By Stephen B. Smith, Ph.D.
Regents Professor, Section of Animal Science

The internet is brimful in websites proclaiming the nutritional benefits of footing beef from grass-fed cattle. Nonetheless, researchers in the Department of Beast Science at Texas A&M University have published the only two inquiry studies that really compared the effects of ground beef from grass-fed cattle and traditional, grain-fed cattle on adventure factors for cardiovascular affliction (CVD) and type II diabetes in men. Was ground beef from grass-fed beef really more healthful?

Americans consume approximately forty percent of their total beef intake equally basis beef, which is much higher in total fat than most intact cuts of beef. In fact, ground beef is ane of the near important sources of the healthful monounsaturated fatty acid, oleic acid in the diet (the importance of this is discussed below). Ground beefiness from grass-fed cattle naturally contains more omega-3 fatty acids than from grain-fed cattle (three times as much) merely is higher in saturated and trans-fat. At the other end of the spectrum is premium ground beef, such as from conventionally produced Certified Angus Beef or from cattle with Japanese genetics (bachelor as Wagyu or Akaushi basis beef). Ground beef from these cattle is very loftier in oleic acrid and is also much lower in saturated and trans-fat than basis beef from grass-fed cattle.

IMG_2068_editThe information listed below is based on research conducted at Texas A&M University, which compared the fatty acid composition of ground beef from grass-fed and grain-fed cattle. Ground beef from grass-fed and grain-fed cattle that contains approximately x to 15 pct total fat (85 to 90 percent lean) is available in retail stores, so the values listed below are for a 4-ounce ground beef patty (quarter pounder) that contains 85 percent lean (15 pct fat).

The near abundant omega-iii fatty acid in our foods is α-linolenic acrid (ALA), which is one of the two essential fatty acids that must be obtained from the diet (the other is linoleic acid, which is an omega-half dozen fat acid).  ALA is establish in flax seed and walnuts, but Americans obtain most of their ALA from canola oil. Although the scientific studies are not conclusive, ALA may irksome the rate of growth of cancer cells and may too reduce risk factors for CVD. The Daily Reference Intake (DRI) of ALA is 1.1 grams per twenty-four hours for women and 1.6 grams per day for men. And so, a quarter pounder ground beefiness patty from grass-fed cattle contains 0.055 of the i.1 grams ALA required by women and 0.055 of the 1.6 grams ALA required by men.  In other words, that ground beefiness patty from cattle fed native Texas pastures contains merely 5 percentage of the DRI for ALA for women and only over iii percent of the DRI for ALA for men.  Yes, grass-fed basis beef contributes to the omega-3 fatty acids in our diets, only can it be considered a significant source of ALA?

For comparison, a tablespoon of canola oil (approximately 14 grams of canola oil) contains one.4 g of ALA.  This is more than the DRI for women and nearly equally much as the DRI for men. That aforementioned tablespoon of canola oil as well contains 8.4 grams of oleic acid, which is similar to the corporeality of oleic acrid in olive oil. Researchers accept known for decades that oleic acrid has positive health benefits, such as reducing LDL-cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and perhaps increasing HDL-cholesterol (the good cholesterol).  The World Health Organization has recommended that intake of oleic acid should be xv to xxx per centum of daily energy intake.  For women, that would be equal to 25 – fifty grams of oleic per twenty-four hour period, whereas for men, that would exist equal to 40 – 80 grams of oleic per day.  Enquiry in the Department of Animal Science has shown that men consume about twenty grams of oleic acrid per twenty-four hour period, and women consume almost 12 grams of oleic acid per day, but this can be near doubled by consuming ground beef high in oleic acrid, such equally ground beef from grain-fed cattle or cattle with Japanese genetics.

Omega-3 fatty acids Oleic acid Total saturated and trans-fatty
Ground beef from grass-fed (grazing on native Texas pasture) 0.055 grams 6.3 grams ix.viii grams
Footing beef from grain-fed cattle (fed a feedlot nutrition containing primarily corn and milo) 0.020 grams 8.3 grams 8.ii grams

Grass feeding definitely does not increment the corporeality of oleic acid in beef.  The quarter pound ground beefiness patty from grain-fed cattle contains over 2 grams more oleic acid than footing beef from grass-fed cattle.  In fact, the grain-fed ground beef patty contains nearly the aforementioned amount of oleic acrid as the tablespoon of canola oil.  Besides, basis beefiness from grass-fed cattle has 2 grams more saturated fat plus trans-fat than the patty from grain-fed cattle.

Then, which is ameliorate, more omega-3 fatty acids (grass-fed) or more oleic acid with less saturated/trans-fats (grain-fed)?  Studies in the Department of Animal Science demonstrated the effects of basis beef from grass-fed and grain-fed cattle.  Men consumed both types of ground beef for 5 weeks in randomized crossover trials. In older, mildly hypercholesterolemic men, ground beef from grass-fed cattle decreased HDL-cholesterol. In men with normal cholesterol levels, but basis beef from grain-fed cattle increased HDL-cholesterol.  Neither ground beefiness blazon increased LDL-cholesterol in men.  Research by the Department of Animal Science similarly demonstrated that consuming footing beefiness does not affect LDL-cholesterol in postmenopausal women.

In men, plasma insulin was decreased by footing beef from both grass-fed and grain-fed cattle, indicating that ground beef in general reduces this important risk factor for type II diabetes.  Thus, neither type of ground beefiness had negative effects on hazard factors for CVD or type II diabetes, simply the footing beefiness from the grain-fed cattle provided more positive wellness benefits by increasing HDL-cholesterol.

What about the cholesterol content of basis beef?  Many websites claim that beef from grass-fed cattle is lower in cholesterol than beef from conventionally raised cattle.  An excellent study from Texas Tech University demonstrated that there is no deviation in cholesterol in ground beef from grass-fed and grain-fed cattle if the fat content is similar.  Early research conducted at Texas A&M University demonstrated that the cholesterol in beef and beef products is stored in both the lean and the fat inside the meat.  If you trim all of the fat from beefiness (including the marbling), there will be about 45 milligrams of cholesterol in a iv ounce serving of beef.  For every 1 percent increment in full fat content there is a 1-milligram increase in cholesterol.  So, basis beef that is 95 percent lean (5 percent fat) contains nigh l milligrams of cholesterol and ground beefiness that is 85 percent lean (15 percent fat) contains 60 milligrams of cholesterol.  This is as true for beef from grass-fed beef every bit it is for beef from grain-fed cattle.

And then, at this point, there is no scientific prove to support the claims that ground beef from grass-fed cattle is a healthier alternative to ground beefiness from conventionally raised, grain-fed cattle.

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S.B. Smith is a Texas A&1000 AgriLife Enquiry meat scientist in the Department of Animal Scientific discipline at Texas A&M University and has published more than than 180 scientific articles, most of which depict the nutritional quality of pork and beef.

For more information regarding news from the Department of Animal Science, Higher of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&Grand University, please contact Courtney Coufal at cacoufal@tamu.edu  or (979) 845-1542.