subject: Fast Weight Loss Diets Can Be Drastically Effected By The Changes That Have Occurred In Livestock Production [print this page] Fast Weight Loss Diets Can Be Drastically Effected By The Changes That Have Occurred In Livestock Production
Grazing animals such as cows and sheep have the ability to change grasses into food. These grazing animals are considered ruminants. They obtained their name because they have an additional stomach called a rumen which is a fermentation reservoir in which their digestive bacteria converts the cellulose into fats and protein.
Fifty years ago, a good steak might have been aged a number weeks, but with the start of the feed lot, it was soon recognized at by grain feeding the animals 10-20 days preceding slaughter a very tender meat was produced not requiring the very expensive tenderizing procedure .
In the 1930's a high quality corn yield was 50 bushels per acre. By the 1960's yields in excess of 200 bushels per acre were not that unusual.
The meat producers quickly recognized that they could decrease the maturity rate for their cattle by producing them in the feed lot. In the middle of the twentieth century, it was taking four to five years to forage cattle to maturity. By producing the livestock in the feed lot, this time to raise the cattle to the point of slaughter, was reduced to 14 to 16 months.
Whenever there are radical changes in any of the customary methods of production, the law of unintended consequences raises its hideous head.
To take beef cattle from it birth weight of 80 pounds to its slaughter weight of 1200 pounds, in such a reduced period of time, requires altering the animal's diet from its normal food to grain and growth hormone supplements.
The growth hormones are purposely designed to assist quick weight gain. Any remaining amounts in the end products would make a consumer gain weight beyond their ordinary tendency.
This abnormal food increases the acidity of the animal's stomach. Feeding them grain is to blame for the increased prevalence of E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria. In conjunction with the increased acidity of feeding grains to cattle we have the perfect conditions for creating dangerous microbes that can actually harm or kill us. E. coli have now developed that can survive our less acidic stomach acids.
Not unexpectedly , being grown in crowded and unsanitary circumstances and not receivingits natural food, the livestock require large quantities of antibiotics to preserve their health. Livestock production now requires the usage of 70% of the world's production of antibiotics.
As if this conditionis not bad enough, this change in beef production has led directlyto the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria. These "superbugs" are rendering our miracledrugs ineffective
In addition to these quite dangerous circumstances in the quality of the meat being currently produced, the variation in the health benefits are absolutely astounding. The ratio of Omega6 to Omega3 helps to dictates the inflammatory condition of the human body. The meat from grazing livestock is a very health ratio of 5:1, while the meat from feed lot animals is an unhealthy 25:1.
In addition to this healthy Omega6/Omega3 ratio the meat contains a much higher amount of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). CLA is associated in the distribution of lean to fat tissue and also seems to delay cancer risk.
Vitamin E is four times as high as feed lot meat and has been {shown| revealed to have important benefits to heart health.
Neither Great Britain nor the European Union will consent to the importation of beef products from the United States because of our use of the antibiotics and the growth hormones used for accelerating weight gain.
This editorial shows that when hormones and antibiotics are used in the production of our livestock, residual amounts will be eaten by the consumer and health problems and weight gain can be anticipated.
