Researchers compared the fatty acid compositions of three kinds of feeding. Each group contained 18 Australian cattle. The first group was fed grains 80 days before slaughter, the second group was fed “by-product feedstuff” for 200 days, and the third group was grass-finished and grass-fed.
Group #1: Short Term Grain Feeding (80 days)
Group #2: Long Term Feedlot Rations* (150-200 days)
Group#3: Grass Feeding (Life time)
*Feedlot rations for australian beef are made of 50 percent barley and/or sorghum (a type of wheat) and some form of cottonseed/protein mix: A mixture of grains.
Results
The grass-fed cows had more omega-3’s and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). Just 80 days of grain feeding was enough to destroy the omega-3 content of the beef. CLA content plummeted in the same amount of time. The longer the animals were fed grains, the lower the quality of the meat.
“There was a significantly higher level of total omega-3 (n-3) and long chain n-3 FA in grass-fed beef than the grain-fed groups regardless of cut types.”
The omega-3 quantity in grain-fed meat was so low, it didn’t qualify as a meaningful dietary source. Grass-fed meat has enough omega-3 to be considered a good source of n-3 fats. As Chris Masterjohn has shown us, the total amount of omega-3 we need is small if you have a good omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Therefore, eating grass-fed meat along with some fatty fish may be enough to cover your omega-3 needs.
“Only grass-fed beef reached the target of more than 30mg of long chain n-3 FA/100 g muscle as recommended by Food Standard Australia and New Zealand for a food to be considered a source of omega-3 fatty acids.”
Grain feeding significantly reduces the omega-3 and CLA content of meat. The feedlot cattle had the lowest levels, the grain-fed cattle were in the middle, and the grass-fed cattle had the most. The longer an animal is fed grains, the lower the nutrient content of the meat.
https://www.bulletproofexec.com/grass-fed-meat-part-1/
Referenced NIH study from article: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16500874
Site Information
About Us
- RonPaulForums.com is an independent grassroots outfit not officially connected to Ron Paul but dedicated to his mission. For more information see our Mission Statement.
Connect With Us