Good Meats vs. Bad
Meats: Your Definitive Guide to How to Choose Healthiest Meat
Did you know that countries in Europe banned hormone-treated American meats
back in 1989?
As a result, NO conventionally raised US meat can be sold there. So what
do the Europeans know about hormone-treated meat that we don't?
Conventionally raised meats, poultry and dairy are full of cancer causing
hormones and immune suppressing antibiotics.
Years ago, that would not be cause for concern, but today we know better.
The commercial food industry places profits over people. The average piece
of beef at the grocery store has millions of molecules of unregulated hormones.
Beef: Every time you consume animal protein, you are exposing yourself
to whatever the animals ingested during their lifetimes that could include
cancer-causing hormones and immune-suppressing antibiotics!
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What's the Beef about Hormones in Meat?
In feedlots across the nation, farmers implant cows with hormones, some natural
and some synthetic, to fatten them up for slaughter and, in turn, increase
profits.
Since the 1970's scientists have been researching the effects of added hormones
on the human body.
Simply put, researchers believe that the additives in US meat can cause
imbalances and raise your natural hormones to carcinogenic (cancer-causing)
levels.
They warn that no dietary levels of uncontrolled hormones are
safe and have linked the astounding rates of cancer in the US to the hormones
used in conventional farming.
The combination of hormones and antibiotics in our food supply is especially
troublesome. Because conventional farmers are trying to raise as many cattle
as they can at the lowest possible cost, they pack the animals tightly into
unsanitary pens and cages where they are at a greater risk for disease.
On a poor diet and living in such cramped spaces, Farmers give antibiotics
to every single animal to prevent potential infections and to help them gain
weight. While the antibiotics in meats don't always directly transfer to the
end consumer, they do encourage the development of new strains of antibiotic
resistant bacteria.
In your body, antibiotics kill not only disease-causing bacteria, but also
they kill beneficial bacteria, upset your body's inner ecology, and allow
unfriendly organisms to take over.
Doctors worry that people who ingest antibiotic-resistant bacteria from their
meat will not respond to antibiotic treatment if and when they become sick.
Hormones and antibiotics in our food are a "double-whammy" public
health issue and one of the best reasons to take a cue from the EU and avoid
hormone riddled meats.
Organic Meats, Poultry and Dairy
Meat does provide essential nutrients and valuable proteins. Keep in mind
the 80/20 rule when you plan your meals. No more than 20% of your meal should
be animal protein, but even that small amount will provide you with essential
fatty acids, iron, and amino acids. How can you continue to enjoy meat and
reap the health benefits without the dangerous additives?
Organic meats, poultry and dairy products are the best sources for healthy
animal protein.
What does organic mean?
- Length of Time: Animals are raised organically from the last third
of gestation (for livestock) or no later than the second day of life (for
poultry).
- Organic Food: Farmers must give livestock feed that is 100% organically
grown.
- No hormones or antibiotics: Sick animals must be treated with
an appropriate medicine, but if an animal has been treated with a prohibited
medication, it can't be labeled and sold as organic.
- Outside Access: Animals must have access to pasture if they graze.
Shade, shelter, fresh air, direct sunlight and room to exercise are required
according to the needs of each species.
- No mixing. Organic animal products must be separated from non-organic
products. Organic animal products must not come into contact with prohibited
chemicals or substances.
Another option is to look for organic, grass-fed meats. Animals that
are grass fed do not eat feed made from grains and generally have higher levels
of essential fatty acids and lean protein.
If you are trying to avoid animals that have eaten soy feed, then grass-fed
meats are the way to go.
Health Benefits of High Quality Protein
The research is in: beef contains high concentrations of Conjugated Linoleic
Acid (CLA) and is a great source of omega 3 fatty acids.
Here are some great reasons to include healthy meats in your diet:
- Decrease your risk for cancer. CLA is a proven anti-carcinogen
and can prevent cancer.
- Help you build muscle mass. CLA increases lean tissue and may
even be a treatment for obesity.
- Reduce inflammation. The high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in
lean meat fight inflammation related to cardiovascular disease and arthritis.
Sources for High Quality Meats
As the public demand for healthy meats increases, you can often find organic
and free-range meats at a local health food store, co-op, or farmers' market.
Also try these online sources for fresh and flash-frozen meat and fish shipped
straight to you:
When it comes to health, you and your family deserve the best. Fortunately,
the healthiest meats for you are also the best tasting. Organic and free-range
meats can be a tasty and nutritious addition to your diet.
As always, digesting the meat you eat is also very important. Sear both sides
and eat your beef rare. Well cooked meat is very difficult to digest. Remember
that proper digestion is everything. In a nutshell: conventional animal protein
foods from your grocery store should be avoided. Only choose organic and free-range
fish, meats, eggs, chicken, etc. such as those you will find at Grassland
Beef and at Vital
Choice.
Sources:
Additives Used in Meat, Labs.ANSCI.UIUC.edu, http://labs.ansci.uiuc.edu/meatscience/Library/additives.htm
American Beef: Why is it Banned in Europe?, PreventCancer.com. http://www.preventcancer.com/consumers/general/hormones_meat.htm
Antibiotic Debate Overview, Frontline, PBS.org. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/meat/safe/overview.html
Antibiotics in Meat: What you need to know, ParentCenter.com, Oct 2004. http://parentcenter.babycenter.com/refcap/preschooler/pnutrition/64376.html
Gurd, Vreni, "Conventional vs. Organic vs. free range meat, poultry,
eggs, and dairy," Trusted.md, 1 Dec 2006. http://trusted.md/blog/vreni_gurd/2006/12/01/conventional_vs_organic_vs_free_range_meat_poultry_eggs_and_dairy
The Importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids, The
Center for Genetics, Nutrition and Health. Biomed Pharmacotherapy, Oct 2002,
56 (8): 365-79. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=PubMed&list_uids=12442909&dopt=Abstract
None of Us Should Eat Extra Estrogen, Los Angeles Times, 24 Mar 1997, PreventCancer.com.
Organic Foods: Pesticides, GMOs, Food Irradiation, and Eating Well on a Budget,
HelpGuide.com. http://www.helpguide.org/life/organic_foods_pesticides_gmo.htm
Pariza, Mike, "A Fat that Reduces Cancer, Heart Disease, and Body Fat?"
Cals.Wisc.edu. http://www.cals.wisc.edu/media/news/05_97/CLA_update.html
Raloff, Janet, "Hormones: Here's the Beef," Science News, 5 Jan
2002, Vol. 161, No. 1, p. 10. http://www.sciencenews.org/articles/20020105/bob13.asp
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