The Grass-Fed beef industry has been growing by 25-30% every year since 2006. Apparently, a lot of people are making the switch–and there are so many reasons to do it. Whether you are concerned with animal welfare, the environment or your own health, grass fed beef takes a better approach to these issues than grain-fed cattle.
The positives of grass fed beef
Animal welfare
Cows that are not grass fed are instead fed grains, soy and protein supplements. As this is an extremely unnatural diet for these animals, there are all sorts of health problems that come with it. Cows have what’s called a rumen. It’s basically a 45-gallon fermentation tank that, using stomach acid and a lot of bacteria, is able to convert roughage like grass and alfalfa into protein. When fed grains and other feed that isn’t normally a part of their diet, the rumen produces much more gas than usual and often can’t escape the cow fast enough. This results in a number of solutions. One is a tube down the cow’s esophagus to relieve the pressure. Another, more gruesome tactic is to cut a permanent hole in the side of the cow that remains until they are slaughtered.
A grass fed cow gets a life of roaming in the fields and generally lives four or five years before reaching the size and weight preferred before being sent to the slaughterhouse. A grain-fed cow might live 14-18 months. Grains, combined with growth hormones, make the cow grow so quickly that they reach optimal rate in just over a year after birth.
The environment
Feeding grains to cows requires a completely separate farming operation. Grains like corn, wheat and barley (as well as soy–which is not a grain) are grown on separate farms or plots of land, then fed to the cows. Consider all the extras that go into that: more water, more pesticides, more fertilizer, more land, more electricity and fossil fuels. These are all required to farm a piece of land.
Furthermore, imagine cows as little protein factories. They take plants in, digest them, and convert them to animal protein that we eat. The process by which a cow converts grass into protein is very efficient and natural. The process by which a cow converts grains into proteins is very inefficient and takes much more tonnage of grains than grass to work. It is a poor use of resources.
Also, cow emissions are literally more dangerous to the atmosphere than auto emissions. Cow farts generate two-thirds of the world’s ammonia, which is the origin of acid rain, and one-third of the world’s methane–which is a greenhouse gas 20 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.
Your health
- Potential Cancer Destroyer: There are 16 types of CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) in grass fed beef which has been shown to be anti-cancerous by the journal Cancer.
- Reduces Heart Disease: Contrary to popular belief, the red meat that causes heart disease is grainfed beef. Grass fed meats have higher levels of Omega-3 acids & vitamin E –both of which reduce strain on the heart.
- Regulates Blood Sugar: In 2016, the Journal of Endocrinology & Metabolism reported a 37% success rate in lowering sugar and raising insulin resistance when participants consumed exclusively grass fed meats.
- Supports Gut Microbiome: It’s a well-known fact that antibiotics destroy gut bacteria, leading to symbiosis and disease. Grain fed animals are given antibiotics to increase their size (side effect is weight gain) and prevent them from disease that normally comes from a high grain diet. grass fed meats are the opposite – supportive to your gut bacteria.
- Less Diseases: Consumer reports notes grass fed meats are less likely to be contaminated and contain far less medications, hormones and other additives than traditional grain-fed meats.
Are there any downsides to grass fed beef? Some people say it doesn’t have the same rich flavor because it has less marbling and fat interspersed with the muscle. That’s really a matter of opinion. And honestly, I doubt most people really notice.
The main drawback is cost. Non-organic grass fed beef costs an average of $2.50 per pound more than grain fed beef. And organic grass fed beef costs an average of $3.00 per pound more than grain fed beef. So, if you and your family eat 2 lbs. of beef a week, you’d spend between $260 and $310 more per year if you switched to grass fed. In the grand scheme of things, it’s not that much. And it’s worth it, as you can see.
