Big Sky Natural Meats

Supplier of Natural and/or Organic Meats
Vancouver, Canada

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Nutritional Benefits of Grass-Finished Beef

• Less fat – about 50% less fat than grain-fed animal, and less calories (100 less in a 6 oz steak)

• More beta carotene

• More CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) – 3 to 5 times more than grain-fed animals

• More Omega 3 fatty acids – several times more than grain-fed animal

• More Vitamin E – 4 times higher than grain-fed animals

Nutritional Terms

Grass-fed beef - beef fed grass (fresh or stored) its whole life.

Grass-finished beef - beef fed grass for its entire life including fresh grass for at least 3 months before processing.  The nutritional benefits of grass-fed beef is directly related to fresh grass.  Once the animal no longer has access to fresh grass, some of the nutritional benefits diminish (eg. omega-3 fatty acids).  For this reason, grass finished beef is only available in the fall after a full summer of fresh grass.  This is the Vale Farms' definition as there is no standard for this term.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids - a polyunsaturated fat believed to help to keep blood pressure low, reduce risk of depression and hypertension.  It is also believed aid cancer prevention.  It is formed in the chloroplasts of green leaves and algae and is found in high levels of animals which consume these products (eg. salmon but also grass-finished beef!).  

Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) - an altered form of linoleic acid, an omega-6 fatty acid.  It may have cancer fighting properties.  It has also been linked to body fat reduction.

Vitamin E - an antioxidant which lowers risk of cancer and heart disease.

Beta-Carotene - natural source of Vitamin A and an antioxidant.

For more information including research on the nutritional benefits of grass-finished beef, please visit:
                www.eatwild.com
                www.westonaprice.org
                www.mercola.com