🐂Does Your Beef Protect You?

Good Morning! 

Toxins. I know that many of you are just as concerned about them as my wife and I am! 

Everything from pesticides to cookware, toothpaste to household cleaners, EMF's to plastics... It feels like our bodies are getting attacked from every conceivable angle!

Toxins are everywhere these days, but that doesn't stop us from trying to cut down our exposure to them in practical ways, as well as finding ways to help our bodies fight off the ones that we are inevitebly exposed to.

Today I’m going to take a look at one food that can either be another source of toxins to further batter our bodies - OR IF RAISED RIGHT, a wonderful aid in strengthening our bodies' defences! 

What I’m talking about today is... Beef.🐂

Toxic Beef? 

“You are what what you eat eats” (Michael Pollan)

Does what your beef ate matter??? Let's take a look at what goes into a conventionally raised cow...

Pesticides in Grains

There are an estimated 167 million pounds of pesticides used just to grow animal food (GMO and non-GMO) in the U.S. each year. 

Glyphosate, the most widely used herbicide, is allowed as a residue in animal feed at levels more than 100 times what is permitted in human-consumed grains.😬 

There is mounting research that glyphosate may be detrimental to our liver and kidneys, as well as disrupting our gut microbiome. It is classified as a "probably carcinogenic" by The World Health Organization and there is compelling evidence that it significantly increases the risk of non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Then there is Atrazine, the second most used herbicide in the U.S. This chemical is actually banned in forty countries including the EU because it is recognized as an endocrine disruptor.

Atrazine can mimic estrogen in our bodies and disrupt our hormones which is bad news for both men and women! It has been linked to various cancers, premature birth and birth defects.

The thing is that these chemicals don't just disappear when an animal eats them. These pesticides have been shown to accumulate in animals' fatty tissues over time and can become a concentrated source of exposure for consumers.

Drugs and Hormones

Not surprisingly, animals that are raised in the tight quarters of a CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operation) are often under stress and require pharmaceuticals to keep their health propped up.

• Insecticides for fly control
• Dewormers for parasite management
• Vaccines and antibiotics for disease prevention (a long list of ‘routine vaccinations’ are very common in conventional beef systems)

In addition, hormone implants are a common practice to promote faster growth of the animals. Zeranol is one of the compounds used and works by mimicking estrogen.

High Omega 6's

We actually need both omega-6 and omega-3 in our diets, but they must be in the correct ratio.

It is estimated that our ancestors consumed a diet with an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of around 4:1 or less. Our modern diets on the other hand often contain 10-20 times more omega-6 than omega-3!

In one study, beef fed an ethanol byproduct called dry distillers' grains (DDGs) had omega-6 to omega-3 ratios ranging from 35:1 all the way to a staggering 55:1!🫢 DDG is routinely fed to beef cattle as a cheap feed ration.

Omega-3's help reduce inflammation while excessive amounts of Omega-6's promotes inflammation. High Omega 6 has been show to be a factor in everything from depression and arthritis to heart disease and diabetes.

Cows Eating Candy

The practice of adding surplus candy to cow feed, like skittles or Hershey's chocolates has been practiced for decades, with the wrappers usually being mixed right in as well! 

It doesn't stop there though, with donuts and other bakery waste also making their way to the feedlot as a cheap source of carbohydrates.

I don't know about you, but I'm of the opinion that that healthy beef doesn't start with donuts, candy, or wrappers!🤔

Just Like Humans

Imagine if you sat around on your couch all day with little movement and ate processed foods that your body wasn't really designed to consume – of course you would gain weight rapidly!

What's interesting is that the muscles of grain-fed animals show early signs of metabolic health issues, with negatively affected glucose metabolism and elevated markers of protein breakdown.

This is compared with 100% grassfed beef that has muscle structure that closely resembles an healthy human athlete!

Maybe what you feed a cow does matter...

100% Grassfed Beef Protects You! 🐂

Chemical free, 100% grass-fed beef is a superfood for your body! 

Not only is 100% grass-fed beef clean, but it also works as a nutritional tool that helps equip your body to detoxify and fight against cancer, heart disease, diabetes, and many other chronic diseases!

Wow, that's something I'm interested in! Let's dive into a few of the details...

Ideal Omega 6:3 Ratio

As I mentioned above, our ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is around 4:1 or less. 

100% grassfed beef has been found to have a ratio of around 3:1 all the way down to 1:1!

In addition, many studies have show that 100% grassfed beef has a higher total amount of omega-3s which help reduce inflammation and has an important roles in heart and brain health. 

More CLA (conjugated linoleic acid)

According to Dr. Allen Williams, a leading researcher in regenerative agriculture: "Grass-fed beef contains 2-4 times the Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) compared to grain-fed beef."

"CLA is an essential fatty acid that has powerful anti-cancer and anti-obesity properties.  For athletes, it is a critical fatty acid for the promotion of muscle gain and fat loss.  Other benefits of CLA include improvement in strength, promotion of strong bones, improved growth and development, and aids in digestion."

WAY More Vitamins

Quoting Dr. Williams again:

• 150% more Vitamin C – "Anti-viral and antioxidant properties"

• 200 - 300% more B Vitamins (B3, B5, B6) – "Niacin (a form of Vitamin B3) is around 900% higher and promotes a healthy nervous system, digestive system, and skin."

• 300% more Vitamin E – "It's precursor, alpha-tocopherol is best known for it's anti-oxidative effects and protects against cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, brain function decline, and reduced eye-sight."

• 400 - 700% more beta-carotene, a precursor to vitamin A – "Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that plays a key role in vision health, cell growth, cell division, reproduction, and immunity."

Many of these vitamins are powerful antioxidants that help fight free radicals in the body. I glad to have them on my side of the fight against toxins!💪

Increased Phytonutrients

What's also interesting is the increase of phytonutrients in 100% grassfed beef due to the diversity of plants that are available for them to graze. 

Per Dr. Williams, benefits of phytonutrients include:

• Anti-inflammatory/antioxidant effects in cells
• Scavenging reactive or toxic chemicals
• Enhancing the absorption and or stability of essential nutrients

"Phytonutrients play a role in preventing and managing chronic diseases, such as cancer, coronary heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, inflammation, microbial, viral and parasitic infections, and neurological disease."

Other Benefits

I could go on about increased levels of the powerful antioxidant glutathione and how it functions as a detoxifier of carcinogens, or the benefits of long chain fatty acids, or how 100% grassfed cows have lower cortisol from a lower stress life. 

I think that you get the point though – what your beef ate makes a BIG DIFFERENCE! 

Is your beef high in antioxidants and anticarcinogens which will help your body's ability to detoxify existing stores of glyphosate and other toxins? 

Is it providing you with an ample supply of nutrients to fuel your cells for optimal health?

How about you?

Jo Robinson, author of The Omega Diet states “One, if it’s in their feed, it’s in our food. Two, if it’s in our food, it’s affecting our health."

Is your beef helping beat down your body or is it standing strong to protect you?🐂

Toxins are everywhere, but there ARE practical ways to reduce our intake of them and also bolster our bodies' defenses against them!

Don't be overwhelmed by what you can't change, be motivated by what you can! 

In closing, I have a request for you. 

Do you have a story of how our 100% grassfed beef has improved your health that you would be willing to share with others? It's always inspiring to me when I get to hear your stories in person, and I know other people would LOVE to hear about how others' health journeys have gone to! 

If you have a story that you would be willing to share, send it over and we may use it in a future email or blog post!🙏 Or if you're more of a quick blip type, leaving a google review is super helpful as well!

Thanks for your part in the success of our farm!

Blessings on your day,
Corbin
Prairie Creek Pastures