Tag: nutrition
Healthy Teeth, Healthy Heart
Can grass fed produce restore our dental and cardiovascular health?
By Teri Clayton
It is now well established that our dental health has powerful effects on our overall well-being, especially on our cardiovascular system (1,2,3). Taking care of our teeth, gums and mouths is absolutely mission critical if we want to live long and – more importantly – healthy lives. Yet when it comes to dental health, many people just assume that cutting down on sugary food, twice daily brushing, once daily flossing and regular hygienist and dental check-ups are the only requirements.
Despite people following all the dentist’s orders many are still left struggling with deteriorating dental health (4). This includes a variety of issues such as gum disease, worsening enamel erosion, halitosis, cavity formation, jaw pain, impacted wisdom teeth, oral infections and painful sensitivity. People are not finding the healing answers they need. Despite all the knowledge, technical advances and expertise, poor dental health is still contributing to a lot of disease and suffering both in the developed and developing world.
Whilst many people could easily blame their lack of discipline with flossing, or eating too many sugary, or refined foods for their dental issues, it is becoming increasingly obvious that moderate lifestyles with occasional slip-ups cannot be solely to blame. Dental health is as much a product of the health of our inner physiology and nutritional status, as it is about outer hygiene practices. Since the introduction of processed foods, the warning bells have been sounding loud and clear when it comes to our dentition – but is anyone listening?
We are in the midst of an epidemic of dental health issues and these cannot be explained by a lack of good dental care and maintenance. Since the Industrial revolution began there has been a worrying trend towards poor dental development, at a basic developmental and structural level. Malocclusion, impacted wisdom teeth, misaligned jaws and issues with poor palate and maxillary and mandible bone development are now commonplace. The mouths of large numbers of children in the western world are unable to offer sufficient room for the healthy eruption of wisdom teeth and compromised brain oxygenation through mouth breathing, (due to pinched and congested nasal passages) is now becoming the norm.
‘The numbers representing oral disease are simply staggering and reveal a modern health epidemic in our society that starts in childhood and spans our entire adult lives. The pervasiveness of dental disease has given us the idea that, as part of growing up, we will inevitably experience decay, need braces or have wisdom teeth removed’ Dentist – Dr Steven Lin (5)
Whilst dentists and dental surgeons are busily fitting braces, pulling teeth, lifting sinuses, adjusting jaw bone alignments, removing impacted teeth and drilling and filling cavity after cavity – who is trying to find and address the root causes?
Years ago in the 1930’s a very forward thinking Dentist – Dr Weston Price- noticed these worrying trends emerging. He set off on a mission to explore other cultures around the globe to discover what factors contributed to the development of healthy teeth and the degeneration into disease.
The book in which his field notes and findings have been published, complete with ample images of good and bad dental health in other cultures, is called ‘Nutrition and Physical Degeneration’. This is a thought provoking and, for many, a life changing book that ought to be on every healthcare professionals reading lists, (in my not so humble opinion).
Dr Weston Price made discoveries that could have turned the tide on dental degradation by now and reduced the chronic suffering of millions (perhaps billions) of children and adults, (perhaps it will in time). It is disappointing that so far his findings have not been explored more formally, to allow them to be further developed and brought forward into mainstream research, nutrition, medical and dental training.
It is refreshing to see a change in this trend however as more ‘ahead of the curve’ nutritionists, doctors and dentists adopt a holistic approach to their own branch of healthcare. One such dentist is speaker and author Dr Steven Lin, he brings Weston A Price’s research into the spotlight in his industry leading book ‘The Dental Diet’. What a relief!
Another leader who has combined her own findings and experiences with Dr Weston Price’s work and that of other leading edge thinkers and do-ers is Dr Natasha Campbell-Mcbride. Her books Gut and Physiology Syndrome and its previous version ‘Gut and Psychology Syndrome’, offer us a far more complete picture of how to improve our overall health. Her genius level work combines the benefits of a nutrient dense diet, with key understandings about the microbiome and the contributing factors that lead to gut dysbiosis. These people don’t just discuss lofty theories, or observe test tube phenomena in a lab, they practise what they preach and have seen the results for themselves, in real people, as did Dr Weston price. Following in their footsteps would see many people following a much more appropriate path for their wellbeing, but as with all discoveries that are ahead of their time, it takes courage and self responsibility to explore them.
Dr Weston Price discovered that although cavities began to affect the general population during the agricultural revolution, it was not until the industrial revolution that severe issues such as underdeveloped jaws and impacted wisdom teeth began. He noted that wherever a culture stopped using traditional foods and began to rely upon modern day processed foods, such as white flours, tinned goods and vegetable oils, the dental issues really began to take hold. He noticed that cultures which retained their traditional diet and consumed animal fat and rich sources of fat soluble vitamins (such as butter, milk, organ meats or cod liver oil), did not experience any issues with dental health. It is remarkable to note that these cultures not only retained impeccable dental structure, but some barely, (if ever) suffered with cavities and neither did they use toothbrushes. I’m willing to bet fluoride toothpaste and antiseptic mouthwashes were definitely not in their bathroom cabinets!
Though we cannot jump to the conclusion that introducing greater amounts of animal fats and fat soluble vitamins to everyone’s diets will rectify our issues – the possibility of this being the case, certainly warrants an urgent enquiry. Are widespread dental problems being caused by cutting down and reducing our consumption of animal fats and naturally occurring fat soluble vitamins? With the mainstream narrative still suggesting that we replace fatty red meats with lean white cuts or vegetarian options, to limit our egg consumption, to replace butter with synthetic margarine, to replace full fat milk with skimmed and to choose the ‘low fat’ options wherever possible – will the children of the future be left to endure a painful multi-generational legacy and watch their children endure the same? Could raising our children on diets rich in natural sources of fat soluble vitamins, offer us a way to solve our dental health epidemic?
Weston A Price’s observation of people who have exceptionally well formed and developed teeth, gums and jaw, alongside great overall health, gives us cause to question the validity of current mainstream dietary recommendations and dig deeper for answers and perhaps find better ways forward.
Something that should be of great interest to all those who want to improve their dental and therefore overall health, are the fat soluble vitamins, specifically vitamins A,D & K. Dr Price noticed during periods of rapid grass growth during spring and autumn, the dairy from cows consuming this grass produce milk that is richer in fat soluble vitamins. See one of Dr Price’s observations below pertaining to vitamin content in dairy, he was referring to the fat soluble vitamins that he regarded as critical missing puzzle pieces in the modern diet.
Quote:
‘Since 1927, I have been analyzing samples of dairy products, chiefly butter, from several parts of the world for their vitamin content. These samples are received every two to four weeks from the same places, usually for several years. They all show a seasonal rise and fall in vitamin content. The high level is always associated with the use of rapidly growing young plant food. …..By far the most efficient plant food that I have found for producing the high-vitamin content in milk is rapidly growing young wheat and rye grass. Oat and barley grass are also excellent. In my clinical work small additions of this high-vitamin butter to otherwise satisfactory diets regularly checks tooth decay when active and at the same time improves vitality and general health’. Dr Weston Price (6).
Dr Price, describes case after case of the remediation of dental, skeletal and other issues in patients that transitioned over to nutrient dense foods containing the crucial fat soluble vitamins. His main recommendations were high vitamin butter oil, fermented cod liver oils, full fat raw grass fed dairy (with the vitamins intact), organ meats, eggs, plentiful seafood and others. Of all the recommendations Dr Price suggests, the most important nutrients to be included in the diet are sources of the fat soluble vitamins – which he compares to the battery of an automobile. Without these essential fat soluble vitamins the tank can be full of gas, but the car will never start without the igniting spark, he says.
Dr Price talked about a fat soluble vitamin/activator that he called factor X, it was this particular nutrient that Dr Price recognised as being absolutely crucial in maintaining dental health and the levels of it in dairy fluctuated according to the quality of the ruminants diet.
This activator factor X is highly likely to be what has been identified today as Vitamin K and we are now beginning to understand the role pasture fed livestock play in ensuring we obtain sufficient levels of the vital K2 form of this vitamin.
Vitamin K
For decades now when people present with brittle bones or osteoporosis they have been prescribed vitamin D and calcium supplements. This was considered to be the magic combination that would lead to stronger, less brittle bones. Yet what we are now beginning to learn is that calcium and vitamin D work alongside other key vitamins and minerals that are just as important when it comes to maintaining bone health. Vitamin K is one such vitamin and its effects within the body go far beyond the commonly recognised influence of Vitamin K1 in blood clotting. There are a whole set of forms of vitamin K. When it comes to bone and dental health, vitamin K2 forms (such as mk-7 and mk-4) are essential. These forms of vitamin K work in tandem with vitamin D and calcium to support the body in knowing where to deposit calcium, through their ability to activate osteocalcin (7). Where vitamin D increases the absorption of calcium and also the dissolution of calcium into the bloodstream, vitamin K tells the body where to transport and deposit this calcium – via activated osteocalcin and Matrix Gla Protein (MGP) into the bones.
Where we once thought that bones could not grow or alter once someone had finished growing – now we understand that bones shift in density and form under the influence of re-modelling processes that involve these fat soluble vitamins identified by Dr Weston Price. If one bone is not undergoing any weight bearing exercise – the body will remodel the bone to match the form to the required function. Thus, those who regularly participate in weight bearing exercise will benefit from greater bone density, as the body builds the bone via the activity of osteoblasts to support the weight bearing activity required. Likewise if someone lives a sedentary lifestyle, not moving much and not exposing their bodies to regular everyday knocks and shocks – given enough time – their bones will become weak and brittle, unable to withstand the force endured during running or falls. This is due to the resorption of the bone through the action of osteoclasts. This re-modelling of bone to suit bodily demands, occurs under the influence of various physiological processes. Of course these processes are complex and involve many pathways and compounds such as proteins, fats, minerals, hormones, enzymes, cells and more, but it appears that Dr Weston Price was barking up the right tree when he called the fat soluble vitamins/activators the battery of the engine. It seems that healthy bones and teeth rely upon us consuming or producing adequate quantities of these fat soluble vitamins.
Quote from Dennis Goodman MD
‘Vitamin K2 is the bodies light switch. It activates or ‘turns on’ important proteins in the body such as osteocalcin for strong bones and the matrix Gla protein (MGP) which keeps calcium – that crucial bone building nutrient – away from your arteries so they don’t harden and lead to cardiovascular disease’ (7)
Most people are familiar with the challenges of obtaining sufficient vitamin D with modern lifestyles. With the lack of sun exposure and difficulty obtaining sufficient levels in the western diet, many people now rely upon supplementation of vitamin D to achieve optimal levels. Yet our needs for vitamin K and how to obtain sufficient amounts through our diet receives very little attention.
Dietary vitamin K2 comes largely from:
- Dairy produce from grass fed ruminants
- Offal from grass fed animals
- Eggs from poultry with access to pasture
- Natto (a Japanese dish made with fermented beans)
- Sauerkraut
It is clear to see that once the shift happened in the modern world – moving animals off pasture into enclosures and barns – would have dramatically affected our intake of this vital vitamin. Animals that are moved indoors and taken off pasture are fed carefully designed specialist feed rations – but who is considering whether this has affected the vitamin K2 levels in our daily diets? Isn’t it crucial – given vitamin K2’s ability to protect our hearts and arteries from the hardening effects of calcification – that we urgently consider how we can raise our dietary intake of this vitamin once more?
The mainstream solution will likely go no further than offering supplements of Vitamin K2 as a quick fix – but there are many different forms of vitamin K2 and we don’t yet know which of these forms our bodies truly need, or how much. Data suggests that Vitamin K2 in its MK-7 form is most bioavailable and longest lasting (7), but then there are many anecdotal reports of the efficacy of Vitamin K2 in its MK-4 form. MK-4 is found in pasture raised dairy, offal and eggs and people have reported vast improvements in dental health when adopting a more traditional diet, where they reintroduce these nutrient dense foods.
Whilst some vitamin K2 is produced by a healthy microbiome from plant based precursors – we have yet to fathom how best to restore, protect and support a truly diverse and healthy microbiome. We live in a world that could easily compromise our microbiome with everything we do and breathe, drink and eat – so is it not sensible to assume that animal based vitamin K2 is an essential requirement for the healthy development of our children’s teeth and bones and for our health overall?
Perhaps it is time for us to reconsider if removing animals from pasture and eating meat, dairy and eggs grown in intensive systems is costing us far more than we realise. Could this one shift be a leading cause in the cardiovascular, dental and bone issues we are witnessing an explosion of today? In my opinion and boots on the ground experience – it is. I truly hope that we begin to take this concern more seriously very soon – before our children and those to come continue to be sold down the river on quick fixes, supplements and synthetic systems, that may lead only to more degeneration of planetary and human health and wellbeing.
This is one of the reasons I left my healthcare career and stepped into supporting regenerative agriculture. There’s only so long you can watch more and more people suffer – whilst the simplest, least profitable solutions are ignored and ridiculed. I believe that our food needs to grow in healthy soil and that our precious livestock, upon which we rely for optimal ecosystem health and nutrient dense foods, need to eat what nature designed them to eat with plentiful fresh air, sunlight and water. How can anyone think that health can be achieved otherwise?
References:
- https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhl/article/PIIS2666-7568(21)00142-2/fulltext
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8361186
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/expert-answers/heart-disease-prevention/faq-20057986
- https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0022034517693566
- Pg 12. Lin, Dr Steven. The Dental Diet: The Surprising Link Between Your Teeth, Real Food, and Life-Changing Natural Health. Hay House UK Limited, 2019.
- Pg 377. Price, Dr Weston. Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their Effects. Benediction Classics, Oxford, 2010
- Vitamin K2: The Missing Nutrient for Heart and Bone Health. AuthorHouse, 2015.
Fermented Foods
By Teri Clayton
Uncovering how to make fermented foods is frequently the beginning of a whole new world of food. The journey often begins with super simple ‘can’t go wrong’ fermentations involving salt, water and white cabbage – to make sauerkraut – but it soon turns into the excitement of fermented lemons, chilli’s, fizzy on the tongue salsa’s and onwards!
Fermented foods were a way of life for our ancestors – who would preserve food over winter, sometimes for many winters – through the power of salt and lactic acid. Not only was this practical and lifesaving, it also enhanced the nutritional profile of the foods, as well as rendering them more digestible. Pre-fermented foods offer our gut a head start in breaking down and digesting nutrients – in effect offering us some of the benefits that animals with multiple stomachs or longer intestines benefit from. The more our food is pre-digested, the more our bodies get a head start in processing it.
Fermenting food supports the creation of energy rich fatty acids derived from cellulose and metabolism boosting B-vitamins, to bone and tooth building vitamin K and powerful immune support in the form of colicins and other secondary microbial metabolites.
In many ways learning how to ferment food could lead to an evolutionary leap in human health and longevity, given the diverse range of foods we now have access to 24/7.
Moving humanity forward
Human beings have possibly reached the top of the food chain, because of our evolutionary capacity to use tools and fire. Our ability to start fires and the physical capacity to grip, with precision, between our thumbs and fingers, has made modern feats of engineering possible. When we combine this with our connection to inspiration and our mental capacity to problem solve, along with our desire and will to refine tools, we see where we have gained significant leverage upon the Earth. Where birds need wings to fly – we make flying machines, where fish need fins and gills to swim – we make flippers, diving equipment and submarines. Human ingenuity knows no bounds, yet in our excitement to create a life full of invention and exploration – we have lost connection with the ground beneath our feet. We have spent so long using tools to expand our reach as fast and as far as possible, that we have forgotten the art of using tools in the simplest and most life enhancing way.
Much of the overwhelming and unnecessary level of complication we are now experiencing in our human systems, would never have become such an entangled web, if we had focused on ‘needs’ before ‘wants’. Humans now need to discover and refine the most appropriate and simplest use of tools in order to live in greater harmony with Nature. In regenerative agriculture, for example, farmers can work with a range of tools to restore soil health, from equipment to facilitate the restoration of nature’s mob grazing patterns, to soil monitoring technologies that help us build a wealth of knowledge and fine tune our techniques and tools further.
When it comes to everyday healthy living we now need to consider how we can meet the urgent need for greater balance, harmony and diversity within our bodies, naturally and with the simplest tools available.
One of the simplest tools, when it comes to enhancing human nutrition involves using the fermentation processes.
Given that practically all foods can be pre-digested through some kind of fermentation process – could widespread adoption of using fermented foods offer us a leap in evolution towards greater health and wellbeing? Could harnessing and mastering fermentation processes offer us a way to evolve into greater harmony and balance with nature and wellbeing? Could this pre-digestion unlock and support us to absorb far more nourishment from our food? I think it could.
Where ruminants have several stomachs – we can use tools in the form of several fermentation jars!
The benefits of fermented foods go way beyond preservation, enhanced digestibility and added value nutrition and flavour – they also support the beneficial microbes in the gut microbiome, which is good for our overall well being, mental health (1) and evolution too.
According to anthropologist Claude Levi-Straus it is possible that humanity moved from nature to culture after discovering the fermentation art of mead making. Where honey in a bee hive is natural, once it is gathered in a suitable receptacle and fermented into mead – it is then known as cultured. Human culture is so tied to ‘cultured’ foods that we simply could not maintain human civilisations without them. From bread, wine, cheese and yoghurt to coffee and chocolate – fermentation plays an enormous role in human lives.
Let’s first explore the simplest and most humble fermented food, that we can all make at home, to create our own cultures with – Sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut is simply white cabbage left to ferment over a period of weeks (sometimes months or years in some cultures) in brine solution, until it develops into a tangy, lactic acid rich and utterly delicious preserved, living, vitamin rich food.
Teeming with beneficial lactobacilli, this living culture is a dietary staple in Germany and much of Central Europe. Sauerkraut is a great source of vitamin C and was often used by sailors taking very long trips, in order to prevent scurvy. Its tart but zesty flavour and satisfying crunch means that most people find it pleasant to eat and in fact more-ish. I know I find myself craving it, as does my daughter who will eat it straight from the jar, as an enjoyable snack.
I found it fascinating to discover that Sauerkraut goes through several dominant cultures in a mini succession cycle before climaxing in the lactobacilli species.
The fermentation begins with bacteria known as Coliform and as these produce acids, they culture then moves over to being populated by Leuconostoc bacteria, with the continued reduction in pH towards greater acidity the culture eventually after a week or more begins to move towards a lactobacilli predominant culture. Anyone that has tasted a coliform or leuconostoc predominant culture will be familiar with the not quite ready ‘trump’ like smell and taste! Yet when the culture arrives at its maximal sweet spot, the smell and flavour becomes crisp, refreshing and zesty!
To learn how to make your own sauerkraut at home I suggest taking a short course if anyone offers them locally or buying a fermentation ‘how to’ book. I recommend Pascal Baudar or Sandor Ellix Katz. The processes are simple, but there is a broad variation in styles and methodologies used
Though it is really really easy to make sauerkraut, getting started confidently and with a good basic understanding will support you to thoroughly enjoy learning (and eating) the art of fermentation.
Those who love fermentation may well never leave behind their Sauerkraut appreciation, but there is a whole world of fermentation to explore from beers and wines, fermented grains, yoghurts and cheeses through to fermented meats and fish.
One of my favourite foods is a fermented salmon known as gravadlax, but then there’s the smelly, but amazing specialist sausages, timeless corned beef and beautifully simple – melt in the mouth delicious – salted beef.
For those who are confident in fermentation and are ready to progress to fermented meats, find yourself a reputable on-line or in-person course in fermented meats (there are a great variety of courses available) and get started. Corned beef is ultra simple and the homemade stuff is nothing like shop brought – which is truly an absolute delicacy.
For making your own corned beef you will need a nice piece of brisket – check out our flavourful, rich brisket offerings here!
References;
Human Health and the Microbiome
By Teri Clayton
If you are interested in the world of human wellbeing, nutrition or healing, then you will have undoubtedly come across some of the exciting discoveries about the human microbiome and its effects on human health.
Even the most basic of understandings reveals that the microbes living in our gut must digest our food to some extent and produce various metabolic by-products. It, therefore, follows that microbes must have some impact on our nutrition. The extent of this impact is now turning out to be nothing short of spectacular!
Though it is abundantly clear that the microbiome has powerful effects on our wellbeing, health and ability to heal, it will be a long time into the future before we start to more fully understand the ever-evolving complexity of the microbiome in relationship to human form and function.
The microbiome is unique in each and every individual, and even within individuals, it’s constantly cycling through different expressions.
When scientists first began to identify that certain microbes seem to confer certain health benefits, such as the reduction of asthma symptoms (1), alleviation of anxiety (2) and may even contribute to creating healthier, thicker hair growth in the case of Lactobacillus reuteri (3,4) it opened up a world of opportunities in the world of medicine and dietary supplementation. Science is now discovering a role for the microbiome in obesity, auto-immune disease, atherosclerosis and increased blood pressure. It has been observed that lower levels of certain bacterial families such as Veillonellaceae sp are associated with increased blood pressure for example (5).
When it comes to the microbiome, we could tell you about which organisms have been shown through science to do X,Y and Z, and what probiotic formula contains these microbes. We could go on to talk about the field of proteomics that reveal that the gut microbiome produces a core of around 1000 proteins that have bioactive functions in the body (5), or discuss the findings from the field of metabolomics, to discuss all the various metabolites, produced by the microbiome and their potential roles (6). This, however, would lead us down yet another reductionist dead end.
We need to understand that to see the microbiome as separate organisms producing various proteins and metabolites misses the broader (and more powerful) picture.
Instead, we prefer to adopt a regenerative, holistic approach that encompasses not just individual organisms but also considers their complex relationships, forms and ever-evolving functions.
So how do we do that?
In true regenerative agriculture meets with regenerative human ‘style’, we want to invite you to see the microbiome through the expansive, amazing and seemingly miraculous lens through which we view ecosystems – the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.
When it comes to seeing the microbiome through a holistic regenerative lens, you have to see yourself as part of nature – a walking ecosystem interacting with everything you exchange information with.
We believe that the most powerful approach to feeding the microbiome is the same as how we feed the soil in regenerative farming systems –
We work WITH natural ecological principles facilitating the creation of maximal diversity.
What we eat obviously has a powerful influence on the microbiome and research suggests that a diet rich in polyphenolic compounds seems to offer it the best food!
Polyphenols are micronutrients that naturally occur in plants. There are more than 8,000 types of polyphenols, which include: Flavonoids like quercetin and catechins in fruits.
Yet fascinating early stage research suggests that these polyphenolic compounds could potentially be obtained from meat and dairy from livestock that graze pastures rich in diversity (7,8). The farmers who supply Primal meats work hard to maximise pasture diversity as guaranteed by our PRIMAL promise.
Want to learn more? Why not take our free course ‘Microbiome Basics’ on our online community Primal Web!
References
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFcphkad_nY&ab_channel=NationalNetworkManagementService
- https://atlasbiomed.com/blog/stress-anxiety-depression-microbiome/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3547054/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24675231/
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fchem.2017.00004/full
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7281736/
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2020.555426/full
- https://www.primalmeats.co.uk/grass-fed-meat-so-much-more-than-a-source-of-omega-3/
Grass-fed: Are our expectations always met?
Many of us have found inspiration in various Paleo and primal books from across the pond. They highlight the benefits of eating grass-fed meat over mass-produced grain-fed beef. In the UK, we don’t tend to see huge concentrated animal feed operations, but does this mean all our UK beef and lamb is 100% grass-fed? We’re going to talk you through the expectations of ‘grass-fed meat’ and what some supermarkets and farmers mean when they say ‘grass-fed’.
The taste and quality difference
The taste and quality difference between grass-fed and grain-fed meats could be endlessly debated. We tend to choose grass-fed meats for their health-boosting qualities, but how do they boost our health? They hold higher nutrient quality, higher omega-3 content, and healthier omega-3 to omega-6 ratios.
Studies show that grass finished meats can have 3-5 times as many omega-3 fatty acids as grain-fed meats, depending on various factors like the quality of the grazing pasture. Omega-3 has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease, depression, dementia and arthritis.
100% grass-fed meat, therefore, has a much higher quality of nutrients, taste and even a better impact on the environment.
The problem with modern diets
Omega-6 is a fatty acid that is contained within both grain-fed and grass-fed meat in relatively similar quantities. In most modern diets, omega-6 is often eaten excessively. In healthy traditional cultures the ratio between omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids would be 1:1 or 1:2, this ratio has been shown to have a health promoting effect on humans. (1)
Modern diets are high in vegetable oils, grains, and processed foods. These diets tend to create an omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid ratio of up to 1:20. This is a serious problem, eating too many omega-6 fatty acids can reduce the benefits of omega-3. This occurs because the omegas compete for the enzymes and micronutrients in our bodies. This could mean that even though you are eating omega-3, your body may not be making use of it.
A key issue we face with modern diets is the imbalance between our intake of omega-3 and omega-6. By choosing 100% grass-fed meat over grain-fed or even grain-finished meats gives you the chance to increase your omega-3 consumption and balance out your overall intake to a healthier ratio of 1:2.
The Benefits of 100% Grass-fed meats
You can gain the most nutrients from animals who have been on an entirely pasture diet (grass and other plant species found in grasslands). When animals are reared for meat and have eaten a 100% grass-fed diet the concentration of the beneficial nutrients within the flesh of the animal are far higher. One of the fatty acids that is particularly desirable within the meat of grass finished animals is Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). CLA is a type of polyunsaturated fat and is found at levels 2-3 times higher in grass-fed meat than in grain-fed meat. CLA is thought to help protect against heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. (2, 3)
What animals can be ‘100% grass fed’?
The term grass-fed is only applicable to ruminant animals that would naturally have a pasture-based diet. Omnivores, like pigs, will eat grass and scratch around in pasture but it is unlikely they will be finished on just grass for the commercial market.
In the UK, we don’t see huge concentrated animal feeding operations like those in the USA, however most farms will use grains in one form or another to ‘finish’ their cattle, lambs and mutton ewes.
So, how do we identify ‘pasture for life’ and ‘100% grass-fed’ meats?
Meat from 100% grass-fed animals will contain carotenoids such as beta-carotene – these are the precursors to vitamin A. A good way to identify nutritious beef and lamb is to look at the fat on the meat; if it slightly yellow and cream coloured it means it is rich in carotenoids which are a good indication that the animal has had a grass finished diet (4).
Vitamin E is also crucial when analysing the quality and freshness of meat; it can help extend shelf life. Grass-fed meat, that is higher in vitamin E, will perform better in high temperature cooking over grain-fed meat. This means it is even more important to select grass-fed meat when selecting steak and burger cuts (5).
The UK is home to a wide diversity of livestock farms who have a range of rearing systems. To presume all UK meat is grass-fed would be misleading. What is important to know is that there are no specific labelling laws governing the term ‘grass-fed’; this means the term is used to cover a variety of animal rearing systems. ‘Grass-fed’ could cover animals who have had a short time on pasture and are then cereal fed until slaughter, it could also cover those animals who have been grazed naturally their whole lives. This means even if meat is labelled ‘grass-fed’ it doesn’t mean they haven’t had any grains.
There are a limited number of farmers, in the UK, finishing their animals exclusively on grass and nutrient dense pasture crops, like red clover and lucerne. There is only one recognised certification program for ‘100% grass-fed’ or ‘pasture-fed’ meat; the Pasture Fed Livestock Association are working hard to get more farmers to sell their meat under the PFLA certificate. The chances are if your meat is not certified by the PFLA then your farmer will probably be finishing their ‘local grass-fed meat’ on grains.
Don’t get caught out:
It’s important to know the crucial time for animals to be grass-fed is in the 80-90 days prior to slaughter, this falls within most UK livestock’s ‘finishing’ period. This is when farmers are fattening the animals to get a decent conformation of carcass and a good price. Most UK farms feed cereals in this period and many will bring the animals indoors to do this efficiently (6).
An Australian study into the ‘Effect of feeding systems on omega-3 fatty acids, conjugated linoleic acid and trans fatty acids in Australian beef cuts: potential impact on human health’ (Ponnampalam, E.N., 2006), showed that all the omega-3 and CLA gained from grass-feeding was lost in just 80 days of grain feeding. Furthermore, it was lost to the degree that it was no longer qualified as being a meaningful dietary source by the New Zealand and Australian Food Standards Agency.
This doesn’t mean these farmers or supermarkets labelling this meat as ‘grass-fed’ are bad or that their produce is poor in quality or taste. Although, it does not guarantee that the nutrient density is what we expect from ‘100% grass-fed’ meat.
Overall…
The term ‘grass-fed’ is meaningless unless you research further into the animals’ background. Unfortunately, the extensive use of the term ‘grass-fed’ has undermined the effort of those small local farms who are actively trying to produce 100% grass-fed meat. Rearing animals purely on pasture is a very sustainable way to produce meat but it does take a deep understanding of organic farming, eco-systems, and holistic animal health management. This knowledge and skill set take time to learn and emplace.
If you want to be certain of the nutrient quality of your meat then you should be looking for the ‘pasture for life’ certificate on your meat, or ask the following questions:
• Are the animals grazed outside on pasture?
• Do the animals receive any grains?
• What feed is used to ‘finish’ the livestock?
The answer to these questions should give you some insight into where, on the wide scale of nutrient quality, your ‘grass-fed meat’ may fall.
References
1: Dewailly E, Blanchet C, Lemieux S, et al.(2001). n−3 fatty acids and cardiovascular disease risk factors among the Inuit of Nunavik. In Am J Clinical Nutrition 2001;74::464-73. Retrieved from http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/74/4/464.full
2: Gunnars, K. (n.d.). Top 8 Reasons Not to Fear Saturated Fats. In Authority Nutrition. Retrieved from http://authoritynutrition.com/top-8-reasons-not-to-fear-saturated-fats/
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