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In March 2002, Michael Pollan did the general public a great service when he
published his article, “Power Steer” in the New York Times Magazine. Here
are some of the main points Mr. Pollan emphasizes:
The following links provide important information on the benefits of
grass-fed beef for people and our environment:
www.eatwild.com/nutrition.html
www.csuchico.edu/agr/grassfedbeef/health-benefits/index.html
www.natural-health-information-centre.com/grass-fed-beef.html
published his article, “Power Steer” in the New York Times Magazine. Here
are some of the main points Mr. Pollan emphasizes:
- Before World War II, virtually all cattle ate nothing but grass. After
WWII, the US agribusiness, aided by federal subsidies, produced a
huge surplus of corn, which, through the encouragement of the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, found its way into animal feed.
- The feedlot's ecosystem revolves around corn. Growing the vast
quantities of corn used to feed livestock in this country takes vast
quantities of chemical fertilizer, which in turn takes vast quantities of
oil -- 1.2 gallons for every bushel. So the modern feedlot is really a city
floating on a sea of oil.
- Grain-fed or feedlot beef have extensively higher chance of carrying
the E. coli bacterium. Escherichia coli 0157 is a relatively new strain of
a common intestinal bacterium (it was first isolated in the 1980's) that
is common in feedlot cattle, more than half of whom carry it in their
guts. Ingesting as few as 10 of these organisms can cause a fatal
infection.
- Grain-fed or feedlot beef contains significantly higher levels of the
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) that promote heart disease.
- In the same way that cows were not ‘made’ to eat grain, it is highly
likely that humans are not well-adapted to eating grain-fed animals.
The following links provide important information on the benefits of
grass-fed beef for people and our environment:
www.eatwild.com/nutrition.html
www.csuchico.edu/agr/grassfedbeef/health-benefits/index.html
www.natural-health-information-centre.com/grass-fed-beef.html
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