Is Grass Fed Beef Any Better Than Conventional Beef?

In the past few years, more and more consumers are becoming concerned over the safety of beef raised in feedlots. Beef cows are regularly given antibiotics and hormones on a regular basis. As a result, the demand for grass fed beef is growing. At first glance, it would appear to be more healthy. It is a more humane way to treat beef cows, and their beef would have no antibiotics or hormones.

So we can relax and enjoy our beef and not worry about safety. Right? Or should we?

Is Grass Fed Beef Any Better Than Conventional Beef?

In fact, there are 5 reasons why eating the preferred grass fed beef is still detrimental to our health and environment.

5 Reasons why grass fed beef is still unhealthy… 

• According to Food Safety News, researchers have tested both conventional and grass fed beef. They found few overall differences between the two. They found more Enterococcus species ground in conventional beef while more E. Coli was found in grass fed beef.
• Proponents of grass fed beef say the grass fed beef contains vitamins A,D,E,B complex, iron ,calcium and a range of minerals. It even has essential fatty acids. However, what they don’t tell you is that these nutrients are in small amounts and that these nutrients can easily be found in plant food such as lentils, nuts, dark green vegetables, and beans.
• Grass fed beef is still an animal protein. Eating large quantities, which many people do, contribute to heart disease, obesity, diabetes, and other diseases.
• It might seem that grass fed beef is more humane and natural, however these animals still go through death which is just as terrifying and cruel. They are still taken to conventional slaughter houses where they are skinned while alive and fully conscious and they have their feet cut off while they are still breathing. This happens constantly in slaughterhouses all over the country. So when you see the ideal image of contented cows grazing over pasture, remember how they were killed, the next time you bite into a hamburger.
• Consumers like to think that grass fed beef is earth friendly because their is less energy and water use when farmers grow corn for grain. However, cows whether grass fed or conventionally raised, are very detrimental to our environment. Cattle ranching is responsible for 80% of deforestation in the Amazon. Grass fed beef still produces methane and nitrous oxide. Methane is actually 24 times more potent than carbon dioxide and its concentration in the atmosphere is rising even faster. Cattle raised on pasture produce more methane than conventionally raised cattle because they are around longer. The nitrous oxide emissions are fuelling global warming, acidifying soils, reducing biodiversity and shrinking the Earth’s protective stratospheric ozone layer. 1.5 million wild animals are killed by Wildlife Services in the US to protect the financial interests of ranchers who graze their livestock on public lands. Imagine how many wild animals world wide are being killed so that cattle can be raised.

So maybe the answer is not grass fed beef. Maybe the answer is to reduce our consumption as much as possible. Next time you sit down and have a steak ask yourself, is eating this worth it? What did the animal go through to make it to your plate. Think of your health. Think of our future. Eating beef or grass fed beef is environmentally unsustainable. There are many vegetarian foods available that are delicious and more healthy than eating steak.

Sources:

https://foodrevolution.org/blog/the-truth-about-grassfed-beef/
http://www.life.ca/naturallife/0812/grass-fed__green_humane_healthful.htm
http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/08/debate-conventional-v-grass-fed-beef/