SubscribeCorn-Fed Vs. Grass-Fed Beef
If you buy beef at your local supermarket, chances are it comes from cows that were fed corn. Though cows are ruminants by nature, designed to digest grass, the cattle industry has been using corn for decades to fatten up cattle. A grain-based diet, however, causes many health problems for cattle — and unhealthy cows mean unhealthy meat. Not only does meat from corn-fed cows carry the risk of pathogens such as E. coli, it is nutritionally inferior to meat from grass-fed cows.
The evolution of a corn-fed cattle industry
Several decades ago, the cattle industry began feeding cattle a diet based on grain, particularly corn. During World War II, farmers were producing more grain than the American population could consume, so they started feeding the surplus to cattle. They found that a grain-fed diet allowed them to fatten up cows faster for slaughter. Seventy-five years ago, it took a cow 4 or 5 years to reach a weight of 1,200 pounds. Today, says John Robbins, author of author of The Food Revolution: How Your Diet Can Help Save Your Life and Our World, cattle can be slaughtered at just 14-16 months of age, thanks to massive amounts of corn, protein supplements, antibiotics, and growth hormones,
Unhealthy cows mean unhealthy meat
Switching cows from grass to grain puts more money in the beef industry’s pockets and cheaper meat on the supermarket shelves. But at what price? The stomachs of cows are naturally pH neutral. A corn-based diet, however, creates an acidic environment that contributes to a host of health problems. Corn-fed cattle are prone to serious health conditions such as bloat, diarrhea, ulcers, liver disease, and a weakened immune system. To combat these health problems, cattle are continually fed antibiotics, which leads to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria that increasingly render modern medicine ineffective.
The threat of E. coli
An acidic intestinal tract also favors the growth of E. coli. Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, states that the lethal strain of E. coli known as 0157:H7 is believed to have evolved in the gut of feedlot cattle. The development of a more acidic environment in cows’ intestinal tracts created an acid-resistant strain of the pathogen, which is able to survive the acidic conditions of the human stomach and prove fatal. In the documentary Food, Inc., Pollan states that switching feedlot cattle to a grass diet would eliminate 80 percent of the E. coli in the cows’ digestive tracts.
The benefits of grass-fed beef
Aside from posing the danger of E. coli, corn-fed beef contains far fewer nutrients than grass-fed beef. Prevention reports that a recent study by the USDA and researchers from Clemson University found grass-fed beef to be significantly higher in calcium, magnesium, beta-carotene, and potassium than corn-fed beef. In addition:
- Meat from grass-fed cattle is lower in both overall fat and artery-clogging saturated fat.
- Grass-fed meat is higher in healthy omega-3 fats. Meat from feedlot animals has been found to contain only 15-50 percent as much omega-3s as meat from grass-fed cattle.
- Meat from grass-fed livestock is four times higher in vitamin E.
- Grass-fed meat is higher in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a nutrient associated with lower cancer risk.
What you can do
Look for grass-fed beef at specialty stores, farmers markets, and health-food chains such as Whole Foods. Grass-fed beef is labeled and is usually more expensive than industry-standard corn-fed beef. To save money, buy cuts on the bone; processors usually charge extra for deboning.
Remember that grass-fed and organic are not the same thing. Natural food stores often sell organic beef and dairy products from animals raised without antibiotics or hormones. While these animals were likely fed less grain than the industry norm, they may still come from feedlots where they were fed grain. Look for meat labeled both grass-fed and organic.
Consider buying beef directly from a local farmer, which can be as cheap as $5 per pound. Many farmers will allow customers to visit the farm to ensure that cattle are being raised in healthy conditions. To find a farm in your area, visit www.eatwild.com.
Great, interesting article! I wonder what the prices for grass-fed beef are in my area. I'm sure that Whole Foods has some great options; I will have to go to the one by my house and check it out.
Don't check out Whole Foods, check out your local farmers. This is the first and best step to a safer food system. Whole Foods is just becoming another Wal-Mart.
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This is a very kind approach. To tell you the truth I want to start a mission like that. Help and teach what are the importance of the healty meat. term paper
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The research that supports the notion that corn fed beef contains dangerous e coli comes from a study completed Cornell in 1998. Subsequent research completed by Washington State University and the University of Idaho refutes this claim observing that there was no link between corn fed beef and a higher colonization of 0157:H7 e. coli bacteria when compared to grass fed beef. Let's be careful to do our research before making such claims instead of talking out of our hats and alarming the American population over false and misleading information.
There is always been a conflict in scientific research. Some research is brought by the corporation or company to benefit them. I do believe as many others feel that factory farming does increase the chances of E-coli. This is where people have to use critical thinking and look at all the facts and evidence. E. Coli, Salmonella and other deadly bacteria and pathogens in food: Factory Farms Are the Reason.
Read "Bird Flu: A Virus of Our Own Hatching", by Michael Greger, M.D. Michael Greger: E. coli is an intestinal pathogen. It only gets in the food if fecal matter gets in the food. Since plants don't have intestines, all E. coli infections--in fact all food poisoning--comes from animals. When's the last time you heard of anyone getting Dutch elm disease or a really bad case of aphids? People don't get plant diseases; they get animal diseases. The problem is that because of the number of animals raised today, a billion tons of manure is produced every year in the United States--the weight of 10,000 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers. Dairy cow and pig factories often dump millions of gallons of putrefying waste into massive open-air cesspits, which can leak and contaminate water used to irrigate our crops. That's how a deadly fecal pathogen likes E. coli O157:H7 can end up contaminating our spinach. So regardless of what we eat, we all need to fight against the expansion of factory farming in our communities, our nation, and around the world.
When medical researchers at the University of Minnesota took more than 1,000 food samples from multiple retail markets, they found evidence of fecal contamination in 69% of the pork and beef and 92% of the poultry samples. Nine out of ten chicken carcasses in the store may be contaminated with fecal matter. And half of the poultry samples were contaminated with the UTI-causing E. coli bacteria.
Besides E coli, there was no mention that corn is universally contaminated with the fungi aspergillus. Aspergillus gives off a potentially deadly mycotoxin (fungus poison) called aflotoxin. Aflotoxin is one of the most deadliest naturally produced poisons on the planet! It is also a very powerful carcinogen! In fact it is so toxic, the F D A will only allow human consumption of corn and other grains, if their inspections show that humans will receive no more than 2 parts per billion of this deadly fungus and mycotoxin! As it turns out, the cattle which are not range free, and are fed corn, are given up to 30 parts per billion of this deadly, carcinogenic poison, because the F D A does not put limits on animal feed! So couple that with the hormones and anti-biotics (which is another mycotoxic carcinogen), and the people which consume this tainted beef, as a usual staple to their diet, end up getting sick and unhealthy, because these farmers continue to feed their cattle with these poisons! Grass fed - grass finished beef is the only way to go! In fact, the meat can be very healthy and therapeutic as well! So be careful what you put in your mouths these days!
Correction to the aforementioned article on corn contaminated with aflatoxin; The US D A allows 20 parts per billion of corn, other grains and peanuts contaminated with aflatoxin for human consumption, not 2 ppb as previously mentioned. Also, livestock that are continually fed grains, are receiving up to 300 parts per billion in their feed, not 30 ppb. Additional note: Corn is also cotaminated with another mycotoxin called 'ochratoxin', given off by the same fungi aspergillus. While aflatoxin is likely to be the most carcinogenic substance on the planet, ochratoxin (though not as carcinogenic) is 10 times more toxic than aflatoxin. Beware consumers!
300 parts per BILLION. Do you understand how large that number, BILLION, even is? Would you fearmongers crawl back in your little hole and stop scaring the bejesus out of those in our population who are susceptible to such "arguments."
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Thank You ! There are MANY Plant based pathogens ! People get just as sick from Plants and their by products as they do from Meat.
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By the way, you dairy cattle in your picture, not beef.
By the way, you have dairy cattle in your picture, not beef.
There are almost as many dairy breed cattle slaughtered for meat as there is beef cattle. What do you think happens to the excess bull calves, unbreedable heifers and older cows that no longer produce much milk? They end up as steaks and hamburger in the store, right next to the angus' and herefords and other beef breeds.
Hmmm...8-10% of total beef production is from dairy cattle. That doesn't quite sound like almost as many as beef cattle now does it? Nice try, but fail.
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It's a good informative article. Well written... well researched... well done. Grass Fed cattle are becoming a major player in a market formerly dominated by grain fed beef cattle and I think that leads to comments like those made by CC. Yes, those are dairy cattle in the picture, but so what? Some Holstien's get turned into beef too. The animals in the pictures are bovines & they are eating grass. Again, this is a good informative article & I am thankful to have been able to have read it.
RE Kelsey's comment about pricing. It just depends upon where you live & who is selling it. There are a lot more grass fed producers than there were just a few years ago, so the prices aren't as high as they once were. You can probably find it in the $3 - $5 range, if you buy in bulk (50+ lbs. at a time). I'm near Evansville, Indiana (J&K Lowline Angus) & I sell it in that price range. I've noticed that several grass fed producers across the country also sell it in that same price range or close. It can also be shipped, if you can't find a local producer, but I'm sure that you can.
However, I will say this... not all grass fed/grass finished meat is created equal!! The genetics of the animal plays a HUGE role in it's ability to properly finish on grass alone. Also, the quality of the plants themselves & the methods of grazing also plays a HUGE role in producing a great grass fed / grass finished product. Do your research. Visit the farm during the finishing stage if at all possible. Ask questions. See if they DNA test their genetics for marbling and tenderness traits or do they use ultra sound? Do they use a particlar breed or a couple of breeds known to work on grass or do they have a well thought out crossbreeding program of those breeds or do they use a wide variety of whatever is available at the time? What plants do they use during the finishing? Do they rotate their grazing? What do the finished animals weigh in relation to their frame score? Do the animals look finished (the producer should be able to show you how to tell)? What is the age of the finished animal? Do they dry age the beef & how long? I've probably missed something, but you get the idea. All of that can mean the difference in subpar grass fed meat & superior grass fed meat. Best wishes in your search!
I have recently been learning about the health benefits of grass fed steak and how the taste is more "natural" and in a way tastes like a pasture (in a good way). Can't wait to eat more and train my tastebuds away from standard corn fed beef. I like the concept of grass fed steak better and know it is "better" for the cattle and the industry in the long run.
Hi,
Great article, but under the "The benefits of grass-fed beef" section, this bullet point is misleading:
"Meat from grass-fed cattle is lower in both overall fat and artery-clogging saturated fat."
The widespread notion that saturated fat clogs arteries and is bad for health is largely based on a flawed study conducted by Ancel Keys in the 1950's. Recent research suggests that saturated fat has been unjustifiably demonized for the last few decades. Virgin coconut oil, for example, is very high in saturated fat but is known for its healing properties.
Thanks,
Nader
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technically, corn is a grass...
Nice try. While the stalk is growing it technically is a grass, the corn cob produced is not grass. Fail.
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Where do you see wild animals? I see deer, turkeys, pheasant, and quail in corn fields. I suspect that they instinctively know what is nutritious for them to eat.
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