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Grass-fed beef and lamb best for Omega-3
From the Western Morning News 29th June 2011
Peter Hall, Farming Editor
Beef cattle and lambs finished on grass, rather than cereals, offer consumers an important health bonus, according to a project supported by the Northern Ireland Agricultural Research and Development Council and undertaken by Dr Alison McAfee at the University of Ulster. Beef and lamb meat from stock finished off on grass were shown to have higher levels of desirable long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, known to enhance human health, than livestock finished on cereal based diets. Eating red meat from grass-fed animals could increase blood plasma and platelet long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid concentrations in healthy humans without any effect on blood pressure or cholesterol.
For those who do not eat oily fish, grass finished red meat has the potential to supply 41 per cent of their total daily long-chain omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid intake, compared to just 29 per cent that can be obtained from livestock finished on cereal based diets.
