CONSIDER THIS: The Health Benefits of Pastured Proteins - Mini-series #1
The Health Benefits of Pastured Proteins
Allen R Williams, Ph.D.
There are numerous research articles available showing that pastured proteins have substantial health benefits that include anti-cancer, anti-heart disease and anti-obesity factors. I will be presenting these health benefits over the course of our series on human health and the benefits of pastured proteins.
BDA Farm is currently involved in a large research trial examining the phytonutrient benefits of pastured proteins produced on a high diversity plant diet within regenerative agriculture principles. This trial is in collaboration with scientists from the Sarah W. Stedman Nutrition and Metabolism Center, Duke Molecular Physiology Institute, Duke University School of Medicine.
The research is centered on the impact of livestock production systems on the phytochemical richness of meat and milk. This phytochemical richness includes vital nutrient compounds such as terpenoids, phenols, carotenoids, and tocopherols. All big words to describe nutrients that protect the body against all types of inflammation and disease.
To give you an idea of these health promoting benefits, let’s look at a snapshot of data:
Milk from dairy cows eating a highly diverse plant diet while actively grazing (most dairy cows are not allowed to graze, but are instead kept in large barns and fed a low diversity diet of corn, soybeans, and alfalfa) had a 4 times higher phytonutrient content when compared to conventional milk.
Grass-fed beef has a 3 times higher phytonutrient content when compared to conventional grain fed beef.
In human clinical trials, people eating grass fed beef had a significant reduction in oxidative stress and inflammation compared to subjects eating grain fed beef AND experienced a significant increase (2 to 3 X’s higher) in circulating Omega-3 fatty acids.
The research to date has revealed that:
Health-promoting phytonutrients—terpenoids, phenols, carotenoids, and anti-oxidants—become highly concentrated in the meat and milk of animals finished in biodiverse pastures. At BDA Farm we have documented more than 140 plant species that our livestock consume.
These phytonutrient benefits, when combined with the Omega-3 fatty acid and conjugated linoleic acid benefits, provide powerful human health advantages.
Regeneratively produced foods contain over 1000 phytonutrients capable of positively impacting human health.
The phytonutrients found in grass-fed meat and milk are in quantities comparable to those found in plant foods known to have anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and cardioprotective effects.
Summary
This new research focused on the phytonutrient components in our foods is revealing astonishing health benefits associated with eating foods produced from regenerative farms. Over the next several weeks, we will explore these benefits and how they impact our own health.
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