The Case For Grass Fed Beef- Part 1: Human Health

This is Part 1 of a 3 part series on Grass Fed Beef. We decided to write these posts not only to inform you, the reader, but also to give you confidence in making a case for getting grass fed beef at your school.

Part 1: Human Health

You know what they say: “you are what you eat.” Well, it turns out, it’s true for cows too. When a cow eats corn it tends to act a lot more like corn. It may not be walking around wearing a corn stalk outfit, but there are some odd effects that take place in the food that is produced from said corn or grain fed cow. Let’s start by looking at some nutritional break down of grass fed beef versus grain fed beef.

1 Ounce of Grass Fed Beef gives us:

• 54 Calories
• 4 g fat(1 g saturated fat)
• 5 g protein (0 g carbs)
• 24.6 mg Omega 3’s and 120 mg Omega 6’s (remember, the closer to 1:1 O6:O3 ratio, the better)
• Vitamins: B6. B12
• Minerals: Zinc, Selenium, Phosphorus and Iron

The Same amount of Grain Fed Beef gives us:

• 71 Calories
• 6g fat (2g saturated fat)
• 5g Protein (0g carbs)
• 13.4 mg Omega 3’s and 122 mg Omega 6’s
• Vitamins: B6, B12
• Minerals: Phosphorus, Zinc, Selenium, and Iron

So! It seems as if we have a bit of a conundrum on our hands. Grass fed beef is lower in calories and fat than grain fed beef. This means that it is quite possible that eating a diet that replaces grain fed beef with grass fed beef could help you lose weight! It also S=seems as if grass fed beef has a bit of an advantage when it comes to the Omega 6: Omega 3  ratio. But why does this matter?

Quick Review:

To understand this, we must first review some things about fats. Fats can pretty much be split up into two categories: Saturated and Unsaturated fats. Within the unsaturated fats, there exists monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Omega 6 and Omega 3 essential fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats. They are called essential because our bodies are unable to produce them, yet we need them. That means that the only way to get them is from food.

Why it Matters:

Recent research shows that O6:O3 ratios that exceed 4:1 can cause a number of inflammatory related diseases. To name a few: hypertension, arthritis, coronary artery disease and cancer. Turns out, the average American these days have an O6:O3 ratio of anywhere from 16:1 to 25:1. Part of that has to do with the high ratio of grain fed beef. Grain fed beef has been known to posses ratios of 20:1, while grass fed beef is closer to 3:1.

To Sum Up:

• Grass Fed Beef is a REAL whole food in its natural state
• Grass Fed Beef is naturally leaner than grain fed
• Grass Fed Beef is naturally lower in calories than grain fed
• Grass Fed Beef has way more Omega 3’s compared to grain fed
• Grass Fed Beef is full of vitamins and minerals that are great for your health

Look for Parts 2 (Animal Health) and 3 (Planet Health) in the coming weeks! Until then, Questions? Comments? Concerns?