Heart Health

It’s true – you are what you eat, and you are what you eat, eats too. With this in mind and in recognition of February’s American Heart Month, we’d like to share some important heart-health facts on grass-fed meat.

Grass-fed meat has:

• Lower total fat content & health-promoting fats such as;
• Omega-3 fatty acids - key component to heart health
• Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) - a fat that has been shown to reduce heart disease and cancer risks
• More antioxidant vitamins (health boosters) such as;
• Vitamin E
• Beta-carotene and;
• Vitamin C

“Specifically, bison contains an increased ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) to saturated fatty acids (SFA), 3–4 times more anti-inflammatory omega-3 PUFA and is particularly high in alpha linolenic acid. In addition, ruminants such as bison are a major contributor of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) to the human diet, providing significantly more CLA than other non-ruminant meat sources such as pork, fish, chicken, and turkey. The dietary inclusion of a specifically rich source of CLA may be advantageous as CLA is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties, and may have an important role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer.”

When it comes to omega-3 fatty acids (which our body does not make on its own) – it’s important that we turn to foods that include this essential fat, which has been shown to prevent heart disease. Consuming our native, grass-fed buffalo meat that delivers 3.5x more omega-3s - is not only a good choice but a go-to choice for a healthy heart.

“Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to significantly reduce the risk for sudden death caused by cardiac arrhythmias and all-cause mortality in patients with known coronary heart disease. Omega-3 fatty acids are also used to treat hyperlipidemia and hypertension.”

Evidence has also shown that “some antioxidant vitamins appear to be important in reducing the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD).” With the power-packed antioxidant vitamins found in grass-fed meat, these healthy, can-do substances protect a person’s cells, keeping us free from “oxidative stress” and boosting overall health.

Besides the known health benefits of grass-fed meat, it’s also important to consider its role in weight health, which directly correlates to heart health. Being overweight leads to many conditions such as, high blood pressure or diabetes that lead to heart disease. Consuming a healthy, balanced diet of 100% grass-fed/finished bison with other whole plant-based foods, play a critical role in maintaining a healthy weight and lifestyle.

Our nutrient dense, lower calorie and higher protein grass-fed buffalo meat is not just beneficial for your heart health, but for the heart of our planet. New studies show that one in five global deaths are caused by pollution, and our food supply can either be a part of that pollution or a part of the solution. 

As always, we believe, that eating less meat, but of a higher more nutrient rich and sustainable quality is not just in the best interest of our health, but of our planet’s health too. 

For a better understanding of the benefits of Wild Idea’s 100% grass-fed/finished buffalo meat and to offer transparency, learn more about the nutritional data here. 

Sources:
EatWild - Basics
US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health
National Library of Medicine - National Center for Biotechnology Information
American Family Physician