Today’s Animals Are Fed in a Way That Makes The Meat Significantly Lower in Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Cow
Our food environment has changed since the dawn of agriculture.
It has changed even more drastically in the past few hundred years, and has been completely transformed in recent decades.
Back in the day, our paleolithic ancestors ate a lot of meat… but from wild animals that they hunted.
These animals roamed free, eating grass or bugs or whatever it was that they preferred.
Compare that to today’s animals, which are usually locked inside and fed unnatural feeds based primarily on corn and soy.
The truth is… it doesn’t just matter what we eat. It also matters what the foods that we eat, eat.
Animals that are fed grains contain significantly less Omega-3 fatty acids than animals that are fed grass, which is the food they evolved to eat (3, 4).
However, they still contain plenty of Omega-6, so their Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio is distorted.
The problem is… we need to eat these fatty acids in a certain balance. Most people today are eating a lot of Omega-6 fatty acids, while their Omega-3 intake is low (5).
Therefore, eating a lot of fatty grain-fed meats can cause problems by contributing to an imbalance in your Omega-6 and Omega-3 intake.
However… I am personally not convinced that this is something you need to worry about.
As long as you’re avoiding the biggest sources of Omega-6 fatty acids (processed vegetable oils), then the benefits of avoiding conventionally raised meats may not be worth the effort.
If you’re trying to optimize your Omega-6 and Omega-3 intake, then you can either eat only grass-fed/pasture-raised meats, or you can choose lean meats and supplement your diet with other healthier fats instead.
If you eat conventionally raised fatty meats, then make sure that your Omega-3 intake is adequate by eating fatty fish or taking fish oil regularly.
Today’s Animals Are Fed in a Way That Makes The Meat Significantly Lower in Omega-3 Fatty AcidsCowOur food environment has changed since the dawn of agriculture.It has changed even more drastically in the past few hundred years, and has been completely transformed in recent decades.Back in the day, our paleolithic ancestors ate a lot of meat… but from wild animals that they hunted.These animals roamed free, eating grass or bugs or whatever it was that they preferred.Compare that to today’s animals, which are usually locked inside and fed unnatural feeds based primarily on corn and soy.The truth is… it doesn’t just matter what we eat. It also matters what the foods that we eat, eat.Animals that are fed grains contain significantly less Omega-3 fatty acids than animals that are fed grass, which is the food they evolved to eat (3, 4).However, they still contain plenty of Omega-6, so their Omega-6:Omega-3 ratio is distorted.The problem is… we need to eat these fatty acids in a certain balance. Most people today are eating a lot of Omega-6 fatty acids, while their Omega-3 intake is low (5).Therefore, eating a lot of fatty grain-fed meats can cause problems by contributing to an imbalance in your Omega-6 and Omega-3 intake.However… I am personally not convinced that this is something you need to worry about.As long as you’re avoiding the biggest sources of Omega-6 fatty acids (processed vegetable oils), then the benefits of avoiding conventionally raised meats may not be worth the effort.If you’re trying to optimize your Omega-6 and Omega-3 intake, then you can either eat only grass-fed/pasture-raised meats, or you can choose lean meats and supplement your diet with other healthier fats instead.If you eat conventionally raised fatty meats, then make sure that your Omega-3 intake is adequate by eating fatty fish or taking fish oil regularly.
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