Grassfed Beef
Higher in Omega-3
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All
polyunsaturated fats are increasingly recognized
as being important
to human health. Omega-3 fatty acids (found
primarily in cold-water fish) and Omega-6 fatty acids
are forms of polyunsaturated fats. Omega-6 fatty
acids are found in grains, most plant-based oils,
poultry, and eggs.
 Omega-3
and omega-6 fatty acids are termed essential fatty
acids because they are critical for good health.
However, the body cannot make them on its own.
For this reason, omega-3 fatty acids must be obtained
from food, thus making outside sources of these fats
"essential."
Although the body needs both omega-3 and omega-6
fatty acids to thrive, most people consume far
more omega-6 fatty acids than omega 3 fatty
acids. Many experts now recommend consuming a
better balance of these two essential fatty
acids. For good health, a 2-to-1 Omega 6 to
Omega-3 ratio is recommended. The diet of most
Americans is currently estimated to be 20-to-1,
therefore the emphasis now needs to be on
increasing omega-3 fats to make the ratio more
even. Ongoing research is consistently
reporting new health benefits for the omega-3
fatty acids |
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Omega-3s are formed in the chloroplasts of green leaves
and algae. Sixty percent of the fatty acids in grass
are omega-3s. When cattle are taken off omega-3 rich
grass and shipped to a feedlot to be fattened on omega-3
poor grain, they begin losing their store of this
beneficial fat. Each day that an animal spends in
the feedlot, its supply of omega-3s is diminished. |
Omega-3 Fatty Acids Improve Heart Health
Omega-3
fatty acids have been shown to help keep cholesterol levels
low, stabilize irregular heart beat, and reduce blood pressure.
Omega-3 fatty acids are also natural blood thinners, reducing
the "stickiness" of blood cells (called platelet
aggregation), which can lead to such complications as blood
clots and stroke. Without a sufficient supply of polyunsaturated
omega-3 fatty acids, the body will use saturated fat to construct
cell membranes. The resulting cell membranes are less elastic,
a situation that makes the heart muscle stiffer and less able
to return to a resting state.
 Omega-3
Fatty Acids Improve Autoimmune Diseases
Omega-3 fatty acids
have anti-inflammatory properties. Consumption of omega-3
oils improves rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Raynaud's disease,
and other autoimmune diseases. This is probably because the
omega-3 fatty acids help the arteries, as well as many other
parts of the body, stay inflammation free.
Omega-3
Fatty Acids Improve Brain Function
The brain is 60% fat
and needs omega-3 fats to function properly. Researchers
have discovered a link between mood disorders and the presence
of low concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids in the body.
Apparently, omega-3 fats help regulate mental health problems
because they enhance the ability of brain-cell receptors to
comprehend mood-related signals from other neurons in the
brain.
Omega-3 Fatty
Acids Aid Cancer Prevention
Preliminary research
from the University of California, Los Angeles, suggests
that omega-3 fatty acids may help maintain healthy breast
tissue and prevent breast cancer. In a recent study,
participants who supplemented their diet with fish oils
produced lower quantities of a carcinogen associated with
colon cancer than did a placebo group.
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