Pasture-raised beef is the cornerstone of the New Zealand meat industry. But do we really understand the benefits we get from the meat when it is raised this way?
New research from the Riddet Institute indicates there are differences in meat quality relating to health and digestion, depending on how the animal is raised. A research team led by Dr. Lovedeep Kaur and Dr. Mike Boland from Massey University's Manawatū campus, has compared pasture-raised New Zealand beef to grain finished beef, and a plant-based alternative. They found differences in the fat content of the beef, potentially leading to better health outcomes.
The team examined how the human digestive system responds to the differing food compositions and how the nutritious proteins and lipids (fats) are released for the body to use. This was completed using lab-based or "in vitro" digestion simulators. This experiment imitates how a human digests food in the stomach and beyond.
The researchers found the protein from both the pasture-raised and grain-finished cuts of beef digested in a similar way, whereas significant differences were observed for fat or lipid digestion. Digestion of meat from pasture-raised animals released greater levels of good fats, relative to the generally considered "bad" fats.