The #s Don't Lie. Grass-Fed and Finished Beef is 10x Better than COnventional Beef

Note: A major thank you to both the Bionutrient Food Association and Dr. Stephan van Vliet, PhD of Utah State University whose lab completed this analysis. 

When I first got excited about regenerative agriculture, it was while reading a book called Animal, Vegetable, Junk by Mark Bittman. At the time, I was focused on creating a business to help reverse the harmful effects of climate change. And I found my answer in the regenerative agriculture movement, but there was and IS an added bonus: regeneratively raised food is better for human health. 

Meet John Hogeland and Beth Hoffman of Whippoorwill Creek Farm in Lovilia, Iowa. In many ways, they are the iconic example of what 99 Counties is all about. In 2019, John and Beth moved back to Iowa to take over John’s family farm and transition it from conventional agriculture to regenerative practices. You can hear their story in Beth’s book, Bet The Farm. Land that was once degraded by chemically intensive monocropped corn and soy production is now thriving with birds, bees, insects, animals, clean soil, and water. They now have confirmation that the food they produce is more nutrient-dense than what you will find at the supermarket.  

Photo credit:  Rob Mattson/Noble Research Institute.

Nutrient density refers to the nutrient content of a food relative to its energy content, expressed in kJ or kcal, according to Science Direct. Nutrient-dense foods are those that provide substantial amounts of valuable nutrients, such as proteins, fiber, vitamins, and minerals with relatively fewer calories. 

Better Omega 6:3 Ratio (hint: lower is better)

When my friends and family ask me for an elevator pitch on why our beef is better, I typically use this example: grain-finished beef has an omega-6 to omega-3 ratio of about 8:1, while grass-finished beef has a ratio of 1:1. The lower ratio is better for your health. 

Why is the ratio so different? The wild ancestor of the cow didn’t sit in a feedlot eating the corn and soy remnants of what wasn’t used in ethanol production. No, those cows roamed around natural grasslands, eating grass, which is what their four-chambered stomach was specifically designed for!

Let’s take a step back and review what Omega 6 and Omega 3s are and why they are important (thanks to the folks at InsideTracker for some of this content):

While fats have gotten a bad rap over the last few decades, nutritionists now understand that the right fats are very important to human health. At a high level, there are two types of food fats: saturated and unsaturated. Within unsaturated fats, there are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. Polyunsaturated fats, characterized by their two or more double bonds, include omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, which our bodies can only obtain from food that contains them.  Both are important components of cell membranes and act as precursors to other substances in the body, including those involved in blood pressure regulation and the inflammatory response. Hence, they are commonly referred to as essential fatty acids.

Omega 3s: Also known as “fatty acids” are crucial for lowering triglycerides, promoting blood flow, cardiac and vascular function, and controlling thrombosis and inflammation. The most important of these fatty acids, including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and docosapentaenoic acid (DPA), can only be obtained directly from animal-sourced foods, particularly grass-fed and finished beef. While you can obtain some omega-3s  from walnuts, chia, and flaxseeds, they contain only alpha-linoleic acid, which converts at a low 1-5% rate to EPA and DHA in the body. 

Omega 6s: Linoleic Acid, an omega-6 fatty acid found primarily in vegetable oils, some nuts, and seeds, can also be beneficial for heart health when consumed in moderation and in place of saturated fats. Linoleic Acid primarily lowers LDL cholesterol. 

However, too much or too little of either omega-6s or omega-3s can affect how the other functions in the body. Omega-6s are not inherently bad for you. In fact, they can improve cardiovascular health when coming from whole foods such as nuts and seeds. But, when omega-6s intake is too high (which is common in the Western Diet), they can promote inflammation and oxidative stress, both of which can lead to poor heart health outcomes if accompanied by low omega-3 consumption. Therefore, the ratio of Omega 6:3 helps determine if there is a proper balance between the two to ensure optimal health outcomes.

What is the ideal ratio of Omega 6 to Omega 3 fatty acids? Studies of the Paleolithic Age suggest that our ancient ancestors maintained a diet with a ratio of 4:1 if not lower. Interestingly, our ancestors did not suffer from the high rates of cancer, diabetes, and other diseases that afflict modern societies. However, over the 20th century, the demand for inexpensive food and the desire to fatten up cattle for slaughter quickly led to the widespread use of feedlots. In feedlots, cattle are fed with corn and soybeans, which are high in Omega 6 fatty acids.

As the chart below shows, regenerative agriculture systems with diverse crop types result in much lower omega 6:3 levels. 

Keep in mind, however, that the goal of a balanced 6:3 omega ratio is not only to decrease the Omega 6s, but to increase the Omega 3s. As you can see in the charts below, Whippoorwill Creek Farm has a 3x higher rate of eicosapentaenoic acid than the grain-fed average, and about a 5x higher rate of Alpha-linolenic acid.

But that’s just scratching the surface of the data we obtained! Beyond omega-6 and omega-3 ratios, the mineral content of regeneratively raised beef in comparison to grain-fed is striking. Key minerals like Boron, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, and Phosphorus are found in much higher concentrations, while toxic minerals like Lead are completely absent (see appendix for details). 

So what’s the takeaway? Nutrient density is real. The beef we are offering not only supports great farmers like John and Beth but also provides you with the ideal omega-6 to omega-3 ratio and higher concentrations of essential minerals like Boron, Calcium, Iron, Potassium, Magnesium, and Phosphorus.

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