What cows and chickens eat and why it matters

I hadn't intended to talk about cows and chickens in this blog, but after reading about them in Anticancer, I feel like I have to. I've learned so much from author David Servan-Schreiber I don't even know where to start.  Please, if you only read one book on cancer prevention and treatment, read Anticancer.  The information in this next section is from that book.

In a natural cycle, cows give birth in spring, when the grass is most luxuriant, and produce milk for several months until summer's end. Spring grass is an especially rich source of omega-3 fatty acids, and you find these omega-3s in the milk's derivatives - butter, cream, yogurt and cheese. Omega-3s are likewise found in beef from grass-fed cattle and in eggs from free-range chickens fed with forage (rather than grain). 

Starting in the fifties, the demand for milk products and beef went up so much that farmers had to look for shortcuts. Pastures where abandoned and replaced by battery farming with corn, soy and wheat becoming the principal diet. This diet contains practically no omega-3s, but plenty of omega-6s. Omega-6s help stock fats and promote inflammation, while omega-3s make cell membranes more flexible and protect against inflammation. Our physiological wellbeing depends very much on the balance between omega-3s and omega-6s in our body and therefore in our diet.  

Omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are called essential because the human body cannot make them. The quantity of these in our bodies stems directly from the content of the food we eat. In turn, the amount in our food depends on what the cows and chickens have consumed in their feed. If they eat grass, then the meat, milk and eggs they provide are perfectly balanced in omega-3s. If they eat corn and soy, the resulting imbalance is as much as 1/15, even 1/40. Because these two fatty acids are constantly competing for control of our body functions, this balance is critical.  

How a cow's diet and subsequent "emissions" contributes to global warming

The 2006 United Nations report on food and agriculture concluded that current methods of raising animals for human consumption are one of the major causes of global warming. The contribution of animal farming to the greenhouse effect is even larger than that of transportation. Animal farming is responsible for 65% of emissions of nitrous oxide, a gas that contributes to global warming 296 times more than CO2. 

Methane emitted by cows is a by-products of their poor digestion of corn and contributes to global warming 23 times more than CO2. Thirty seven percent of methane in the world comes from cattle. One third of arable land is devoted to growing corn and soy for animal feed and there is still not enough arable land to meet demand. Forests are being cut down, resulting in further reduction of the earth's capacity to absorb CO2. The UN report also concluded that raising animals is among the activities that harm water resources the most because of the massive dumping of fertilizers, pesticides and animal excrement into rivers and streams. 

Organic doesn't necessarily mean balanced in omega-3

When shopping for meat or eggs, look for labels that specify "grass fed" or "rich in omega-3s". Organic meats or eggs contain few or no pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics, but they are not necessarily balanced in omega-3s.

Check out Jo Robinson and her fantastic website EatWild  http://www.eatwild.com/ for everything you need to know about shopping and eating smart.

Foods and supplements rich in omega-3 

There are many foods that are high in omega-3, walnuts and salmon being two of my favorites. I also supplement with a daily dose of flaxseed oil and include ground flax seed in my cereal and oatmeal. 

The chart on the right from Self Nutrition Data shows the top 10 sources of omega-3. See full survey results here.