Afternoon Hay
I don’t know about you, but I find the phrase “afternoon hay” very inviting. Even before I knew exactly what it was, the term conjured an image of an open barn warmed by a mid-summer sun, pungent farm aromas mingling with freshly mown hay.
If you’re a cow, however, afternoon hay is a delicious treat. It seems that grass hay harvested in the afternoon contains more carbohydrates than morning-harvested hay. And just like humans, cattle have a weakness for high carb content; it makes the hay sweeter and provides an energy boost.
If you’re a farmer, afternoon hay is something else entirely: a potential moneymaker. A USDA study shows that cattle tend to eat quite a bit more afternoon hay than morning hay. So cattle that gorge on this carb-rich hay gain weight and increase farmers’ profits.
But here’s the intriguing part: If all U.S. cattle farmers used afternoon hay instead of grain to fatten their animals, our national rates of obesity, heart disease and cancer might be considerably lower.
Where the elk and the antelope play
There are two ways to raise cattle: You can let your herd graze on grass (known as grassfarming), or you can confine the animals in a barn and feed them grain (known as factory farming).
If you want to produce a lot of meat very quickly, factory farming is the way to go. It’s easier and less expensive than maintaining a high-quality pasture. The grain-fed method is inferior to grassfarming for several reasons, but today I’m going to focus on only one: nutrition. Which brings us back to afternoon hay.
The nutrition profile of meat from animals that are fattened with grain is vastly different from animals that are allowed to graze and are fattened with afternoon hay. One of the key nutritional differences in these two types of meat was demonstrated by a 2002 study from researchers at Perdue University and Colorado State University.
As most HSI members are by now aware, omega-3 fatty acids help regulate several key cardiovascular functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, blood vessel dilation and blood clotting. Meanwhile, omega-6 fatty acids promote inflammation and have a negative impact on the body’s immune system. The ideal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 intake is 1:1.
When the Purdue/Colorado team analyzed the omega ratio in the meat of wild elk, mule deer and antelope, they found the omega-3 to omega-6 ratio in these animals to be 1:2 – the same ratio as grass-fed beef. Previous studies have shown that the omega ratio of grain-fed beef runs between 1:5 and 1:13.
In a Perdue University press release, researcher Bruce Watkins noted that the amount of fat in a person’s diet isn’t as important as the ratio of these specific fats. He adds: “Generally, our modern diets, especially in the past 100 years, have changed to where we’re consuming excess amounts of omega-6 fat.”
Down on the farm
But omega ratio isn’t the only nutritional difference between grain-fed and grass-fed beef. Grain-fed beef delivers more calories, more saturated fat, but LESS vitamin E, beta-carotene and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). In several e-Alerts (such as “Yo-YoNaa” 4/11/05) I’ve told you about the benefits of CLA, which may help reverse existing atherosclerosis, decrease progression of osteoporosis, and has also been shown to aid in the management of glucose and insulin levels.
But it seems that afternoon hay is a treat enjoyed by a relatively small population of carb-loving cows; about 85 percent of all the beef produced in the U.S. is grain-fed. If your local butcher or grocery store happens to carry grass-fed beef, then consider yourself very lucky to have a convenient source.
For the rest of us, a web site called Eat Wild (eatwild.com) is making it easier to find independent farms that supply grass-fed beef, as well as poultry, pork and other meats that haven’t been force-fed grains, growth hormones and antibiotics. In addition to articles and scientific references about the benefits of grassfarming, Eat Wild offers a national directory of farmers who supply grass-fed meat and dairy products directly to consumers. Just click your state on the U.S. map and you’ll get full listings for the farmers in your area.
I’m going to check out a farm in my area called Bluebird Meadows. It sounds almost as idyllic as afternoon hay.
To Your Good Health,
Jenny Thompson
Health Sciences Institute
Sources:
“Alternatives: Following the Course of Nature” Louise Valentine, The Epoch Times, 4/10/05, theepochtimes.com
“Fatty Acid Analysis of Wild Ruminant Tissues: Evolutionary Implications for Reducing Diet-Related Chronic Disease” European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vo. 56, No. 3, March 2002
“Cave Men Diets Offer Insights To Today’s Health Problems” Steve Tally, Purdue University, 2/4/02, newswise.com
“Grass-Fed Basics” Eat Wild, eatwild.com
