Essential Fatty Acid Production in Animals

[cedardell]

For all of you discussing the issue presented by NCBA"S nutritionalist about omega3 and omega 6 fatty acid production in cattle, you should read today's New York Times article on Yahoo's front page. The article is about cloning pigs that are rich in those beneficial nutrients. Are also cloning chickens and cattle to produce meat rich in those benecial fatty acids. It is very interesting research if you want to cut through all the bull and believe in science.

 

[Kathy]

The TV news stated they extracted genes from an ocean-sourced WORM and inserted them into a pig. MMMM yummy!

Not for me, thanks.

I noted an environmental group commented: why don't we clean up our oceans and rivers, so the fish aren't so polluted.

Given a choice, I'd say cleaning up our oceans/rivers is a much better idea.

 

[RobertMac]

The lack of Omega-3 in our diet is a symptom of the bigger problem of too much scientifically manipulates, extracted, and processed substances in our diet that are replacing whole foods the way Nature made them. Our genes evolved using the nutrients in Nature's whole foods. If we don't provide our bodies the nutrients we genetically need, we are going to have increasing health problems. The solution is simple...eat whole foods the way Nature makes them.

 

[Econ101]

The lack of Omega-3 in our diet is a symptom of the bigger problem of too much scientifically manipulates, extracted, and processed substances in our diet that are replacing whole foods the way Nature made them. Our genes evolved using the nutrients in Nature's whole foods. If we don't provide our bodies the nutrients we genetically need, we are going to have increasing health problems. The solution is simple...eat whole foods the way Nature makes them.

I remember asking my 6th grade science teacher what kind of vitamins we should be taking to get what we needed in our diet. Her answer was to eat good foods, not good vitamins. I think we have lost that concept in the pursuit of being the cheapest source of food (beef, chicken or whatever) and in convenience.

Thanks for the reminder, Robert Mac.

 

[kolanuraven]

I had to have a lot of surgeries winter before this one and was pretty whipped from it all and my Dr's all told me to avoid the pill version of vitamins, etc.....just eat good whole foods!!!

I did and felt better way soon that I thought I should!! Guess the old ones were right after all..

 

[cedardell]

Thank you for the comments. It is my opinion that these essential nutrients are lacking in almost everything we normally eat. So the question would be to find a reliable source or suffer the consequences.

 

[Econ101]

Robert Mac, I was talking to a fellow producer who raises herford/angus cross grass fed up to the 13 or 1400 range. He sells them for $3.5 per lb. hanging weight. He said that some of the research he has looked at shows that the omega 3 is way up there, but if you ever feed corn, it will stop being produced and go over to omega 6, and that cycle continues even after not feeding corn anymore. Have you heard any info. on that?

He has been written up a few times in some of the ag. publications for his intensive grass management, of which I can attest has transformed his land base over the years to be much more productive than surrounding land.

 

[RobertMac]

Econ, Dr. Tilak Dhiman has probably done more research on the actual production of omega-3 and CLA in real world production models than anyone in the USA. His research started with dairy because of the ability to have an immediate medium to measure changes in the fatty acid complex. He found that it took between three and four weeks for cows on pasture only to max out their o-3 and CLA concentration in their milk...it took only four days on grain to lose it all. Obviously, studying beef is much more difficult and will take several years of replicated studies to get conclusive facts, but he has ongoing studies. He says, to get maximum amounts of o-3 and CLA in beef (or other ruminants), the animals should spend their entire life on green pasture and never any grain. That is because o-3 and CLA are derived from chlorophyll, which degrades quickly in any form other than growing pasture. This is one of the reasons real grassfed beef is so difficult to produce(insulates the niche from the big boys). This is also why I question the results of studies that MRJ sites...the complete history of the animal must be taken into account or results will vary greatly.(Easy to 'prove' negligible difference, if that is your goal.) N.Z. pioneered the grassfed industry(because they couldn't afford grain feeding) and their research is probably the most accurate.

That fellow producer wouldn't be Jon Taggart, would it? I think I have been to some conferences with him.

 

[Econ101]

No, a fella by the name of Gene Sollock between College Station and Huntsville.

Thanks for the info. It seems that your study agrees with what he was saying. I don't know what the cattle grade out, but I am sure he maximizes it. He said the fat was white unless you had a little jersey in the animal. You have to stay with the hereford/angus cattle and not go to the contintental breeds. I mentioned the method of cold flushing the blood out during processing and the benefits of it.

On another note, he said he bands at 600 lbs. with no stress or loss. The feeders he gets never go through a barn and he generally pays by the head for them. It works out for both the buyer and seller.

He is supposed to bring me some of the meat next time he is up my way. I'll let you know how it is then.

Robert Mac, I think we agree on just about everything, we just may look at it from a different angle. Thanks for arguing the points out. It gives everyone a bigger picture.