Why Grass-fed Meat is Better

(for you and the planet!)

By John Wood, US Wellness Meats

January 2007 dawned with less than 3% of Americans understanding the grass-fed advantage for their health.  Our fore fathers consumed grass-fed meat in this country for decades until the land grand universities saw an opportunity to dispose of excess nitrogen stockpiles following WWII as plant food for corn production.  This created a glut of corn and initiated the modern era of commercial cattle feeding with high energy starches. As a nation, we now consume just a fraction of grass-fed meats compared to grain fed which is a 180 degree turn from 1950. 

Rolling the clock back 56 years, cancer, diabetes and heart disease were much smaller risks than at the dawn of the 21st century.  Needless to say, beef is not the only major shift in the American diet but one has to recognize that shifting omega 6:3 ratios from 3:1 to 20:1 and dropping CLA (a cancer fighting and weight loss assisting fatty acid) content to insignificant levels has impacted the American meat consumer’s diet.

The next time you are on a drive in rural America, please note beef animals, lambs and goats contently grazing swards of grass. During this daily ritual which takes place primarily in the first hours after dawn and aggressively before sunset, the species mentioned are performing the tasks their maker intended.  The forage diet will yield a pH of 7 in the first chamber or fermentation vat of the four stomach ruminant animal that is driven by the bacteria in the first chamber responsible for fermentation. The output of the billion plus family of pH 7 forage bacteria drives the next three chambers ending in the small intestine. The pH 7 family bacteria are responsible for increased CLA, omega 3, vitamins A&E, branch chain amino acids and enzymes in the finished retail cuts for consumers.

What happens when man replaces forage with starch heavy grains? In 30 days, the first chamber bacteria flora switches from pH 7 friendly bacteria to billions of pH 4 bacteria.  During this 30 day time frame omega 3, CLA, Vitamins A&E, branch chain amino acids and good enzyme levels plummet.  Not only is this a sad day for the end consumer but a hardship for the animals as well.  It is customary to feed low grade levels of antibiotics to keep liver abscesses at bay in beef cattle on high starch diets yielding acidic stomachs.

200 days of excellent forage management can be ruined in 30 days of grain feeding.  Consequently, companies like US Wellness Meats forbids starch in the diet of their animals.

U.S. Wellness Meats has three years worth of grass-fed beef consumption experience in high performance athletes specializing in strong man, power lifting, figure fitness, women’s marathon running and personal trainers working with a mix of professional athletes.  These athletes will attest to increases in lean muscle mass, reduced joint pain, improved digestion and excellent blood chemistry.

Jesse Marunde and Jon Andersen are in the top tier of world class strong man competitors and consume 100 pounds of beef per month.  Both report that would be impossible with commodity beef as constipation would prohibit their levels of consumption.  To the man, both indicate the number one training improvement in the last three years has been switching to the grass-fed protein source.  Both athletes have added approximately 27 pounds of lean muscle with excellent blood chemistry to the surprise of their medical teams.

Jon Diflorio, owner of www.institute3E.com , is a world class fitness trainer on Long Island who trains many atheletes on the East Coast. He has long been a proponent of grass-fed protein. Mr. Diflorio encouraged U.S. Wellness to produce beef pemmican from a native American recipe.  After 18 months using them and for himself and his clients, Mr. Diflorio was convinced these pemmican bars are the premier energy bar on the planet.  The product includes 18 grams of protein and 340 calories packed into 3.2 ounces direct from the Cherokee nation recipe.

Deena Kastor, the current U.S. women’s marathon record holder, is a great proponent of grass-fed meats.  Ms. Kastor has been encouraging aspiring athletes to understand the grass-fed difference as she trains for Gold in 2008.

U.S. Wellness Meats growing list of grass-fed products are slowly convincing families across the country that there is a smart choice in proteins savored by all for a host of healthy advantages, including your longevity. To learn more about the health benefits of grass-fed meats visit US Wellness Meats Health page. The key to grass-fed is that the animals eat right so you can too!

US Wellness Meats has been recognized by The New York Times for the quality and fine taste of their grass fed meats. John Wood, CEO of Us Wellness Meats, is an industry subject matter expert on grass-fed beef. His company's affiliation with an exceptional group of experienced farmers enables them to provide some of the finest grass-fed meats and cheeses available anywhere. To learn more visit US Wellness Meats web site.