Paidom Meats

November 2002

Nutritionally Speaking

I’m sure you might occasionally wonder if pasture-finished meats are really all they’re cracked up to be.  Are they really nutritionally superior?  Well, the body of research is growing as rapidly as the grassfed movement, and the evidence continues to support our claims.  Here are some nutritional figures from Utah State University (one of my alma maters, by the way) regarding pasture-finished foods relative to grain-finished ones:

500% more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA)

400% more Vitamin A

300% more Vitamin E

78% more beta-carotene

75% more Omega-3 fatty acids

CLA enhances the immune system and has been shown to inhibit cancer.  It’s extremely high in pasture-raised milk.

Vitamin A also helps reduce cancer, as well as aiding in good vision, libido, bone development, and prevention of skin disorders.

Like other anti-oxidants, Vitamin E seems to exhibit “anti-aging” properties, but more importantly, it reduces the occurrence of heart disease and cancer.

Finally, just as there is good and bad cholesterol, there are also good and bad Omegas.  Although Omega-6’s are still present in pasture-raised meats, the ratio of Omega-6’s to 3’s is in balance (2 to 1).  With grain-finished meats, the ratio is 10 times too high (20 to 1). 

The funny thing is, many of these good nutrients are present in the fat of the meat.  So don’t be afraid of consuming the fat on pasture-finished meats.  As you can see, we don’t have to eliminate everything – just get them in right balance, and pastured meats seem to do that.  And animals on pasture just seems logical when compared to confined feeding operations.

Articles Of Interest

FYI:  If you would like us to send you copies of any of the articles discussed below, let us know via e-mail.  These articles were included in our mail-out.

One enclosure contains an article entitled “Eating As Close To Nature…”  It summarizes a seminar presentation by Dr. Jo Robinson.  She is an expert on the health benefits of eating pasture-finished meats.  Although somewhat lengthy, this is a very informative article.  You may also be interested in Dr. Robinson’s book, Why Grassfed Is Best.  Ordering info is detailed at the end of the article.

On the second enclosure, you’ll find three news clippings.  The article on Irish research notes that pasture-finished animals contain more ideal levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), cholesterol, and Omega-3 fatty acids than animals finished on grain.  Another article on that same page discusses the negative impact of hormone implants on CLAs.  Ralgro and Synovex are two implant brands that are commonly used in the cattle industry.  A third article on the opposite side of the page details a study showing that CLAs may reduce the occurrence of breast cancer. 

Studies on the nutritional superiority of pasture-finished meats are piling up.  Meats can be organic without being finished on pasture, but the longer an animal is fed grain, the more the meat declines in nutritional value.  This is particularly true in terms of the declining CLA and Omega-3 content, not to mention the increase in cholesterol.  Suffice it to say that we recommend choosing not only organic, but also pasture-finished, and if possible, know your grower personally.  By the way, did we mention that PaiDom meets all of these criteria. . .

Thanks for supporting the vision.

-- Alan & Heather

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