Afternoon Hay

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" HSI - Jenny Thompson " <HSIResearch

HSI e-Alert - Afternoon Hay

Thu, 12 May 2005 06:59:00 -0400

 

 

HSI e-Alert - Afternoon Hay

 

Health Sciences Institute e-Alert

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May 12, 2005

Dear Reader,

 

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.

 

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Where the elk and the antelope play

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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. "

 

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Down on the farm

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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-Yo...Naa "

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.

 

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....and another thing

 

Q: When shaking hands with a doctor, how long should the handshake last?

 

A: Three seconds.

 

That oddly precise directive comes from confidential documents

distributed to Merck & Co. salespeople who once promoted the arthritis

pain-killing drug Vioxx before Merck removed it from the market late

last year. The documents were released to the public when a hearing of

the House Government Reform Committee grilled Merck executives about

Vioxx last week.

 

In addition to handshake guidance, the documents also coached

salespeople on how to eat bread when treating a doctor to dinner.

Apparently chewing bites directly from the loaf is considered

inappropriate when trying to convince a doctor to prescribe a

potential blockbuster drug. " One small bitesize piece at a time, " the

documents advise.

 

Obviously Merck executives leave nothing to chance. Not when it comes

to sales, anyway.

 

In the " up is down " world of giant drug companies, Merck executives

are currently holding discussions with federal health officials in

hopes of returning Vioxx to the market. Meanwhile, more than 2,300

Vioxx customers have brought lawsuits against Merck, charging that the

drug caused them harm.

 

I wonder how many three-second handshakes and bitesize pieces of bread

it took to convince doctors to write those 2,300 prescriptions?

 

To Your Good Health,

 

Jenny Thompson

Health Sciences Institute

 

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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

" Documents Show Vioxx Sales Tactics " Lauran Neergaard, The Associated

Press, 5/6/05, abcnews.go.com

" Merck Interested in Bringing Back Vioxx " Kevin Freking, The

Associated Press, 5/5/05, abcnews.go.com

 

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