Bison Meat Benefits

Indigenous to North America, millions of bison once roamed the plains freely, providing a source of nutrition, clothing and shelter to Native American tribes. Heavy hunting in the late 1800s led to the near extinction of the breed, which is a sister to domestic cattle. Today, bison, also called American buffalo, provide a lean protein source that many choose for health reasons. You can purchase bison meat in grocery stores and from online retailers.

Calories and Protein

A Saturday afternoon burger could cost you fewer calories if you switched from ground beef to ground bison. A 3-oz. serving of ground bison contains about 150 calories and offers 22 g of protein, while a similar portion of 80 percent lean ground beef weighs in 40 percent heavier at 216 calories. Although the beef burger carries more calories, it serves up only 15 g of protein, less than the 20 g you could get from a cup of Greek yogurt.

Fat

Bison leaner than cattle -- the 3-oz. bison burger contains 7 g of fat compared to the traditional beef burger's 17 g -- and their fat is healthier for you, according to nutrition expert Loren Cordain, author of "The Paleo Diet." Bison graze on grass and hay for the majority of their life, which creates body fat with a high level of omega-3 fatty acid. Beef cattle are raised on corn, which creates higher levels of omega-6 fatty acids. Consuming grass-fed meats can help you lower your risk of heart disease, diabetes and cancer by shifting your omega-3 to omega-6 ratios, Cordain explains.

Additive-Free

The USDA reports that bison raised in the United States feed solely on grass and hay, and are not fed hormones or antibiotics. Comparatively, commercially raised beef cattle consume hormones and antibiotics to hasten their growth rate and fend off common feedlot illnesses, notes Cordain. Ingesting these additives as part of your diet can skew your hormone balance and introduce super bacteria to your digestive tract, according to Dr. Joe Mercola, who advises sticking to grass-fed meats.

Expert Recommendations

The American Heart Association recommends lean and extra-lean meat choices to reduce your risk of heart disease. Bison makes the AHA cut as an extra-lean meat choice due to its low cholesterol and low saturated fat content. Nutrition expert Mark Sisson, author of "Primal Nutrition," recommends bison as well, calling grass-fed game meats a mainstay for the growing caveman diet population.