7 replies to this topic

[DAMI]

I keep reading that one should only eat grass-fed meat (and dairy) and that conventionally raised varieties are bad because of their PUFA-Ratio and due to their lower CLA and micronutrient content.

But I wonder- does that really mean that grain-fed meat is "bad"? As far as I see it's just "less good". And as for the PUFA-Ratio - beef is not particular high in total PUFA anyways and many "health foods" are much worse in that regards (like almonds).

So do you think it's okay to eat conventional meat if one cannot afford having the high-quality stuff regularly?

[DePaw]

The ratio is only different because grain fed has very little omega-3, the omega-6 content is the same. So eating some oily fish will counter this effectively.

Yes it's lower in CLA but still has plenty.

I think eating grain-fed meat is perfectly fine, grass-fed is too expensive for the small additional benefits it has.

[zorba990]

www.themeatrix.com explains

[gamesguru]

Grain-fed milk has 6 times less CLA than grass-fed, 40 times more E. Coli, four times less vitamin E, half the vitamin A, and about half the amount of B vitamins. I'm assuming some minerals are also more plentiful in grass-fed products. Similar figures hold true for meat and bones. The extra price is an issue for some? Where I shop, grass-fed beef (90% lean) is $8/lb, and grain-fed (90% lean) is $6/lb. Not a huge difference, and probably worth it. If you really want to save money, you wouldn't even be eating beef...because beans are a cheaper source of protein, fish of omega-3s, and oils of fat.

But to answer the question, yes grain-fed meat is OK. It's probably safer than animal-byproduct-fed meat, and grass-fed beef/dairy still aren't exactly superfoods...so yes, it's just "less good". I'd worry about buying enough fish and vegetables before I started to buy grass-fed dairy and meat products.

Edited by dasheenster, 06 May 2013 - 08:45 PM.

[chung_pao]

I absolutely love beef and would devour that stuff every day, caveman style, but for some, the cost really is an issue.
For example in Sweden, grain-fed beef is 4$/lb, while grass-fed is 12$/lb. That's 3 times the cost!
I basically just skip it altogether and endure, but still enjoy salmon instead. (at 5$/lb)

For OP: You really can't compare the two. There are nutrients in grass-fed beef that are basically non-existant in grain-fed.
Cows fed a deficient diet doesn't develop properly. They are not healthy and developmentally disabled (for lack of a better word).
Imagine a person raised on grains... How healthy and functional would that person be? It's the same thing.

After removing grain-fed beef from my diet, I feel much better. My inflammation and body-fat is down while muscle mass and well-being has increased.
I don't believe we've identified all the molecules which are responsible for this effect. But science is the study of cause and effect, and there's definitely a correlation between eating sick animals and feeling like shit.

Error: I read "grain-fed beef" in the title and then posted. But, despite this my opinion still stands. Any malnourished animal's meat/organs will lack many of the nutrients it has the potential to develop, and potentially even be detrimental to your health.

Edited by chung_pao, 11 May 2013 - 10:17 PM.

[alecnevsky]

I absolutely love beef and would devour that stuff every day, caveman style, but for some, the cost really is an issue.
For example in Sweden, grain-fed beef is 4$/lb, while grass-fed is 12$/lb. That's 3 times the cost!
I basically just skip it altogether and endure, but still enjoy salmon instead. (at 5$/lb)

For OP: You really can't compare the two. There are nutrients in grass-fed beef that are basically non-existant in grain-fed.
Cows fed a deficient diet doesn't develop properly. They are not healthy and developmentally disabled (for lack of a better word).
Imagine a person raised on grains... How healthy and functional would that person be? It's the same thing.

After removing grain-fed beef from my diet, I feel much better. My inflammation and body-fat is down while muscle mass and well-being has increased.
I don't believe we've identified all the molecules which are responsible for this effect. But science is the study of cause and effect, and there's definitely a correlation between eating sick animals and feeling like shit.

Error: I read "grain-fed beef" in the title and then posted. But, despite this my opinion still stands. Any malnourished animal's meat/organs will lack many of the nutrients it has the potential to develop, and potentially even be detrimental to your health.

Is the salmon in Sweden farmed or wild at $5/lb? What's the deal with Norwegian salmon farms? The market is crowded with "Norwegian" fish oil (farmed in Canada) and it's likely worse than the omega 3s from grass-fed beef.

To the OP: the marginal benefits/cost are immense if you're buying ground grass-fed beef (which I haven't yet found locally.) Buying grass-fed steaks is getting expensive and kind of wasteful.

[helluva nootro]

Grain fed meat may not be bad, but grass fed meat is much better for you. Of course it all depends and each cut may vary from the next, but in general grass fed meat seems to be a much better choice. If you are worried about the cost then it all depends, if you eat half the amount but its twice the quality then its probably the better option, if the cost is high you could eat less and supplement your diet with other alternatives and additions to keep you filled. I would say run a trial on both grass fed and then grain fed for a few weeks at a time and see how you feel.

P.s. my personal opinion, it might not seem like its worth the hassle to change but all the small tweaks to your diet add up

P.s. my personal opinion, it might not seem like its worth the hassle to change but all the small tweaks to your diet add up

[Shepard]

My general approach is that I will buy local pastured ribeye when it is available, but will opt for local organic sirloin (or the meat lowest in fat) when pastured meat is not available.

Edited by Shepard, 03 June 2013 - 03:02 AM.