Our ancestors evolved on a diet with a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 of about 1:1. A massive change in dietary habits over the last few centuries has changed this ratio to something closer to 20:1 today in the U.S. (Omega-3 Information Service 2002; Pepping 1999).  Ideally, intake of omega-6s should be no more than four or five times more than omega-3s.  Researchers have recognized this imbalance as a major contributor to health problems such as heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, premature aging, some forms of cancer, autoimmune diseases such as arthritis and lupus, and depression.  Grass-fed beef not only is lower in overall fat and in saturated fat, but it has the added advantage of providing more omega-3 fats.

Grass fed beef is leaner than its feedlot counterpart.

Beta carotene is an anti-oxidant and vitamin C precursor, and gives grass fed beef a rich yellow colored fat rather than Crisco-white colored fat.  Grass fed beef contains up to 5.5 times more beta carotene compared to grain finished beef and cattle fed fresh growing grass contained up to 11 times more than cattle fed dried forages.  In fact, the levels of beta carotene can decline dramatically during grain feeding (97%; from 10.2 ug carotene/ml blood plasma to 1.7ug/ml).  (Short-term Grain Feeding and its Effect on Carcass and Meat Quality.  Proceedings of the New Zealand Grasslands Association 1997.  57:275-277.  FROM the EATWILD web site.)

"When fed on grass, cattle take in around 15 times more vitamin E per day than they do on a typical concentrate diet, and levels in the meat can be between two and three times higher as a result."  (Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research; Press release July 17,2002)

Dr. Joseph Mercola provides an in-depth scholarly, but yet accessible, discussion of the benefits of low carbohydrate diets that focus on healthy sources of protein such as grass fed beef and range-grown chicken, and fish combined with fruits and vegetables.