I've recently purchased mostly grass fed beef (with some corn supplements) and I've noticed something. Twice now, I've made roasts in the crockpot and when I go to dish out leftover the next day there is no layer of fat on the broth. The ground beef is also much less fatty. And the flavor is good. Really good.
I've been trying to get HFCS out of our diet for a while based on the "eat food" directive (i.e. that HFCS is an indicator of a highly processed comestible) but now I am seriously wondering if a high corn diet really is harmful.
Grass Fed Beef
Moderators: Soprano, automatedeating
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Blithe Morning
- Posts: 1221
- Joined: Wed Apr 02, 2008 10:56 pm
- Location: South Dakota
Re: Grass Fed Beef
I've read that the corn products we can buy at the store: corn (fresh, frozen, and even canned), cornstarch and even corn syrup is okay. It's the highly modified stuff that goes into processed foods that is problematic. Corn isn't bad. There are populations throughout the world but especially in Central and South America whose diets based on corn. And they are healthy. Corn isn't bad.Blithe Morning wrote:I've recently purchased mostly grass fed beef (with some corn supplements) and I've noticed something. Twice now, I've made roasts in the crockpot and when I go to dish out leftover the next day there is no layer of fat on the broth. The ground beef is also much less fatty. And the flavor is good. Really good.
I've been trying to get HFCS out of our diet for a while based on the "eat food" directive (i.e. that HFCS is an indicator of a highly processed comestible) but now I am seriously wondering if a high corn diet really is harmful.
Just because corn isn't the ideal food for one species (bovines) doesn't mean it's not a good food for another species (humans).
"That which we persist in doing becomes easier for us to do. Not that the nature of the thing itself has changed but our power to do it is increased." -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
"You are what you eat -- so don't be Fast, Easy, Cheap or Fake."
The biggest difference between grass-fed beef and normal beef is not *what* the cattle eat but *where* -- grass-fed cattle get their food whilst wandering about on the pasture, socializing with other cows, and generally having a grand ol' time. If their pasture happened to be a cornfield -- and corn is technically a grass -- the beef from these cattle would still bear much greater similarity to normal-grass-fed beef than to normal-corn-fed beef. Corn is not the villain here, cow lifestyle is.
Likewise, in humans, corn is fine if eaten sensibly. Pre-modern corn lacked a few amino acids, but those have been added to the stuff we get now, and anyways the lack didn't matter in diets with other sources of protein (such as beef). HFCS is just sugar, so divorced from its origins as to tell nothing of significance about the healthiness of corn itself.
So roast an ear for me!
[All data sourced from wikipedia]
Likewise, in humans, corn is fine if eaten sensibly. Pre-modern corn lacked a few amino acids, but those have been added to the stuff we get now, and anyways the lack didn't matter in diets with other sources of protein (such as beef). HFCS is just sugar, so divorced from its origins as to tell nothing of significance about the healthiness of corn itself.
So roast an ear for me!
[All data sourced from wikipedia]
"Why is this thus?
What is the reason for this thusness?"
-- Artemus Ward
What is the reason for this thusness?"
-- Artemus Ward
One of the big problems with corn is that nearly all the corn in the US is genetically modified and should be avoided. But it's in nearly everything - so it's tough to do. Same with soy.
Cattle that eat the right food for them produce healthier food (meat and dairy) for us. Grass-fed beef is healthier for us in many ways - *especially* the fat. Along with grass-fed meat, we eat loads of grass-fed butter and drink grass-fed whole milk.
Grassfed has a far better story to tell than organics CLA researcher says
by Allan Nation
CLAY CITY, Indiana: Dr. Tilak Dhiman of Utah State University speaking at the American Grassfed Association's convention said that American organic foods sales have grown from $7.5 billion in 2001 to $18.4 billion in 2005 and are projected to reach $23 billion in 2007.
"Currently, the organic food section is the most profitable section in today's supermarket. Even Wal-Mart is bringing out an organic food line," he said. "And yet, this is happening without any conclusive research that organic food is healthier for you. We have a far stronger and better researched story in grass fed products."
Some of grass fed's benefits in comparison with the grain fed product are:
500% more CLA
400% more Vitamin A
300% more Vitamin E
75% more omega-3
78% more Beta-carotene
In animals studies (humans are not normally used in cancer studies for ethical reasons), 11 out of 11 had found CLA decreases cancer.
Four out of five have found a decrease in body fat.
Two out of two have found a decreases in heart disease.
Six out of six have found increased immunity to disease.
Two out of two have found increased bone density.
And three out of three have found a decrease in adult diabetes.
While artificial CLA is now available in a pill form, natural CLA from animal products is 600% more effective in fighting cancer.
"This is a much more exciting story than organic food products have to tell." He said he was not denigrating organics as personally he would like his meat and milk to be both organic and grass fed."An organic 100% grass fed product would be the ultimate in healthy eating."
He said these health findings should benefit grass-based farmers and ranchers the most. "CLA in a ruminant product increases linearly with the increase in fresh pasture consumption," he said.
"In milk, it takes 25 days on pasture to get to the maximum level but only five days for this level to collapse when the animal is removed from pasture."
This recovery time is much slower in meat products. Current research indicates that the CLA in an animal that is ever fed grain never fully equals one fed no grain at all. Animals that were fed small amounts of grain in their stocker stage and then finished on pasture alone had less than half the CLA of cattle completely grown from weaning to harvest on grass. Dhiman said feeding an animal hay or wilted silage would decrease the CLA by one-third and green chop by 10%.
He said what created CLA was the highly volatile fatty acids in the grass that are quickly lost due to wilting. Also fine chopping hay or silage decreases the CLA even further. Feeding a ruminant animal fat also decreases CLA content. He said the best way to increase the CLA content in meat and milk was to add a legume. "Clovers increase CLA content by 30% over straight grass pastures."
Breeds have an influence as well.
The Brown Swiss produces the most amount of CLA in Dhiman's studies. This is some 40% more than the Holstein.
He said the CLA is found within the animal's fat. Breeds that produce high fat content milk and fatten easily on pasture are the breeds needed for high CLA products.
Supplements can also increase the CLA in milk.
Dhiman said fish oil has the greatest positive effect but plant oils such as soybean oil are also effective. He said to remember that the benefit is in the oil of the plant and not the meal. Full-fat, roasted soybeans and extruded soybean meal are far better than meals with the oils completely removed.
"It is far easier to increase the CLA content in milk than in beef. We have found no CLA benefit in feeding oils to beef cattle."
He said the reluctance of most dairy producers to go to 100% grass feeding was unfortunate because cheese and butter offered the fastest way to dramatically increase the CLA content of the consumer's diet. He said a serving of 100% grass fed cheese contained 212 mgs of CLA versus only 70 mg in a serving of 100% grass fed beef.
To make this health food story even better, he said recent research has discovered a new fatty acid called Trans-vaccinic Acid or TVA. Human digestion can convert about 20% of this TVA to CLA. This gives grass fed products an even further advantage because TVA has been found to increase linearly with the increase in pasture consumption just like CLA.
"The more we research grass fed products the bigger the (health) advantages to grass feeding gets," he said.
© by The Stockman Grass Farmer
Cattle that eat the right food for them produce healthier food (meat and dairy) for us. Grass-fed beef is healthier for us in many ways - *especially* the fat. Along with grass-fed meat, we eat loads of grass-fed butter and drink grass-fed whole milk.
Grassfed has a far better story to tell than organics CLA researcher says
by Allan Nation
CLAY CITY, Indiana: Dr. Tilak Dhiman of Utah State University speaking at the American Grassfed Association's convention said that American organic foods sales have grown from $7.5 billion in 2001 to $18.4 billion in 2005 and are projected to reach $23 billion in 2007.
"Currently, the organic food section is the most profitable section in today's supermarket. Even Wal-Mart is bringing out an organic food line," he said. "And yet, this is happening without any conclusive research that organic food is healthier for you. We have a far stronger and better researched story in grass fed products."
Some of grass fed's benefits in comparison with the grain fed product are:
500% more CLA
400% more Vitamin A
300% more Vitamin E
75% more omega-3
78% more Beta-carotene
In animals studies (humans are not normally used in cancer studies for ethical reasons), 11 out of 11 had found CLA decreases cancer.
Four out of five have found a decrease in body fat.
Two out of two have found a decreases in heart disease.
Six out of six have found increased immunity to disease.
Two out of two have found increased bone density.
And three out of three have found a decrease in adult diabetes.
While artificial CLA is now available in a pill form, natural CLA from animal products is 600% more effective in fighting cancer.
"This is a much more exciting story than organic food products have to tell." He said he was not denigrating organics as personally he would like his meat and milk to be both organic and grass fed."An organic 100% grass fed product would be the ultimate in healthy eating."
He said these health findings should benefit grass-based farmers and ranchers the most. "CLA in a ruminant product increases linearly with the increase in fresh pasture consumption," he said.
"In milk, it takes 25 days on pasture to get to the maximum level but only five days for this level to collapse when the animal is removed from pasture."
This recovery time is much slower in meat products. Current research indicates that the CLA in an animal that is ever fed grain never fully equals one fed no grain at all. Animals that were fed small amounts of grain in their stocker stage and then finished on pasture alone had less than half the CLA of cattle completely grown from weaning to harvest on grass. Dhiman said feeding an animal hay or wilted silage would decrease the CLA by one-third and green chop by 10%.
He said what created CLA was the highly volatile fatty acids in the grass that are quickly lost due to wilting. Also fine chopping hay or silage decreases the CLA even further. Feeding a ruminant animal fat also decreases CLA content. He said the best way to increase the CLA content in meat and milk was to add a legume. "Clovers increase CLA content by 30% over straight grass pastures."
Breeds have an influence as well.
The Brown Swiss produces the most amount of CLA in Dhiman's studies. This is some 40% more than the Holstein.
He said the CLA is found within the animal's fat. Breeds that produce high fat content milk and fatten easily on pasture are the breeds needed for high CLA products.
Supplements can also increase the CLA in milk.
Dhiman said fish oil has the greatest positive effect but plant oils such as soybean oil are also effective. He said to remember that the benefit is in the oil of the plant and not the meal. Full-fat, roasted soybeans and extruded soybean meal are far better than meals with the oils completely removed.
"It is far easier to increase the CLA content in milk than in beef. We have found no CLA benefit in feeding oils to beef cattle."
He said the reluctance of most dairy producers to go to 100% grass feeding was unfortunate because cheese and butter offered the fastest way to dramatically increase the CLA content of the consumer's diet. He said a serving of 100% grass fed cheese contained 212 mgs of CLA versus only 70 mg in a serving of 100% grass fed beef.
To make this health food story even better, he said recent research has discovered a new fatty acid called Trans-vaccinic Acid or TVA. Human digestion can convert about 20% of this TVA to CLA. This gives grass fed products an even further advantage because TVA has been found to increase linearly with the increase in pasture consumption just like CLA.
"The more we research grass fed products the bigger the (health) advantages to grass feeding gets," he said.
© by The Stockman Grass Farmer
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lelovelady
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Wed Jan 06, 2010 10:30 pm
- Location: Dallas, TX
Re: Grass Fed Beef
Well, you also have to consider this. Grassfed beef are allowed to mature and grow at their natural rate, while being allowed to roam naturally (as another poster pointed out). Regular beef are placed into feedlots, where they are confined in small areas with a lot of other cattle, and given all the fattening food they can eat, with the goal to get them to slaughtering size as quickly as possible.Blithe Morning wrote:I've recently purchased mostly grass fed beef (with some corn supplements) and I've noticed something. Twice now, I've made roasts in the crockpot and when I go to dish out leftover the next day there is no layer of fat on the broth. The ground beef is also much less fatty. And the flavor is good. Really good.
A human kept in a confined area and fed unlimited amounts of fattening food will grow fat too. It's not WHAT they're being fed ... it's HOW they're being fed.
Laura L.
I don't eat a lot of beef, but I have recently become a convert to Irish butter, specifically Kerrygold, which is carried by Whole Foods, Trader Joe's (I think), as well as some U.S. supermarket chains. The cows spend their days outdoors grazing on grass, and as a result the butter is a beautiful yellow shade from the extra beta carotene and is absolutely delicious. It's more expensive than other butters, so I don't cook with it but use it as a spread for my homemade bread.
(No connection to Kerrygold or any retail outfit--just a satisfied customer!)
(No connection to Kerrygold or any retail outfit--just a satisfied customer!)
A New Zealand perspective
Here in New Zealand we only have grass fed beef, and increasingly organic. It makes for great meat and dairy products