What Are The Benefits Of Grass Fed Beef?

Grass-fed cattle are exactly that, cows fed on the grasses of pasture instead of the plant seeds that make up most of the supplements grain-fed cattle eat. Because they primarily eat the leaves from plants, grass-fed cattle benefit from the nutrients concentrated in those leaves. For these reasons, grass-fed beef has better nutritional quality and increased food safety that grain-fed beef does not.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, omega-3 fatty acids are an important contributor to human health. They protect the brain, reduce inflammation and lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and some cancers. Because their diet is rich in the omega-3 fatty acids found in plants, grass-fed cattle are a better source of this fatty acid than grain-fed cattle.

A study published in the January 2006 "Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition" examined the omega-3 content in beef of cattle fed exclusively on grass, those fed grain for less than 80 days, and those fed grain for up to 200 days. Grass-fed beef contained significantly higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids than the other groups. The levels were considered high enough that grass-fed beef is considered a source of omega-3 by Food Standard Australia and New Zealand.

Fat

Grass-fed beef has a fat content four to six times lower than that found in grain-fed beef, according to Julius Ruechel in "Grass-Fed Cattle: How to Produce and Market Natural Beef." This level of fat content makes grass-fed beef as lean as poultry or wild game such as deer. MedlinePlus notes that one gram of fat provides nine calories in your diet. One gram of protein or carbohydrates provides about half that number. This means that beef with a lower fat content could reduce the amount of calories you consume in total.

Anti-Oxidants

Ruechel states that the fat in grass-fed beef is more yellow than grain-fed beef. This is because the beta-carotene from the plants is incorporated into the animal's muscle and fat stores. Your body uses beta-carotene to make vitamin A and as an anti-oxidant to fight free-radical cell damage that can cause cancer. Because grain does not contain significant levels of beta-carotene, the fat in grain-fed beef does not provide the same health benefit as grass-fed beef.

Clean Feed

Because grass-fed cattle do not eat grain or other supplemental feed, there is little risk that they will ingest tissue from animals infected with diseases, such as Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy, or mad cow disease. Mother Earth News notes that humans can contract Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease from eating beef that carries mad cow disease.

This grass-based diet also helps reduce the acid-resistance of E. coli, a form of bacteria that is hazardous to humans. Grass-fed cattle have less acidic digestive systems than grain-fed cattle. This means that the E. coli bacteria occurring in grass-fed cattle are more easily destroyed by the acid found in human stomachs, thereby reducing the risk that humans will get sick from ingesting bacteria in grass-fed beef.