Pasture-Finished Beef: A Better Choice?

by Mila McManus, MD

Pasture-finished beef resulted in fewer environmental impacts, metabolically healthier cattle, and nutrient-dense beef for people.

We often get asked if pasture-finished beef is really a better choice than regular beef. Nature recently published the results of one of the most in-depth comparisons of beef from two different finishing systems: pasture-finished on range and grain-finished in a feedlot. Over 1500 compounds were profiled. Pasture-finished beef resulted in fewer environmental impacts, metabolically healthier cattle, and nutrient-dense meat for people, suggesting that it is, indeed, a better choice.

Environmental Gains

Feedlots, or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), negatively impact the environment by concentrating animal waste and other hazardous substances that pollute the air and water with their runoff. Finishing cattle in this way also consumes huge amounts of grain and the water needed to grow them. Feeding cattle grain, which is not their natural diet, also creates poor digestion and increased flatulence, contributing to air pollution.

Pasture-finished beef helps maintain grasslands and the earth’s soil. The ecosystem is sustained when croplands are rotated with grazing lands, allowing cattle manure to naturally build nutrients for healthy crops.

Metabolically Healthier Cattle

When cattle are allowed to pursue their food of choice, grass, they are metabolically healthier (less flatulence!), have improved mitochondrial function, and lower oxidative stress. Allowing the cow to eat and live in its natural environment reduces animal stress and provides the best for the animal’s welfare.

Significant Differences in Nutritional Analysis of Meat

Pasture-finished (100% grass-fed and finished) proved notably higher in many nutrients. It was almost three times higher in certain antioxidants, including vitamin E, and nine times higher in vitamin B3 than in grain-fed beef. The anti-inflammatory Omega 3 content was four times higher in grass-finished beef, resulting in a healthy Omega 6 to 3 ratio. Consuming pasture-finished red meat is associated with improved cardiometabolic health. Equally important, the pasture-finished meat did not have antibiotics observed in it like the grain-fed feedlot cattle. Finally, long-chain saturated fatty acids were also enriched in pasture-finished beef. Higher circulating levels of these fats are associated with a decreased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease in humans.

If you have access to pasture-raised beef, it’s worth choosing for the extra nutrients that support optimal health, and for avoiding toxins and other inflammatory chemicals. Check out Butcher Box and Wild Pastures for pastured, biodynamically raised cattle, and other organic clean meats.

Healthy Cows. Healthy People.

Resources:

Gill, Chris. Is Feedlot Beef Bad for the Environment? (pitchstonewaters.com, 2/1/2016)

Evans, N. et al. Pasture-finishing of cattle in Western U.S. rangelands improves markers of animal metabolic health and nutritional compounds in beef. Scientific Reports: Nature Portfolio. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-71073-3.

By Mila McManus MD|2024-11-05T08:08:09-06:00November 6th, 2024|Articles, General|

L-Lysine

L-Lysine is an essential amino acid which means that your body does not produce it but does require it for proper protein synthesis, enzyme production, collagen formation and tissue repair. That means we have to eat it and/or supplement with it. Excellent dietary sources of L-Lysine are found in animal meats, pumpkin seeds, eggs and white beans. The average person needs between 800-3,000 milligrams of lysine each day. Research and experience show that L-Lysine supplementation can be helpful for many situations.

L-Lysine is a natural anti-viral and disease fighting agent, known to stave off infection. It is best known for reducing the severity and frequency of cold sores caused by the Herpes Simplex-1 virus.
L-Lysine is important in the body in the production of carnitine, which converts fatty acids into energy and lowers cholesterol levels.
L-Lysine plays a role in calcium absorption and helps the body form collagen, which aids in growth and maintenance of bones and connective tissue, including skin.
L-Lysine in conjunction with B vitamins, magnesium and Omega-3 fatty acids helps to minimize anxiety. One way it appears to do this is by binding partially to serotonin receptors to prevent anxiety responses, such as diarrhea.
L-Lysine has an anti-inflammatory effect on the lining of the gut. Further research in this area will be helpful in healing leaky gut syndrome.
L-Lysine has mechanisms through which it appears to be able to fight cancer, reducing tumor size and causing cell death in cancer cells without damaging nearby healthy cells.

As with any supplement, it is best to consult your medical practitioner to determine if L-Lysine might be a good supplement for you. It is available for purchase in our office.

https://draxe.com/l-lysine-benefits/

By Mila McManus MD|2017-10-03T21:18:49-06:00October 3rd, 2017|General|

Proteolytic Enzymes (Protease)

by Mila McManus MD

Proteolytic Enzymes, or Protease, is a supplement which serves multiple purposes that support the immune system and all inflammatory processes. They are extremely useful as part of a holistic regimen in the treatment of cancers, chronic infections, digestive issues, cardiovascular disease, and auto immune diseases, just to name a few.

Proteolytic enzymes, or proteases, are produced in our stomach and pancreas and used in the digestive process to break proteins down into amino acids. Many people have heard of protease as a component of digestive enzymes taken as a supplement at meals to support healthy digestion; however, proteases have many systemic (i.e., full body) uses and are essential to good health. When taken between meals, protease is absorbed through the gut lining and into the blood stream where they begin to distribute throughout the body to serve many critical functions, including:

Improving blood flow. Under a microscope, healthy blood cells are dispersed and fluid, while unhealthy ones are clumped and crowded, or sticky. UNclumped cells have more surface area to accept nutrients, oxygenate, and rid themselves of debris.
Improving circulation of blood which helps to repair and heal. Blood and its components deliver nutrients to cells, removes waste from cells, delivers oxygen to the brain, muscles and tissues, and transports immune cells to sites of infection, inflammation and damage.
Stimulating the immune system by pairing up with white blood cells, working to make the immune system more precise and efficient. This results in fewer colds, allergies, and infections. Improved detoxification frees up the immune system to focus on real threats and also helps to manage the inflammatory response, thereby reducing allergies, inflammation and pain, and overreaction to minor triggers.
Improving detoxification through removal of metabolic waste, environmental toxins and helping to maintain a clean and healthy internal environment. Proteases help to break down and eliminate damaging, allergenic, or compromised proteins and thus reduce inflammatory responses. Proteases also break down defensive biofilms created by pathogens (e.g., bacteria). These pathogens create the biofilms in the body to hide themselves from the immune system. Once revealed again, the immune system can attack those pathogens and eliminate them. Breaking down biofilm also allows medications, such as antibiotics, to reach their targets.

I like to think of proteases as a great cleaning crew that goes all over the body to scavenge for waste, cleaning up debris and removing the sticky film on surfaces that make it hard to tell what is underneath. Dirty=irritated and inflamed. Clean=calm and peaceful.

Talk to your healthcare provider about proteolytic enzymes, or proteases. Whether you are well and want to be preventative or if you suffer from any kind of inflammation, pain, organ or system dysfunction, compromised immune function, metabolic or genetic disorders, cardiovascular or circulatory concerns, you should consider proteases. We carry Transformation Enzyme formulas and can recommend the best one for you.

And if you really want to ‘nerd out’, you can read a Scientific Brief.

reference:

https://www.transformationenzymes.com/

By Mila McManus MD|2021-11-03T14:06:06-06:00July 22nd, 2016|Articles, General|