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Most domestic cattle are fed grains high in omega-6 fatty acids (which we tend to get too much of, and can impair our ability to synthesize DHA/EPA). On the flip side, animals like free-range chicken, game animals or pasture-fed cattle and bison that graze on ALA-rich plants convert some of that ALA to DHA/EPA and store it in their meat.
“The longer an animal has been out grazing, the more of all these omega-3s they will have,” says Evelyn Tribole, RD, author of The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet (McGraw Hill, 2007). One study showed pasture-fed bulls had three times as much DHA and seven times as much EPA as their feedlot counterparts.
In Australia, where livestock is typically pasture fed, consumers get 43 percent of their long-chain omega-3s from meat, poultry and game. Grass-fed cattle have been found to have five times the amount of omega-3s than feedlot cattle, and a more favorable ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats in the meat. Dairy products from pasture-fed animals are also believed to be richer in omega-3s.
Retailer tip:
Highlight grass-fed meat, milk, cheese and butter with “Did you know?” signs equating pasture feeding with higher EPA/DHA content.
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