuasive the animals to graze is much less stressful on the animals and on her and her husband equally farmers compared with conventional farming. In addition to having more room to roam, grass-fed cattle tend to live longer than conventional cattle. How long they live varies, but the Forbords have some cows aged 12 and 13. These older cows have had x or more calves, one each twelvemonth, and they perform an important function inside the herd: They're teachers. The older cows bear witness the remainder of the herd where to graze and which plants to consume at certain times of the year.

Many of the Forbords' customers likewise are interested in the environmental bear upon of the farm. Forbord says grazing helps build the soil and consumes much less free energy than conventional farming. The questions about the farming process underscore a trend that Forbord has noticed: More people are taking an interest in where their nutrient comes from. Some want to have a relationship with the people who produce their food. Others like the fact that farming grass-fed cattle tends to reduce the miles the food travels, while supporting a local economic system and keeping farmers in the region. Nevertheless others run across it equally a way to promote ecology diversity, protect natural resource, and use the land sustainably. Whatever the reason, people'south curiosity about grass-fed beefiness goes far beyond sense of taste and nutrition.

"I really like having a directly human relationship with our customers and being responsive to what they want and open to their requests to see our land, to run into our animals, and to ask any question they desire about how our animals lived and died," Forbord says. "Nosotros can give them those answers and have complete transparency nearly it."

Forbord also sees grass-fed beef equally a potential inroad for the next generation of farmers because it doesn't require every bit much capital equally other farming methods. With the boilerplate age of farmers budgeted threescore, it will become increasingly important to discover new farmers.11 Forbord thinks this type of farming has the potential to repopulate some rural areas.

Getting Grass-Fed
Aside from the environmental and potential social benefits of eating grass-fed beef, health considerations shouldn't be overlooked. When advising clients, RDs often encounter people who eat more meat and fewer vegetables than what dietary guidelines recommend. As a component of the diet, however, grass-fed beef may offering some benefits.

"I recommend, when they're choosing beef, whether it's at a eating house or they're shopping at a grocery shop, to cull grass-fed or pasture-raised beefiness considering of the better nutritional profile," Tribole says. "Information technology's not just some new age kind of thing; there are nutritional benefits."

Where people find grass-fed beef varies by region. People who alive in urban areas may need to practice some inquiry. Checking for the USDA Certified Grass Fed label on beefiness packaging is a adept place to start.

Another way to determine whether beef is grass-fed is to ask the producer. Considering of the expense associated with applying for label designations, many small farms eschew the process, fifty-fifty if they qualify for the designation. To help these farmers, the USDA has instituted the Grass Fed Program for Small and Very Small Producers.12 Producers with fewer than 49 head of calves or lambs from fewer than 99 ewes tin can qualify for a USDA Certified Grass Fed label for $108 biennially. Farmers' markets are good places to meet small-scale producers, and many direct-sales farms annunciate.

The cost of grass-fed beef also will vary, merely information technology'south typically college than conventional beef. Sticker toll doesn't tell the entire story, though. Simopoulos says most people are attracted past lower prices at the store, just they need to think nigh price in the context of their overall health. She says the vast majority of people eat more meat and fewer vegetables, which carries hidden costs.

"In the current food supply, unless you eat fish regularly, you can have days on end without whatsoever [EPA or DHA] omega-3s. That's why omega-3s are depleted, and that'southward why Western diets are proinflammatory diets," Simopoulos says. "And so I recommend that people eat a diet where they get their omega-3 fatty acids practically in every meal they eat. They can eat less meat. They can eat 100 grams per 24-hour interval—or 3 oz—rather than half-dozen oz, if the meat is high in omega-iii fatty acids. If you consume half every bit much, the grass-fed beef is healthier and less expensive. People need to think not only about how much the food costs but how much they should consume. Get your money'due south worth for your wellness."

— David Yeager is a freelance author and editor based in southeastern Pennsylvania.

References
ane. Williams AR. Fiscal analysis shows grass-fed beef is practiced for producers. Organic Broadcaster. July/August 2014. https://mosesorganic.org/farming/farming-topics/livestock/grass-fed-beef-is-good-for-producers/. Accessed September viii, 2015.

2. Corn-fed beef and grass-finished beef. Nebraska Corn Lath website. http://www.ncga.com/uploads/useruploads/corn-fedgrass-fedbeef.pdf. Accessed September 8, 2015.

3. Grass fed marketing merits standard. USDA Agricultural Marketing Service website. http://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/beef/grassfed. Accessed September eight, 2015.

four. Usa standards for livestock and meat marketing claims, grass (forage) fed claim for ruminant livestock and the meat products derived from such livestock. Regulations.gov website. http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=AMS-LS-07-0113-0001. Updated October ane, 2007. Accessed September 8, 2015.

5. Our standards. American Grassfed Association website. http://www.americangrassfed.org/almost-us/our-standards/. Accessed September viii, 2015.

6. Frequently asked questions: grassfed label. Food Alliance website. http://foodalliance.org/grassfed/grassfedfaq. Accessed September 8, 2015.

7. Egger 1000. In search of a germ theory equivalent for chronic disease. Prev Chronic Dis . 2012;9:E95.

viii. Galland L. Diet and inflammation. Nutr Clin Pract . 2010;25(vi):634-640.

9. Inflammation in chronic illness. Canadian Institutes of Health Inquiry website. http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/east/43625.html. Updated April 21, 2015. Accessed September 11, 2015.

10. Willett WC. The role of dietary n-6 fatty acids in the prevention of cardiovascular affliction. J Cardiovasc Med . 2007;eight(Suppl i):S42-45.

eleven. Ag 101: demographics. United states Environmental Protection Agency website. http://www.epa.gov/agriculture/ag101/demographics.html. Updated April four, 2013. Accessed September 16, 2015.

12. Livestock, poultry and seed plan: grass fed program for small and very small-scale (SVS) producers. USDA Agronomical Marketing Service website. http://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Grass%20Fed%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf. Accessed September nine, 2015.

kittsforre1965.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/1115p26.shtml

Share this post