Is Pastured Really Better for you ?

We will get to Part 2 of “Who is Outliving Us” next month, but it is Heart Health Month, so we have to talk about that.

In past blogs, I have talked about why eating & buying pastured meats from a farmer you trust is better. Here are the main points of the Oct. 2023 blog post. 

• You know what you are eating. Knowing the farmer who feeds your kids is good.
• Relationships matter & foster our most powerful behavior – trust.
• Eat clean, eat more confidently. Regenerative farms tend to be “clean” or free of contaminants – No chemical residues, no hormones, no crazy vaccines, no antibiotics.
• It is better for the animals. Confinement operations are not natural systems and require drugs and antibiotics to stave off Mother Nature.
• It is better for the planet. Regenerative practices improve soil health, reduce soil erosion, improve water quality, and reduce pollution.
• It's better for you. It’s better for you. The body of literature on the human health benefits of Grass and pasture-based proteins over confinement-produced proteins is extensive. Broad categories include improved Omega Fat ratios and combating the chronic health disorders associated with the Western diet, higher vitamin densities, and lower fat contents. It’s a big category.

That’s all very nice Mr. Farmer man – can we get specific please - We are trying to eat better so heart disease, strokes, or cancer doesn’t kill us prematurely.

Forgive us if having good relations with my fellow man and being good to the earthworms is further down the list. Arm us with something of value….

Fair.

Let’s talk pastured-raised chicken.

More Omega 3s – 2.3 x more. Omega 3 fatty acids along with its cousin – Omega 6 – are both polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) and are essential for bodily functions, but our bodies do not make them – we have to eat them.

Broadly, polyunsaturated fats are considered “healthy fats” while saturated fats are characterized as “unhealthy fats” due to their linkages to certain diseases like heart disease and stroke.

Omega 3 as a polyunsaturated fat supports heart health because it can help lower your overall triglycerides number.

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to our bodies as they help our cells function properly and support the cardiovascular and endocrine systems.

Additionally, Omega 3s are known for reducing inflammation while some omega 6s promote inflammation. Inflammation, a protective response of the body can be harmful if it persists in the body for too long and can lead to an increased risk of certain diseases such as heart disease and cancer.

Foods that add Omega 3s to your diet are fatty fish- like Salmon, Mackerel, and Tuna, seeds and nuts – like flax & chia seeds and walnuts and leafy green vegetables.

A better Omega 6 to 3 Ratio….5:1 in pastured birds vs 30:1 in factory-raised birds. Getting the omega 6 to 3 ratio right in your diet is key (Blog 10/23). Broadly, modern medicine cites a ratio of somewhere in the 3 to 1 to 1 to 1 range as the ideal diet ratio of these omegas.

The problem with the western or American diet is that that ratio has become heavily skewed toward Omegas 6s to the tune of about 16:1 and is cited as one of the chief contributors to chronic inflammation issues that plague us with its range of associated diseases and disorders.

More collagen. 15% more than conventional chicken. Collagen is a protein that supports wound repair, joint health, and skin health and appears to play a role in stabilizing blood sugar and regulating blood pressure. Our bodies naturally & gradually make less and less collagen as we age. The natural decline of collagen production is rapidly increased by sun exposure, smoking, excess alcohol, and a lack of sleep and exercise.

More Vitamins. About 50% more A, D, and E. Vitamins A, D, and E in particular are very important for several processes in the body, such as forming healthy teeth, bones, and skin (Vitamin A), boosting the immune system (Vitamin D), and both protecting cells from damage and repairing damaged cells (Vitamin E).

Pastured Poultry can uptake close to 30% of the dietary needs of the pastured they graze on – their commercial cousins cannot do that which is why the pastured bird is healthier for you ……… what you eat, ate really does matter.

Ok - that’s good information – but for the reader who is really trying to do better, I want to leave you with a few closing thoughts.  

First, eating more of my chicken isn’t going to help you.

You need a bigger plan - better chicken can be a part of that plan, but along with other smart choices you make.

Second – Most Americans receive 30% of their caloric intake and 40% of their fat intake from meat, poultry, dairy, and eggs. ……. So, concluding that all meat is bad and you are going to become a vegetarian or a vegan and eat a lot of tofu and spinach is a strategy with a low probability of success. It can be done, but there is a lot of other low-hanging fruit around.

A strategy with a higher probability of success is just making good choices on the kind of animal proteins you eat and being a discerning consumer on how you source and cook those proteins.

Last – Good choices on meat can only be realized in the context of a broader, well-balanced diet and good habits. There are a whole lot of choices out there you can make to help yourself live longer.

Until next time, Farmer Kevin

Ps – next time I will get back to ……. Who is outliving us and why 

Pss - If you liked this article - let me know at landbasketfarm@gmail.com 

Psss - If there is a particular health topic  / eating health topic you would like me to write about,  let me know that too.  

Farmer Kevin 

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Research Bibliography.

In addition to the below resources, extended thanks, to the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association's Mike Badger and Steve Perozzi, Dr. Joseph Mercola Research Articles, Harvard Medical and the Cleveland Clinic.   

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Bartlett, J. R. (2015). Comparing the Effects of Conventional and Pastured Poultry Production Systems on Broiler Performance and Meat Quality. Journal of Agriculture and Life Sciences, 2(1), 29–36. http://jalsnet.com/journals/Vol_2_No_1_June_2015/5.pdf

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Song, Y., Li, Y., Zheng, S., Dai, W., Shen, X., Zhang, Y., Zhao, W., Chang, G., Xu, Q., & Chen, G. (2017). Effects of forage feeding versus grain feeding on the growth performance and meat quality of Yangzhou geese. British Poultry Science, 58(4), 397–401. https://doi.org/10.1080/00071668.2017.1307942

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