Article Authors: Mary E. Van Elswyk, Shalene H. McNeill
Article Source: Human Nutrition Research
Article Date: August 8th, 2013
Summary: The effects of grass or grain fed on nutrition isn't clear; the fatty acid profile of individual muscles respond to either grass or grain.
Cows with leaner meat have higher concentrations of omega-3s.
ReplyDeleteWhat causes omega-3s to accumulate in certain parts of the cow? Are these the same omega-3s found in fish, or are they mostly ALA?
Leaner cattle will benefit more from a grass fed diet than other cattle.
ReplyDeleteWhat muscles of the cattle have the most omega-3 concentration?
Learned: Omega-3 levels in different parts of the cow are affected by grass-fed/grain-fed diets differently. For instance, in the semimembranosus region of the cow, omega-3 levels from grass fed cows are actually lower than that of grain-fed cows.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Is there a biological explanation for this inconsistency in omega-3 levels throughout different parts of the cow, and if so, what is it?
Leaner breeds of cows benefit more from grass fed diets than more fatty breeds in containing omega-3's.
ReplyDeleteWhat causes omega 3 levels to be so different in different muscles around the cows body?
What I Learned: Different muscles within the cow actually respond differently to grass fed vs grain fed diets.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Would which specific part of the cow matter you eat make a significant difference on your omega-3 intake?
The size and part of the cow vary on the benefits of grass intake instead of grain and vice versa so this must be accounted for when discussing which food is more effective.
ReplyDeleteWhy do certain muscles respond to grass differently and could this be the case in humans as well in terms of our food intake and omega-3 distributions?
Only certain areas of the cow such as the semimembranosus contains a lower amount of Omega-3 from grass fed cows causing speculation whether grain fed or grass fed is better.
ReplyDeleteQuestion: Do the lean cows typically carry lots of omega-3 or do they vary by region of the body too?
Leaner breeds will naturally have higher levels of omega-3s and grass-fed and grain-fed omega-3 values are actually similar in the shoulder center. Why is it different that omega-3s are higher in some places in the cow and lower in others?
ReplyDeleteOne question:
ReplyDeleteYou've done a good job describing the differences among cuts of beef. What is the physiological reason for the different effect on different muscle groups?