Where's the (Grass-Fed) Beef?

It seems like everyone nowadays is touting the benefits of eating natural, and the trend is even influencing good old American red meat. So what's the deal with grass-fed beef, and why should you prefer it over grain-fed beef?

We are what we eat, especially as athletes; and a proper diet is a big part of getting an edge over the competition. The health benefits of grass-fed beef can help give you that edge. Here's why. Grass-fed beef has:

• Less total fat (eight percent less in most cases)
• More heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids
• More conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a type of fat that's thought to reduce heart disease and cancer risks
• More antioxidant vitamins, such as vitamin E

Grass-fed beef comes from cows that ate a natural diet of free-range foraging on grass. Most of the beef you find in grocery stores is grain-fed, meaning the cows ate corn in a feedlot or other sedentary environment to fatten them up. The diet of grain strips the cows of their healthy fats, including a perfect ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 and conjugated linoleic acid. Each day an animal spends in the feedlot reduces its supply of omega-3s further. Simply put, grass-fed cows have more omega-3s, because those healthy fats are formed from the green leaves and stalks of the plants the cows graze on.

If you don't know a farmer who raises cattle, check out www.eatwild.com. This is a great resource, and only legitimate operations make their list. Every state and province has at least a few options listed.

See also The Performance and Health Benefits of Grass-Fed Beef and  Build Muscle With Bison.

Source: Duckett, S. K., D. G. Wagner, et al. (1993). "Effects of time on feed on beef nutrient composition." J Anim Sci 71(8): 2079–88.