Health Benefits of Eating Grass Fed Beef
DeVry University

Health Benefits of Eating Grass Fed Beef Does eating corn make cattle and humans sick? Some researchers may argue that corn does make cattle and humans sick; other research may argue that eating corn does not make humans and cattle sick. The reason being is because corn is a major staple found in nearly every American’s diet. From chicken nuggets to Coca-Cola; corn is a huge portion of our diet. Surely eating corn can’t possibly be making human sick, but what about cattle? Corn fed cattle are unhealthy and they make humans unhealthy and easily prone to many diseases; a solution would be for the cattle to eat grass and humans to stop buying corn fed beef. Corn fed cattle are unhealthy because they receive antibiotics and are not accustomed to eating corn, which is unnatural to them. Cattle were not designed to eat a diet based solely on corn. A diet of corn creates an acidic environment in the cattle’s intestine which is normally neutral. This causes the cattle to become acidotic. Once the cattle become acidotic, the acids begin to eat away at the rumen wall which allows harmful bacteria to enter into the cattle’s bloodstream. Health problems such as liver disease, abscesses, ulcers, diarrhea, and a weakened immune system are but a couple of issues that eating corn can cause. Escherichia Coli. (Commonly caused E. coli) is one of the major problems that eating this diet of corn is a huge concern. Antibiotics are given to cattle to cure the diseases that eating corn gives them and to stimulate growth. One problem with giving antibiotics to cattle to promote growth is that too much of an antibiotic could cause resistant parasites and viruses. Another problem with giving cattle antibiotics is unnatural and rapid weight growth. By increasing the rate at which the animal grows, causes more devastating health issues for cattle. Research has even shown that certain antibiotics that are given to animals to promote growth, stay in the meat and thus causes more health related issues for the consumer. ( Eisenbraun, 2010). Corn fed cattle are making humans sick and easily prone to many diseases. Humans that eat undercooked meat from cattle that have been sick cause debilitating illness for the human body. According to Clinical Nutrition Insight (2010),not only are humans more at risk for food poisoning, humans are prone to more diseases. Corn fed cattle are higher in saturated fat, and lower in healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Humans are also at a higher risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer. One solution is that cattle should be able to eat grass and hay. By eating grass and hay that is normal to the cattle, the problem of cows contracting E. coli is resolved (Manning, 2009). Not only are grass fed cattle healthier, they provide higher levels often ten times higher in beta-carotene, three times higher in vitamin E, two to three times more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), one and half times higher in protein than corn fed beef and a better ratio of omega-3 to omega 6 (Kurtis, 2009). According to Leheska (2008), beef fat is one of the richest sources of CLA, which has been shown to have health benefits. This is extremely important because beta carotene is converted to Vitamin A in the human body and plays a key role in normal vision, bone growth, and reproduction. Vitamin A is also important because it helps to protect against bacterial and viral infection, and helps to support the production and function of white blood cells. Vitamin E helps prevent and delay coronary heart disease (Kurtis, 2009). Vitamin E also help is blocking the formation of carcinogens formed in the stomach. Research has also shown that vitamin E helps to protect against cancer and improves the eye lens clarity and reduce and prevent the development of cataracts. Having a better ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 is important