What is “Grass-Fed”?

When we eat animal products that have been fed on grass, we can achieve optimum health. Animals that eat lots of grass are very high in Omega-3 fatty acids. When animals are fed exclusively on grains, as nearly all our commercial meat, dairy and poultry animals now are, they are unnaturally high in Omega-6’s.

Omega-3’s and Omega-6’s must be in near-equal proportions for us to have optimum health. Only by focusing on grass-fed sources can we achieve this balance.

Grass-fed products currently available include beef, buffalo, lamb, chickens, turkeys, and many other meats and poultry. One of the most exciting sources of grass-fed food are the wonderful dairies that are springing up. Cows that live on grass and green plants 365 days a year produce milk that has astounding health and sanitary properties. The Omega-3 content of such milk is many times higher than that in commercial milk. And the butter and cream are even higher. Another is the “Omega-3 Eggs” that are appearing under many labels. These eggs are from hens fed on flax seed, which does boost the Omega-3 content of the eggs. If truly grass-fed eggs can be obtained, they will be even higher in Omega-3’s. Currently, the Frenzs company from New Zealand sells truly pastured, grass-fed eggs in the US for several dollars per dozen. To my mind, I can't afford to eat any other kind.

What are Omega-3’s?

Omega-3’s and Omega-6’s are the two “families” of the Essential Fatty Acids. Essential Fatty Acids are substances that influence many, many biological processes concerning fat-soluble substances in the body.

The Omega-3's and -6's should be in approximate balance in our bodies --- equal quantities of both. But since we consume such a high proportion of grain-fed animal products, virtually everyone has waaaaayyyy more Omega-6's than Omega-3's in their body: something like 10 to 20 times more. This is the condition where degenerative diseases are produced.

When the Omega-3’s and Omega-6’s are in near-equal balance in our bodies, degenrative disease disappears. Just one example: “Good” cholesterol goes up, and “bad” cholesterol goes down, when Omega-3’s and –6’s are balanced.

One study showed that adding two Omega-3-rich eggs to the diet daily caused the “good” cholesterol to go up, and the “bad” cholesterol to go down within 18 days. (See www.eatwild.com for a full discussion.) Doctors now are recommending that their heart-surgery patients eat buffalo, and other grass-fed animal products.

Omega-3 fatty acids are formed from the fat in green grass, and in other green living plants. Plankton, occurring throughout the oceans of the world, is the “grass of the sea.” Because virtually all ocean life is based on plankton, or on other sea-life that eats plankton, all sea foods are high in Omega-3’s. Since Omega-3’s are fats, the fattier the fish, the more Omega-3’s it usually has.