We are raising 100% grass-fed beef because we believe it to be better (or healthier) for at least five categories of living things: soil, pasture, animals, us farmers, and those who eat it. In some of our previous posts we have explained why rotationally-grazed grass-fed beef is better for the soil and the pasture, though we have just started to scratch the surface (pun intended) on those points. In this post we want to begin to explore why grass-fed (rather than grain-fed) beef is better for human health. There is a lot to be said on this question, so we will be splitting it up into several articles.
In this first part we’ll focus on what’s in grass-fed beef that makes it healthier for us human beings than grain-fed beef. (Next time we’ll talk about what’s missing in grass-fed beef and why that’s a good thing). The biggest nutritional difference between grass-fed and grain-fed beef is the quantity and proportion of the good things generally found in beef, namely fatty acids and vitamins. Much of this research is summarized in this 2010 article in Nutrition Journal.
Fatty Acids
For example, while grass-fed and grain-fed beef have roughly the same amount of Omega-6 fatty acids per pound, grass-fed beef has about 18 grams more Omega-3 fatty acids per lb of beef than does grain-fed beef. What’s important for our diet is the ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3. Ideally we would consume them in equal proportion (1:1), but most people in the US today have a diet that is 15:1 to 20:1 – not ideal and not healthy! In grass-fed beef, though, we find an average ratio of 1.5:1 while in grain-fed beef the average is 7.6:1. Clearly grass-fed beef is nearly ideal in terms of the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio, while grain-fed beef is not.
Grass-fed beef also contains healthier amounts of three fatty acids related to cholesterol levels: myristic acid, palmitic acid, and stearic acid. Those first two are more likely to cause an increase in LDL (low-density lipoprotein, often called “bad cholesterol” because it can build up plaque on the heart). Stearic acid, on the other hand, doesn’t seem to affect cholesterol levels. Grass fed beef is lower in myristic and palmitic acid and higher in stearic acid, making it less likely to increase your bad cholesterol.
One other fatty acid that grass-fed beef is higher is CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) which has been linked to a decrease in heart disease and cancer. Grass-fed beef is actually 2-3 times higher in CLA than grain-fed beef.
Vitamins and Minerals
One final example – grass-fed beef is higher in vitamins and minerals, such as beta-carotene, which our bodies convert to Vitamin A and protects against damage to DNA. Beta-carotene is found in plants, but not in grains, which is why grass-fed beef has 7-times the amount of beta-carotene that grain-fed beef does. You can sometimes see this difference manifested in the color of the fat. Grass-fed beef usually has fat with a yellow undertone, whereas grain-fed beef has much whiter fat. (How yellow the fat is will depend partly on what kinds of grass the cattle were eating and the breed of the cattle).
In short, grass-fed beef contains more of the nutrients that we need to get and stay healthy.