What does it mean to be "grass fed, grass finished" and does it make any difference?
Health benefits of grass fed, and grass finished:
- Results in a nearly 1:1 ratio of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids. (ratio in grain finished beef is around 6:1.)
- Because of the high levels of anti-inflammitory omega-3 fatty acids (ALA, DHA, EPA, and linolenic acid) the risk of heart disease (CVD) is GREATLY reduced.
- Grass fed/finished is considerable less likely to be infected with E-coli, particularly acid-resistant E-coli that cannot be effectively disarmed by our digestive systems.
First of all, all grass fed beef is not created equal. Though many beef suppliers and restaurants tout grass fed beef or steaks, in most cases, that beef has been grass fed for the majority of it's life, but is stuffed full of grain or corn in the last 30 days or so to fatten it up. This beef would be classified as grass fed, grain finished.
Grass fed, grass finished means that the cow has eaten nothing but grass from birth to butcher. What difference does it make, you might ask? The answer is, that when cattle are fed grains and/or corn for the last month or so of their life, most of the initial omega-3 stores and other nutritional benefits are lost. (It doesn't take long!) This also places an undue amount of stress on the cow's digestive system, making it succeptable to sickness and disease.
Nutritional Benefits of Longhorn Beef:
- It's naturally lean, meaning that it has not been stripped of any natural fat. This results in full-flavor beef, but very little saturated fat
- Low in cholesterol. Studies have shown that eating lean beef can help increase "good" cholesterol and reduce "bad cholesterol"
