Grass fed or Grain fed?

Up until the 1930’s all beef in America & other developed nations was grass fed, or “grass finished”, meaning that cattle ate pasture grass for the entire duration of their lives. These days, there is a large portion of cattle that spend anywhere from 60-120 days in feedlots being fattened with grain before being slaughtered. This cattle is considered grain/corn fed or finished.  Unless you are specifically purchasing grass-finished or "free-range" meat, the beef bought at your local supermarket or butcher will be grain fed.

So, what’s the difference?

Meat that has been grass fed until finish has about one-half to one-third as much fat as a comparable cut from a grain-fed animal. Lower in calories, grass-fed beef is also higher in vitamin E and omega-3 fatty acids, which are thought to help reduce the risk of cancer, lower the likelihood of high blood pressure, and make people less susceptible to depression. Further more, meat from grass-fed cattle is rich in another beneficial fat called conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which supposedly lowers the risk of cancer. The benefits of CLA are so widely acknowledged that some farmers who don't grass-finish their cattle add CLA supplements to their animals' feed once they're taken to the feedlots prior to slaughter.

Why then are farmers grain feeding?

Feeding corn to cattle in the weeks before slaughter has several advantages for the producer, including:

Corn-fed cattle gain weight much more quickly than cattle in a strictly grass-fed environment and can be produced year-round;

The current system of ranching is designed around the accelerated growth of cattle in feedlots, and since corn-fed cattle fit this model, they are easier and more cost-effective to produce, and result in cheaper products for the consumer; and

Corn-fed cattle produce the type of meat that consumers have grown to love and expect: a tasty, marbled, fatty meat with smooth, consistent flavor.

These points suggest that it is not about the health of the consumer, but all about the $$$. 

The Facts!

A literature review conducted by Amber Abbot & Margaret Basurto, has concluded that ranchers who produce grass-fed cattle may rightfully claim the product is more healthful than conventionally produced meat.

The report says that three ounces of ground beef from cattle fed conventional diets contain about 41 micrograms of beta-carotene and a typical rib eye steak has 36 micrograms.  In contrast, meat from cattle fattened predominately on ryegrass has almost double the beta-carotene, 87 micrograms in 3.5 ounces of ground beef and 64 micrograms in a steak.

Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body.  While excessive amounts of vitamin A in supplement form can be toxic, the body will only convert as much vitamin A as it needs from beta-carotene.  Vitamin A is a critical fat-soluble vitamin that is important for normal vision, bone growth, reproduction, cell division and cell differentiation.  A three-ounce serving of grass-fed beef supplies 10 percent of the recommended dietary allowance of beta-carotene for women, compared to 5 percent from conventional beef.

The amount of natural vitamin E found in beef raised on a conventional diet is 3.7 micrograms per gram of meat.  The amount of vitamin E per gram in beef raised on the grass-based diet is 9.3 micrograms, a nearly threefold improvement.  A 3.5-ounce serving of grass-fed beef would yield 930 micrograms of vitamin E, about 7 percent of the daily dietary requirement. 

Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin with powerful antioxidant activity.  Antioxidants protect cells against the effects of free radicals, which are potentially damaging byproducts of the body's metabolism that may contribute to chronic health problems such as cancer and cardiovascular disease.

Cattle's diet also significantly alters the fatty acid composition of their meat.  Cattle fed primarily grass have 60 percent more omega-3 fatty acids and a more favorable omega-6 to omega-3 ratio.  Omega-3 fatty acids reduce inflammation and help prevent heart disease and arthritis.  Omega-6 promotes inflammation, blood clotting and tumor growth.  Because the two substances work together to promote good health, it is important to maintain a proper balance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.  The essential fatty acids are also highly concentrated in the brain and appear to be particularly important for cognitive and behavioral function.

Raising cattle on grass boosts the beef's level of a conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a lesser-known but important group of polyunsaturated fatty acids found in beef, lamb and dairy products.  Over the past two decades, numerous health benefits have been attributed to CLA in animals, including a reduction in cancer, heart disease, onset of diabetes and accumulation of body fat.  To achieve these benefits, the average person should consume about 5 grams of CLA per day.  A 3.5-ounce serving of grass-fed beef provides 1.23 grams of CLA, 25 percent of the daily requirement.  The same amount of conventional beef provides less than 10 percent of the daily requirement.

Details about the health benefits of grass-fed beef, citations for all the research used in this study, and additional resources for consumers, grass-fed beef producers and ranchers considering raising grass-fed beef are on the Web site, http://www.csuchico.edu/agr/grassfedbeef/research/health/index.html

So what can we do?

The good news is that there is a wave of farmers and consumers that argues for a return to the old way of meat production. They contend that feeding cattle grass is healthier and more sustainable for both the cow and the consumer, which is true!  We can play a part by ensuring we are only purchasing grass fed meat!