| Grass Fed versus Grain Fed Beef |
| In the strength traning and bodybuilding world there is a lot of talk about beef. And chicken and fish and eggs and milk, etc. But beef and red meat especially because trainees wonder about "how much is OK?" and "should I eat mostly poultry and fish?". And now lately with the surge of consumer interest in grass fed beef, of course, there is a lot a speculation going on about the relative health value of "grass fed" versus "grain fed" beef most of which focuses on fatty acid profiles.
I've published a review of grass fed and grain fed beef fatty acid profiles. As usual I'll let you come to your own conclusions given the data. However I'd like to clear up one central misunderstanding about grass fed beef.  Grass fed beef usually means "grass finished" beef or more specifically "pasture finished" beef since there may be more forage in pasture than just grass such as clover and other plants. Most cattle starts out in pasture and then is sold to producers who usually finish the cattle in feedlots where it is given a diet consisting of grains, soy and other foods for faster growth and more fat content. The grain fed beef or "grain finished beef" we are used to has that "marbling" that gives it that great taste precisely because of this feed lot practice. Grass fed beef is not finished in lots but in pasture. The taste differs because of this. But all of that is not the main thing I want to talk about. It's the misconception about "grass fed" and "natural" I want to clear up. It stands to reason that an image of cows contentedly grazing in a sunlit pasture will seem more natural than grain finished beef. Natural tends to equate to more healthful in most people's minds. You should be aware, however, that unlike with packaged foods, the term natural has a specific legal definition in meats and poultry products as regulated by FDA/FSIS: "A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed (a process which does not fundamentally alter the raw product) may be labeled natural. The label must explain the use of the term natural (such as - no added colorings or artificial ingredients; minimally processed.)" As you can see that doesn't cover much. Meat products being free of hormones or antibiotics (read no hormones or antibiotics administered) are covered by different labelling terms no hormones administered and no antibiotics administered. Organic products are covered by the regulations set forth by the FDA's National Organic Program and are very specific having nothing to do with the word natural, which as you can see still means very little. The word natural is still vaguely defined and much controversy exists as to how it should be regulated. Minimally processed for instance is inexact and ground beef products can still be called natural the is not really altered in content, just state. Things are still considered on a case by case basis and much opportunity exists for manufactures to undercut smaller producers by taking advantage of the plasticity of the word and manipulating consumer expectations. The take home points. Grass fed beef products are not necessarily "natural" as compared to grain fed products. Natural products labeled as such are not necessarily hormone or antibiotic free. Natural, hormone free or antibiotic free are not necessarily "organic" in legal terms. It's not my intention to tell you that you should be seeking out hormone free, antibiotic free, natural, or organic meats. There are concerns about veterinary drug use in feedstock some of which are overblown and some of which are legitimate. If you ARE seeking those things out though, I wanted to try to clear up the misconceptions a bit. Read on about grass fed versus grain fed beef |
| A couple of other new posts |
| What is Dynamic Mobility?
You know the word dynamic and mobility are very similar in meaning. Why combine them. And what is the difference between mobility and flexibility. Different people have different defintions. Read on... A Strength Training Fallacy The False Compromise Stop letting other peoples favorite lifts bully you in the gym. What is a false comprimise and how are you making them in your training? Read on... Of course there is always a whole lot more new stuff to read here at GUS. |
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