FAT! It's what's for dinner.
Mar 04, 2011
GOOD FAT. It’s what’s for dinner!
CLA (conjugated linoleic acid) is a cancer-fighting fat that is most abundant in Grass-fed products. Recent studies link a diet high in CLA with a lower risk of breast cancer. Researchers measured CLA levels in the serum of women with and without breast cancer. Those women with the most CLA had a significantly lower risk of the disease. French researchers measured CLA levels in the breast tissues of 360 women. Once again, the women with the most CLA had the lowest risk of cancer. In fact, the women with the most CLA had a staggering 74% lower risk of breast cancer than the women with the least CLA.
The most natural and effective way to increase your intake of CLA is to eat the meat and dairy products of Grass-fed animals.
Did you also know that Grass-Fed BEEF has similar omega-3/omega-6 ratios as wild salmon? In fact, Lean Grass-fed BEEF not only contains as much, or even higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, but without the possible negatives such as heavy metals (mercury, etc) and PCBs that can be found in fish.
Now I know that a lot of people will try to convince you that meat is not good for you. And to be honest I partially agree with them when it comes to your typical "factory farm-raised" meat where the animals are fattened up with huge quantities of grains, soy additives & Hormone implants that are not Natural. However, when animals are healthy and eat the diet they were meant to eat naturally (GRASS), the meat is actually healthy for us. Not only are Grass-fed meats a high quality source of muscle-building proteins, but they are also a great source of healthy fats. There are a number of nutritional differences between the meat of pasture-raised and feedlot-raised animals. To begin with, meat from Grass-fed cattle, sheep, and bison are lower in total fat. If the meat is very lean, it can have one third as much fat as a similar cut from a grain-fed animal. In fact, Grass-fed BEEF can have the same amount of fat as skinless chicken breast, wild deer, or elk. Research shows that lean beef actually lowers your "bad" LDL cholesterol levels.
When cattle eat a diet of only grass & dry hay, haylage or baleage rather than of grains & soy, their meat becomes higher in omega-3s and lower in omega-6 fatty acids, achieving a more natural balance of omega-3 to omega-6 fats. As previously stated Grass-fed BEEF also contains much higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), which has shown some promising benefits in studies for losing body fat and gaining lean muscle mass in addition to helping prevent breast cancer.
Meat from Grass-fed animals have 2 to 4 times more omega-3 fatty acids than meat from grain-fed animals. Omega-3s are called "good fats" because they play a vital role in every cell and system in your body. For example, of all the fats, they are the most heart-friendly. People who have ample amounts of omega-3's in their diet are less likely to have high blood pressure or an irregular heartbeat, they are also 50 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. Omega-3's are essential for your brain as well, and who couldn’t use a little help in that department! And that’s not all, people with a diet rich in omega-3's are less likely to suffer from depression, schizophrenia, attention deficit disorder (hyperactivity), or Alzheimer's disease.
So what are you serving your family for dinner tonight?
