Is Grass Fed Protein Better for Your Diet?

For quite some time now, there’s been a lot of talk about grass fed protein. But, is it really any better for your diet? There is a lot of debate out there regarding the pros and cons of eating beef, and the effects of consuming beef when you consider human health, animal welfare, and environmental conservation.
So, is grass fed protein worth it? Continue reading to learn more.
The Real Definition of Grass Fed
According to The Washington Post, the term “grass fed” can be misleading. That’s because all beef cattle in the United States are fed grass early on in their lives, so when you see the term grass fed, what the industry really means is that the animals were fed grass throughout their entire lives.
It’s also worth mentioning that the USDA qualifies a product as grass fed if the animal was able to consume grass and forage on pasture. However, there aren’t any specifications regarding how much of the food has to be from the pasture, as harvested forage and hay can be incorporated into the animal’s diet as well.
Is Grass Fed Protein Better for Your Health?
According to some experts, grass fed protein is better for your health because it usually contains greater concentrations of certain nutrients, such as some vitamins and omega-3 fatty acids. But—and this is a big “but”—even though the level of omega-3 fatty acids in grass fed protein is roughly 50% greater than the level in regular beef, the level in regular beef is already really low to begin with. So, in the end, it isn’t much of a big deal to say that grass fed meat contains higher amounts of omega-3 fatty acids after all. Plus, the concentration of omega-3s will vary widely. So, if you’re hoping to get more healthy fats into your diet, looking to other sources is recommended.
Also, regardless of whether or not your beef was grass fed, the same health concerns should be considered. As one example, the American Institute for Cancer Research has recommended that you limit your intake of red meat because of its link to colorectal cancer.
The bottom line seems to be that grass fed protein may be better for you because of small differences in nutritional content compared to grain fed protein. So, if you wish to eat more grass fed protein, go for it, but keep your consumption to a minimum to avoid the unhealthy effects of red meat.